California lawmakers on Wednesday authorized spending millions of dollars to support people who travel from other states because abortion is illegal or severely restricted where they live.
(Bloomberg Government) — California lawmakers on Wednesday authorized spending millions of dollars to support people who travel from other states because abortion is illegal or severely restricted where they live.
Grant money from the Abortion Practical Support Fund could be used to cover assistance to non-California residents under the measure (A.B. 204) that advanced on votes of 50-16 in the Assembly and 31-9 in the Senate.
The $20 million in taxpayer money to be directed to that fund would be supplemented by private donations under a law Newsom signed in June.
Assembly Budget Committee Vice Chair Vince Fong (R) unsuccessfully argued against the bill.
“We must acknowledge that forcing taxpayer dollars towards abortions to now pay for out of state travel certainly deserves more scrutiny,” Fong said.
The expansion of benefits to out-of-staters—a compromise that Newsom negotiated with legislative leaders—is part of a push by the governor and majority Democrats to increase California’s commitment to abortion access.
Voters this fall will consider amending the California Constitution to specifically include reproductive rights.
Newsom already signed legislation declaring that California won’t enforce anti-abortion rulings from other states, including bounties awarded against anyone assisting an individual seeking the procedure, plus a new law that prohibits abortion cost sharing.
Video: Newsom discusses the abortion legislation (via Twitter)
In addition to the new assistance fund, the state budget will include $125 million to help prepare for the influx of people seeking reproductive health care from other states.
That includes $40 million in grants to reproductive health care providers to help them improve building security and information technology infrastructure. Lawmakers also sent to Newsom legislation that would bar prosecution for ending a pregnancy or experiencing a pregnancy loss such as miscarriage or stillbirth.
Crime ‘Coverup’
“This bill’s true purpose is to cover up the crime of a botched abortion or self-induced abortion,” Sen.
Shannon Grove (R) said ahead of the bill’s final passage.
“If you can’t hold anybody criminally or civilly liable for something that they do in the process of trying to perform an abortion, who are we protecting here?” said Sen.
Melissa Melendez (R). “This body gives more regard to the lives of dogs and cats than it does to human beings. And that’s wrong.”
That measure (A.B. 2223) was drafted in reaction to the prosecution of two Kings County women who delivered still births and tested positive for methamphetamine.
It also would allow a civil penalty up to $25,000 for someone denied rights under the state’s Reproductive Privacy Act.
Already passed are bills to:
- Allow nurses to perform abortions.
To increase access to services, nurse practitioners and nurse midwives would be authorized to perform abortions (S.B. 1375).
- Eliminate vasectomy co-pays. Starting in 2024, men on private insurance plans could get vasectomies at no additional cost above their monthly premiums.
(S.B. 523).
- Improve abortion information access. The state would establish a website on where patients can locate abortion services under S.B. 1142.
- Provide state-paid abortion and contraception coverage at low or or no cost for people whose household income is at or below 400% of federal poverty level (A.B.
2134).
In addition, lawmakers sent Newsom legislation that would ban compliance with any out-of-state subpoena that seeks information about people who go to California for gender-affirming health care (S.B.
107). The bill also restricts changes in custody based on the parent allowing treatment of a transgender child.
Sept. 30 is the last day for the governor to sign or veto legislation.
To contact the reporter on this story: Joyce E.
Cutler in San Francisco at jcutler@bloomberglaw.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Fawn Johnson at fjohnson@bloombergindustry.com
(Updates with passage of additional bills.)
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