About Us

PLANNED PARENTHOOD AFFILIATES OF CALIFORNIA

Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California (PPAC) is a 501(c)(4) organization and leads the state-wide public policy and advocacy work on behalf of the seven separately incorporated Planned Parenthood affiliates in California. We are one of 21 state public affairs offices of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

PPAC follows state and federal legislation in a number of public policy arenas and promotes education, counseling and clinical services in the fields of reproductive health care and family planning. We monitor administrative, legislative and regulatory actions, including statewide and local initiatives. PPAC also engages in political activity as allowed by law and provides technical assistance to affiliates regarding government health care programs.

PPAC’S MISSION

PPAC’s mission is to create a personally and politically safe climate in which individuals have universal and unfettered access to sexual and reproductive health service and are free to follow their own beliefs, values and moral code when making decisions about these services.

Incorporated in 1974, PPAC has been a driving force at the Capitol regarding reproductive health care and reproductive freedom issues. It was the first such organization of its type in the Planned Parenthood Federation of America family and served as a model for other states. It was created because the Planned Parenthood organization in California saw the need for a common policy on information and education, fundraising, public relations, public education and public affairs.

PPAC’s vision and leadership has spurred lawmakers to enact legislation that makes California the number one state in the funding of family planning and other reproductive health care services. PPAC played a key role in augmenting state funding for family planning and has played a leading role in the fight against anti-choice legislation for 30 years.

PPAC SUCCESSES

PPAC’s worked to successfully enact legislation that:

• Secured two Medi-Cal reimbursements rate increase for providers of family planning services to improve access to care.  
• Ensured that all public school students who receive sex education in school receive medically accurate, age-appropriate information through the California Healthy Youth Act. 
• Improved access to reproductive health care by allowing qualified, trained clinicians to preform early abortions and removed archaic regulations that singled out abortion providers.
• Protected Californians’ constitutional right at access a safe and legal abortion even if the federal government reduces protections under Roe v. Wade.
• Improved access to contraception by allowing registered nurses to dispense birth control.
• Included contraceptives as part of an insurance benefit package (the Contraceptive Equity Act).
• Defeated three parental notification ballot initiative that threatened teen safety.
• Made it a crime to block access to a health facility.