Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California Announces 2025 Sponsored Bill Package Aimed at Protecting Abortion and Trans Health Care Against Hostile Federal Action
April 1, 2025
Shelby McMichael
SACRAMENTO – Yesterday, hundreds of Planned Parenthood volunteers from across the state convened in Sacramento to advocate for PPAC’s sponsored legislative package for the 2025 Legislative Session. This year’s package includes six bills to help deliver on California’s values as a Reproductive Freedom State and commitment to serving as a haven for bodily autonomy, reproductive rights, and LGTBQ+ health care.
Amidst the active dismantling of critical health care systems and services by the federal government, PPAC is committed to preserving, expanding and protecting access to sexual, reproductive, and gender-affirming health care in California. This includes taking bold action to address threats to medication abortion access and federally funded health care programs that millions of Californians rely on; and to protect the privacy and security of providers and patients delivering and accessing abortion care and gender-affirming care.
| PPAC SPONSORED LEGISLATION PACKAGE |
Safeguarding Medication Abortion
Emerging threats by the federal government directed at the availability of mifepristone could severely impact the ability of Californians to access abortion care. Medication abortion is used in more than half of all abortions nationally and any action at the federal level that limits access to mifepristone would dramatically restrict access to abortion across the country, including in California.
- AB 54 (Krell) Access to Safe Abortion Care Act
Protects access to medication abortion in California by ensuring that mifepristone – one of the drugs used in medication abortions – can continue to be available in the state. The bill says that manufacturers, providers, and patients can’t be punished for making mifepristone available for legal use under state law. - AB 260 (Aguiar-Curry) Protect Medication Abortion
Strengthens state laws to protect and expand access to medication abortion by clarifying the state’s authority to determine available care in California regardless of federal actions attempting to restrict care; protecting providers and facilities from disciplinary for continuing to provide mifepristone, including by removing providers’ names from prescription labels for medications used for abortion; and affirming appropriate use and ongoing coverage of mifepristone.
Expanding Access to STI Testing
Expanding access to STI testing will ensure more Californians are tested and receive treatment and in turn, reduce STI transmission across all populations, especially marginalized and under-resourced communities like LGBTQ+ people and people of color, who are disproportionately affected by STIs.
- SB 339 (Cabaldon) Ensure Access to STI Testing
Clarifies how laboratory reimbursement rates for STI testing are set in the Medi-Cal program to improve consistency in providers’ ability to deliver care and increase access to STI screening and treatment.
Preparing for Medicaid Cuts
The federal government is currently proposing devastating cuts to the Medicaid system, including significant reductions in funding for sexual and reproductive health care– specifically the exclusion of funding for abortion care and gender-affirming care.
- SB 528 (Weber-Pierson) Safeguard Against Threats to Medicaid
Gives the state authority to continue providing coverage for family planning, abortion, and other health care services that become excluded or restricted from federal Medicaid funding by using state-only dollars.
Protecting the Privacy of Transgender Patients
The Trump Administration has already begun to attack transgender individuals and their access to essential health care. As their attacks continue to escalate, these bills expand privacy protections for transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex (TGI) people and their health care providers.
- AB 82 (Ward) TGI Health Care Data Privacy
Increases privacy protections for TGI patients by safeguarding personal health care information reported to state drug monitoring databases, protecting gender-affirming care providers, and expanding state protections for electronic health records. - SB 497 (Wiener) TGI Health Care Protections
Extends protections provided to TGI minors seeking care in California to include people of all ages and updates requirements to access personal health care information stored in state drug monitoring databases.
| “PPAC is proud to sponsor these critically important bills to not only expand on the progress we have made since the overturning of Roe v Wade but also safeguard against the new onslaught of hostile federal actions. The anti-abortion and anti-trans administration and majority in Congress have already begun to target California communities, their rights, and their ability to access the health care they need and deserve. Once again, Planned Parenthood in California is affirming unequivocally that we will continue to show up for all patients and never stop fighting for reproductive and trans health care. We’re here for good and this legislative package is a part of that commitment.”
Jodi Hicks, CEO and President of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California |
| WHAT THE AUTHORS ARE SAYING |
Assembly Majority Leader & Chair of the Legislative Women’s Caucus Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (AD-4): "I’m so proud to author AB 260, it’s an important tool in protecting safe, legal reproductive care here in California. We’ve added stronger protections, stronger than a similar New York law, for providers who prescribe medication abortions. With federal threats to reproductive rights, it’s more important than ever that we stand strong in protecting the rights of California women and their health care providers to make decisions for ourselves and our families. AB 260 is a response to these federal attacks. It’ll ensure legal access to mifepristone, a common and safe medication abortion drug approved by the FDA 25 years ago. The bill protects patients, providers, and facilities while expanding access through telehealth. And, it reinforces Californians’ constitutional right to make their own health care choices, free from political or religious agendas. I think it sends a clear message to Washington—hands off our bodies.”
Chair of the LGBTQ+ Caucus Assemblymember Chris Ward (AD-78): “AB 82 shores up existing state law by protecting the privacy of Californians’ health data and expanding existing protections to uphold the safety of patients, their families, and health professionals. I am grateful to have Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California’s co-sponsorship on this important measure as we support the privacy and safety of patients and families – whose basic obligation is to ensure they and their loved ones receive the utmost care – as well as ensure the safety of health professionals – whose basic obligation is to provide necessary care for their patients as they were trained to do.”
Senator Akilah Weber Pierson, M.D. (SD-39): "Access to reproductive health is fundamental to personal and family well-being, and it is essential that we protect this right. As federal policies threaten to reduce or eliminate funding for vital healthcare services, including family planning services and gender-affirming care, we cannot take our freedoms for granted. Organizations like Planned Parenthood are at the forefront of ensuring that Californians continue to have access to reproductive health services, even in the face of federal restrictions. Everyone deserves the right to make their own healthcare decisions without political interference.”
Senator Scott Wiener (SD-11): “Our communities are looking to California for protection as Trump and Musk take a wrecking ball to their access to reproductive and gender affirming care. SB 497 builds on our landmark protections to help protect vital healthcare and privacy for Californians’ sensitive medical data.”
Senator Christopher Cabaldon (SD-3): “As the current administration in Washington, D.C. rushes to eliminate the rights of people to control their own bodies and identities, it’s more important than ever that we in California stand up and use our power as a Legislature to make sure everyone can still get the care they need.”
Assemblymember Maggy Krell (AD-6): “I defended reproductive healthcare access from the first Trump administration as PPAC’s chief counsel. I know from experience that the risk to women’s health care is real, despite California’s constitutional protections. Passing policies that protect access is key – we need to be serious about taking proactive action to ensure that our rights on paper stay rights in practice.”
| HOLDING CALIFORNIA POLICY MAKERS ACCOUNTABLE |
PPAC is grateful to the authors and co-sponsors of these bills for their ongoing commitment to protecting and expanding access to essential health care in California, no matter what. Now more than ever, we need elected officials to stand firm in their values and remain steadfast in the fight against authoritarianism, xenophobia, transphobia, sexism and all extremisms that fuel misinformation and threaten both the immediate and long-term health, safety, and well-being of California’s most marginalized and under-resourced communities.
Note: State legislators’ official votes throughout the session on all six PPAC sponsored bills will determine their score on PPAC’s annual legislative scorecard. Last year, 78% of the Legislature scored 100%. Ratings are not endorsements by PPAC. Find all 2024 scores here.
###