20250AB__253198AMD INTRODUCED 2026-02-20 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2026-03-16 REVISED 2026-04-08 2025 AB AMD Introduced by Assembly Member Irwin (Coauthors: Assembly Members Aguiar-Curry, Lowenthal, Patel, and Stefani) LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Irwin COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Aguiar-Curry COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Lowenthal COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Patel COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Stefani

An act to amend Sections 127632, 127633, and of the Health and Safety Code, and to add

Section to the Military and Veterans Code, relating to public health. public health Public health: abortion services. Existing law establishes the California Reproductive Health Equity Program within the Department of Health Care Access and Information for the purpose of ensuring abortion and contraception are affordable for and accessible to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay, and to provide financial support for safety net providers of these services to offset the costs of providing uncompensated care to patients with low incomes who would otherwise lack access to care.

Existing law authorizes a Medi-Cal enrolled provider to apply for a grant, and a continuation award after the initial grant, if they agree to provide abortion and contraception services in accordance with specified requirements, including that the services are provided at no cost or a reduced cost to individuals with a household income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level who are uninsured or have health care coverage that does not include both abortion and contraception and are not otherwise eligible to receive both abortion and contraception care at no cost through the Medi-Cal and Family PACT programs.

This bill would additionally authorize a Medi-Cal enrolled provider to apply for a grant or a continuation of a grant if they provide the above-described services to patients who are veterans, as defined, who are uninsured or have health care coverage that does not include both abortion and contraception and are not otherwise eligible to receive both abortion and contraception care at no cost through the Medi-Cal and Family PACT programs. The bill would make other conforming changes and would make related findings and declarations.

Existing law establishes the Department of Veterans Affairs and vests the department with specified duties related to veterans in the state, including the development of a transition program to assist veterans in successfully transitioning from military to civilian life by providing information related to, among other things, health care programs and services. This bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to publish a link to the State Department of Public Health’s abortion information internet website on the women veterans resources page of its internet website.

Existing law requires the California Health and Human Services Agency, or an entity designated by the agency, to establish an internet website where the public can find information on abortion services in the state.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.</xhtml:p>"?> MAJORITY NO YES NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (

a) Both the California Constitution and the Health and Safety Code guarantee the right to abortion and contraception. (

b) California is home to around 150,000 women veterans, representing nearly percent of the state’s veteran population. Approximately one-third of California’s women veterans are of reproductive age. Women veterans are the fastest growing segment of the veteran community. (

c) In 2022, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs promulgated a final rule that allowed the department to offer abortion counseling and abortions at department health care centers to pregnant veterans and Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) beneficiaries when the patient’s life or health is threatened and in cases of rape or incest. (

d) In December 2025, the department issued a memo and promulgated a final rule reversing the rule to exclude abortion and abortion counseling from the department’s medical benefits package and CHAMPVA coverage even in cases of rape and incest unless a physician certifies that “the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term.” (

e) The department’s policy applies to all department health care facilities, including in California, where access to abortion is legal and protected by the state’s constitution. (

f) It is the intent of the Legislature that California’s veteran population has access to receiving abortion care in this state at no cost or reduced cost.

SEC. 2.

Section of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read: 127632. (

a) The California Reproductive Health Equity Program is hereby established within the department. (

b) The purpose of the program is to ensure abortion and contraception are affordable for and accessible to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay, and to provide financial support for safety net providers of these services to offset the costs of providing uncompensated care to patients with low incomes and patients who are veterans who would otherwise lack access to care.

SEC. 3.

Section of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read: 127633. (

a) A Medi-Cal enrolled provider, as determined by the State Department of Health Care Services, may apply for a grant, and a continuation award after the initial grant, under this

chapter if they agree to provide abortion and contraception services in accordance with all of the following:

(1) The abortion and contraception services provided are within the provider’s scope of practice and licensure.

(2) The provider agrees to be identified, in a manner determined by the department, as a participating provider in the program. An institutional provider shall not be required to identify any individual who is an abortion provider as a condition of a grant awarded pursuant to this chapter.

(3) To the extent services provided are covered pursuant to

Section of the Welfare and Institutions Code, the services shall be provided at no cost or a reduced cost to an individual with a household income at or below percent of the federal poverty level who meets both of the following criteria: (

A) Is uninsured or has health care coverage that does not include both abortion and contraception. (

B) Is not otherwise eligible to receive both abortion and contraception care at no cost through the Medi-Cal and Family PACT programs.

(4) To the extent services provided are covered pursuant to

Section of the Welfare and Institutions Code, the services shall be provided at no cost or a reduced cost to an individual who is a veteran who meets both of the following criteria: (

A) Has health care coverage that does not include abortion or is unable to access abortion or contraception care through the Department of Veterans Affairs health system. (

B) Is not otherwise eligible to receive both abortion and contraception care at no cost through the Medi-Cal and Family PACT programs. (

b) For purposes of this chapter, an individual’s self-declaration of income and source of health care coverage, or veteran status, made to the provider at the time of service shall be all that is required to determine whether the individual may be able to access no-cost or reduced-cost services pursuant to this chapter. (

c) This

chapter does not require a provider to accept additional patients if, in the reasonable professional judgment of the provider, accepting additional patients would endanger access to, or continuity of, care for existing patients. (

d) The department shall work with the State Department of Health Care Services to notify Medi-Cal enrolled providers of the availability of funding under this chapter, including any pertinent deadlines and other requirements. (

e) For the purposes of this chapter, “veteran” means a person who served in the active military, naval, air, or space service of the United States or as a member of the National Guard who was called to, and released from, active duty or active service that was for a period of not less than consecutive days and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable, was discharged due to a service-connected disability within that 90-day period, or was discharged solely as a result of

Executive Order No. 14183 issued on January 27, 2025.

