Gov. Gavin Newsom signs bills shoring up CA reproductive protections
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of legislation into law that shores up California’s reproductive protections by tightening privacy restrictions on patients’ medical information and preventing medical providers from being extradited for prosecution if they prescribe abortion medication to people in states where the procedure is restricted.
Newsom said Friday that he had signed Assembly bills 45, 50, 260, and 1525 to block the federal government’s crackdown on reproductive rights, which the governor called a “war on women.” Since President Donald Trump took office in January, he has issued executive orders curtailing abortion care for veterans, slashed funds for Planned Parenthood, and revoked Biden-era orders allowing federal funds to be used for abortion services.
“California stands for a woman’s right to choose,” Newsom said in a statement. “I’m proud to sign these bills to protect access to essential healthcare and shield patients and healthcare providers in the face of amplified attacks on the fundamental right to reproductive freedom.”
The latter two bills, which were sponsored by Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry and the chamber’s Judiciary Committee, allow providers to anonymously prescribe abortion medication like mifepristone, prevent doctors from being extradited to other states if they prescribe abortion medication to patients in states with stricter laws, and shield lawyers assisting states with more restrictive abortion rules from State Bar discipline.
In a statement, Aguiar-Curry thanked Newsom’s administration for helping protect patient-doctor confidentiality: “With the governor’s signature on AB 260, California will continue to be a national leader in protecting reproductive and privacy rights.”
AB 45 and 50, which were carried by Assemblymembers Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, D-Orinda, and Mia Bonta, D-Oakland, ease access for Medi-Cal patients to over the counter birth control methods, and strengthen state protections for providers against sharing patients’ information with law enforcement if they’re prosecuting people in other states for seeking care in California.
“As chair of the Assembly Health Committee, I remain committed to expanding California’s leadership in reproductive justice, especially as a federal administration seeks to roll back reproductive rights and leave our daughters with fewer freedoms than their mothers had,” Bonta said.
Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California cheered the signing. The organization, whose chief executive, Jodi Hicks, is a Newsom ally, had pressured state lawmakers to shore up protections as Congress passed a Trump-approved tax bill that blocks Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funds. Earlier this month, a judge lifted a temporary injunction that had suspended that provision, allowing the administration to continue blocking funds.
Hicks said she was “grateful” to Newsom for signing Aguiar-Curry’s bill as Planned Parenthood awaits a final court decision on the Medicaid funds: “This significant policy will help safeguard access to medication abortion for many Californians and protect the ability of our state’s abortion providers to continue providing this life-saving care.”
California is one of 22 states and Washington, D.C., that shield doctors from exposure to prosecution, civil liability or other investigations by out-of-state officials, according to UCLA. Many states adopted “shield laws” following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022; AB 260 adds extradition to that list of protections for California medical providers.
This story was originally published September 26, 2025 at 5:18 PM.
