California Enacts Laws Protecting Abortion And Contraceptive Access
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed into law new abortion measures — some of which aim to protect out-of-state patients from being investigated in places where abortion is illegal. One of the laws also requires insurers to cover vasectomy costs starting in 2024.
AP:
New California Abortion Laws Set Up Clash With Other States
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed more than a dozen new abortion laws Tuesday, including some that deliberately clash with restrictions in other states — a sign of the coming conflicts that must be sorted out as lawmakers rush to set their own rules now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned. Most abortions are now illegal in 13 states, and others — including Texas, Oklahoma and Idaho — allow people to sue anyone who performs or aids in an abortion. Meanwhile, Democratic-led states like California, New York and Connecticut have been writing and passing laws to make it easier to get an abortion, with California promoting its abortion services on a state-funded website designed in part to reach women who live in other states. (Beam, 9/27)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Gov. Newsom Responds To Anti-Abortion Laws With Cheaper Vasectomies
California will require health plans to cover vasectomy costs starting in 2024 under a bill Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Tuesday. The federal Affordable Care Act already required most health plans to cover birth control for women. The new law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed, SB523 , extends that requirement to vasectomies, a reversible sterilization procedure for men. It will require health plans to cover the procedure without charging co-pays or cost-sharing. (Bollag, 9/27)
Politico:
5 Ways California Is Protecting Abortion
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday signed roughly a dozen laws aimed at turning California into an abortion sanctuary, a moment that couldn’t come at a better time for the Democratic politician’s fiery brand of politics. With the midterms just weeks away and a number of the state’s congressional races hinging on the issue, the governor approved a sweeping reproductive rights package designed to shield patients and clinicians from criminal investigations, defray the costs of traveling to California for the procedure and expand the number of people who can perform abortions, among other changes. (Colliver, 9/27)
CBS News:
California Attorney General Warns Town Against Abortion Ban As Governor Signs 13 Reproductive Health Bills
A city in California is considering legislation that would ban abortions within the city. In response, California Attorney General Rob Bonta warned Temecula's city council not to pass such legislation, threatening legal action if it attempts to go above state law. (Mandler, 9/27)
