The bill will not ban separate areas aimed at girls and boys, but will mandate there must also be a place where dolls and toy soldiers sit side-by-side without being recommended for a particular gender.

The regulations would also apply to pacifiers and feeding equipment, according to California assembly member Evan Low, who drafted the bill.

“We need to stop stigmatising kids and putting them in a box by dictating what they should like based on outdated gender stereotypes,” Low said, adding that he was inspired to frame the legislation by the daughter of a woman who worked in his office.

“Britten asked her mother while shopping why certain things in a store were ‘off-limits’ to her because she was a girl but would be fine if she was a boy.”

Supporters of the bill, which would only apply to department stores that employ more than 500 people, say it would also help to address an unjustified price differential.

They note that products marketed to girls are often more expensive than those aimed at boys, even if the items themselves are identical.

Opponents say the government has no business telling stores how they should display their goods, and overwhelmed parents find it easier to choose if items are clearly labelled.

The bill is expected to pass its final reading in the state’s lower house, before landing on the desk of governor Gavin Newsom.

If enacted, the law will impose fines of US$250 (RM1,036) to US$500 on stores that do not comply, starting in January 2024.