Assembly Bill 91 (AB 91), introduced by Assembly Member John Harabedian on January 6, 2025, aims to enhance the collection of demographic data for Californians of Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) descent. The bill mandates that state and local agencies collect demographic information and include separate categories for major MENA groups. This initiative seeks to ensure that the unique identities and needs of MENA communities are accurately represented in public data.

These groups include, but are not limited to:

• Middle Eastern: Afghan, Bahraini, Emirati, Iranian, Iraqi, Israeli, Jordanian, Kuwaiti, Lebanese, Omani, Palestinian, Qatari, Saudi Arabian, Syrian, Turkish, and Yemeni.

• North African: Algerian, Djiboutian, Egyptian, Libyan, Mauritanian, Moroccan, Somali, Sudanese, and Tunisian.

• Transnational Middle Eastern and North African: Amazigh, Armenian, Assyrian, Chaldean, Circassian, and Kurdish.