"… At campuses that teach the subject, computer science is often offered as an elective at high schools in California. But now, for prospective University of California students, that course can count as a science requirement on college applications, too.
The University of California has expanded its A-G application requirements so that approved high school computer science classes can satisfy a student’s third year of laboratory science, or the category ‘D’ requirement. (Applications to UC schools only require two years of laboratory science, but a third year is ‘recommended.’)" …
https://www.edsurge.com/news/2019-02-05-computer-science-now-more-than-an-elective-for-university-of-california-admissions
As a practical matter, assuming that most high school students take biology and chemistry as their first two sciences:
- Students wanting to major in CS will probably take physics anyway even if they also take CS, since many CS majors at UCs and CSUs are engineering based and require physics in college.
- Students who want to avoid physics for some reason will still continue to avoid physics; they now have the option of CS as a third science in addition to others like AP biology, AP chemistry, AP environmental science that physics-avoiders often choose.