Reproductive Rights
The fall of Roe v. Wade was devastating, but here in California we are doing our best to protect the right to abortion. The State Assembly introduced many bills this year (signed by the Governor) that aim to protect this fundamental right for Californian women as well as work to help out-of-state women access abortion care. Given the stalemate at the federal level and the tension between pro-choice and anti-choice, it’s up to California to protect access to abortion.
AB 1287 – (Bauer-Kahan): This bill works to combat the #PinkTax by prohibiting charging a different price for substantially similar goods if those goods are priced differently based on the gender of the individuals for whom the goods are marketed and intended. Chaptered: August 30, 2022.
SCA 10 – (Atkins): This measure, if approved by voters, codifies access to abortion in the constitution. This measure is particularly important when considering the actions regarding abortion at the federal level. Chaptered: June 29, 2022
SB 131 – (Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review): This bill designates SCA 10 as "Proposition 1" on the November 2022 ballot. Chaptered: June 30, 2022
AB 2091 – (M. Bonta): Health plans are prohibited from releasing medical information related to an individual regarding abortion in response to a request based on either another state’s laws that interfere with a person’s rights regarding abortion or a foreign penal civil action. Chaptered: September 27, 2022
AB 2626 – (Calderon): This bill prohibits health care professional licensure boards in California from suspending or revoking medical licenses for performing a lawful abortion. Chaptered: September 27, 2022
AB 1242 – (Bauer-Kahan): Law enforcement is prohibited from making an arrest for performing or aiding an abortion and is prohibited from cooperating with out-of-state law enforcement regarding lawful abortions. Chaptered: September 27, 2022
AB 2223 – (Wicks): This bill will not legalize infanticide as some have falsely claimed, instead eliminating mandatory investigations of stillbirths. It will prevent prosecution in cases of perinatal death due to a pregnancy-related cause. However, authorities would investigate if there were evidence of foul play leading to an infant’s death. Chaptered: September 27, 2022
AB 204 – (Budget Committee): Defines the purpose of the Abortion Practical Support Fund as ensuring that people seeking abortion care have access to the resources they need to diminish barriers to care. Chaptered: September 29, 2022
AB 204 – (Budget Committee): This bill specifies that grants from the Abortion Practical Support Fund are required to be used to support a new or existing program that increases patient access to abortion, further clarifies allowable uses of grant funds, and expands the definition of practical support. Chaptered: September 29, 2022
SB 1142 – (Caballero): This bill provides grants to groups that help women cover the cost of various expenses that commonly create barriers to accessing abortion. Chaptered: September 27, 2022
SB 245 – (Gonzalez): Eliminates deductibles for abortion services. Chaptered: March 22, 2022
SB 523 – (Leyva): In a move that promotes family planning, this bill requires health plans to reimburse individuals for over-the-counter contraceptives. Chaptered: September 27, 2022