SEC. 4.

Section of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read: 127634. (

a) An application for a grant under this

chapter shall be made on a form to be developed by the department. (

b) An application shall include both of the following:

(1) A justification of the amount of grant funds requested, including both of the following: (

A) The cost of uncompensated abortion and contraceptive services the applicant provided to patients with household incomes at or below percent of the federal poverty level and to patients who are veterans in the previous months. (

B) The anticipated cost of uncompensated abortion and contraception services to be provided to patients with household incomes at or below percent of the federal poverty level and to patients who are veterans in the upcoming months.

(2) Other pertinent information that the department requires. (

c) The department shall develop an application form and shall begin accepting applications for grants pursuant to this

chapter on or before January 1, 2023. (

d) For purposes of subdivision (b), the cost of uncompensated abortion and contraception services shall:

(1) Be calculated based on the amount the provider would expect to receive for providing these services to a patient enrolled in the Medi-Cal program.

(2) Include those services provided through prescription, including laboratory and pharmaceutical, as well as services that are the result of complications related to services provided pursuant to this chapter, to the extent they would be covered pursuant to

Section of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (

e) For purposes of this section, the department shall not require the submission of personal information about individuals receiving uncompensated abortion and contraception services as part of an application. Information required by the department shall only include information in

summary, statistical, or other forms that do not identify particular individuals. (

f) An application for a grant under this

chapter shall be exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with

Section 7920.000) of Title of the Government Code).

SEC. 5.

Section is added to the Military and Veterans Code , to read: 92.

The department shall publish a link to the abortion.ca.gov internet website on the women veterans resources page of the department’s internet website. <caml:Num>SECTION 1.</caml:Num><caml:ActionLine action="IS_AMENDED" xlink:href="urn:caml:codes:HSC:caml#xpointer(%2Fcaml%3ALawDoc%2Fcaml%3ACode%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'DIVISION'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'106.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'PART'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'2.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'CHAPTER'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'2.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'ARTICLE'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'2.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawSection%5Bcaml%3ANum%3D'123430.'%5D)" xlink:label="fractionType: LAW_SECTION" xlink:type="locator">Section of the <caml:DocName>Health and Safety Code</caml:DocName> is amended to read:</caml:ActionLine><caml:Fragment><caml:LawSection id="id_09230A71-CB23-4637-BC90-58ED1ABAF349"><caml:Num>123430.</caml:Num><caml:LawSectionVersion id="id_F0ECEE51-4C05-4372-A077-D3502A56ACAC"><caml:Content><xhtml:p>(a)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>(1)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>To ensure people have accurate and comprehensive information when accessing abortion services in California, on or before July 1, 2023, the California Health and Human Services Agency, or an entity designated by the agency, shall establish an internet website where the public can access information on abortion services in the state.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(2)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>The internet website established pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include all of the following information and resources:</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(A)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>A person’s legally protected rights to an abortion under state law.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(B)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>The location of abortion providers or links to the information in the state.

Location information shall be posted and updated in a manner that allows people to easily identify the health care providers that provide abortion in the state.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(C)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Practical support services, such as airfare, lodging, ground transportation, gas money, meals, dependent childcare, doula support, and translation services, to help a person access and obtain an abortion.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(D)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Payment support resources, including coverage options, state programs, and other assistance that is available to help people with the cost of the abortion procedure.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(E)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>General description of the available types of abortion.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(F)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Information to combat misinformation and disinformation, and ensure that people have comprehensive and medically accurate counseling and support services.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(G)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Any other information or resources that will assist an individual seeking comprehensive and accurate information about exercising their legal right to abortion and accessing abortion services in the state.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(3)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>The agency shall consult with subject matter experts when determining the information and resources posted on the internet website. “Subject matter experts” includes, but is not limited to, the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, the Department of Justice, the State Department of Health Care Services, the Department of Managed Health Care, and organizations that represent patients, providers, and assistants that obtain, provide, or assist a pregnant person to access an abortion.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(4)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>The internet website shall have mobile capabilities.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(5)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>The internet website shall comply with

Section of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C.

Sec. 794d), regulations implementing that act as set forth in Part of Title of the Federal Code of Regulations, and any laws or regulations governing the accessibility of state internet websites.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(6)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>The agency, in consultation with the subject matter experts, shall review the information and resources on the internet website to ensure that it is current and updated at reasonable intervals, but no less than once every six months.

The internet website shall contain a feature to allow users to report erroneous or outdated information.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(b)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>The internet website and informational materials created and distributed pursuant to this

section shall be made available in a manner to ensure that they are accessible by all state residents. The internet website and informational materials shall be translated into Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Korean and in compliance with the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act (Chapter 17.5 (commencing with

Section 7290) of Division of Title of the Government Code).</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(c)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the internet website established pursuant to this

section shall not include the name or location of any individual who is an abortion provider.</xhtml:p></caml:Content></caml:LawSectionVersion></caml:LawSection></caml:Fragment></caml:BillSection>"?> REVISIONS: Heading—Line 2.