Is California’s New ‘Women Quota’ in Boardrooms Law Unconstitutional?

President and Chief Strategy Officer, Live Nation / Women Nation Ali Harnell; business manager Lou Taylor; and creative consultant at Atlas Music Publishing Tracy Gershon attend Billboard Women's Luncheon In Honor Of Deborah Dugan at Spago in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Oct. 11, 2019. Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Billboard

A California law that requires every publicly traded company to include at least one female on its board of directors by 2020 is provoking criticism among some business owners and legal experts.

State Sens. Hannah-Beth Jackson and Toni Atkins sponsored Senate Bill 826, which was signed into law by former Governor Jerry Brown last year.