• California Governor Gavin Newsom signed several reproductive health care and abortion protection bills into law on Tuesday.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed several reproductive health and abortion protection laws Tuesday, codifying pieces of California’s campaign to protect abortion rights and counter the effects of the US Supreme Court decision. to overturn Roe v. Wade.

The recently signed laws are intended to increase the number of abortion providers, provide financial assistance to patients and clinics, and increase the scope of legal protections for American women seeking abortion services in and out of state.

Newsom said on his Twitter account: “Arizona, Texas, Mississippi… we’ve got your back. http://Abortion.Ca.gov will provide you with the resources you need to know about seeking out-of-state reproductive care.”

California announced the abortion.ca.gov website on the same day that Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina pushed for a nationwide ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with rare exceptions.

“An alarming number of states continue to ban abortion and criminalize women, and it is more important than ever to fight for those who need these essential services. We are doing everything we can to protect people from any retaliation for accessing abortion care while making it more affordable to obtain contraception,” Newsom said in a statement Tuesday.

“Abortion is legal in California. It will continue to be so. I just signed a bill that makes our state a safe haven for women across the country. We will not cooperate with any state that attempts to prosecute women or physicians for receiving or providing reproductive care,” Newsom said in a statement.

“No one should be denied access to contraceptive and abortion care services due to lack of resources or fear of reprisal. And we will not accept the status quo of leaving women powerless to determine their own destiny. In California, we trust women, we believe in women, and we see their worth beyond their reproductive capabilities,” Newsom said.

The package of laws signed today includes:

  • Criminal and Civil Liability Protections: AB 2223 helps ensure that pregnancy loss is not criminalized by prohibiting a person from being criminally or civilly liable for miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion, or perinatal death due to causes that occurred in utero.
  • Keeps medical records private: AB 2091 prohibits a health care provider from disclosing medical information about a person seeking abortion services in response to an out-of-state subpoena or request.
  • Prohibits Cooperation with Out-of-State Entities: AB 1242 prohibits California law enforcement and corporations from cooperating with out-of-state entities regarding legal abortion in California. It also prohibits law enforcement from knowingly arresting a person for assisting in a legal abortion in California.
  • Expands access to birth control: SB 523 expands access to contraceptives, regardless of gender or insurance coverage status, by requiring health plans to cover certain OTC contraceptives without cost sharing. It also prohibits employment-related discrimination based on reproductive health decisions.
  • More healthcare providers: SB 1375 by Senate President Pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) expands training options for nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives to provide aspiration abortion care.

California has been developing a plan for the state to become a sanctuary for anyone denied abortion services in other parts of the country, since before the Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade that protected the right to abortion in the country.

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