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<ns0:Id>20250AB__253198AMD</ns0:Id>
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<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-20</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_ASSEMBLY</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-03-16</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Irwin</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:Authors>
<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Irwin</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to amend Sections 127632, 127633, and 127634 of the Health and Safety Code, and to add Section 92 to the Military and Veterans Code, relating to public health. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>public health</ns0:RelatingClause>
<ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:Subject>Public health: abortion services.</ns0:Subject>
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<html:p>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.</html:p>
<html:p>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.</html:p>
<html:p>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.</html:p>
<html:p>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.</html:p>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
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<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Both the California Constitution and the Health and Safety Code guarantee the right to abortion and contraception.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
California is home to around 150,000 women veterans, representing nearly 11 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.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
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.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
In December 2025, the department issued a memo and promulgated a final rule reversing the 2022 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.”
</html:p>
<html:p>
(e)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The department’s 2025 policy applies to all department health care
facilities, including in California, where access to abortion is legal and protected by the state’s constitution.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(f)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
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.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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Section 127632 of the
<ns0:DocName>Health and Safety Code</ns0:DocName>
is amended to read:
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<ns0:Num>127632.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>
(a)
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The California Reproductive Health Equity Program is hereby established within the department.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
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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.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 3.</ns0:Num>
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Section 127633 of the
<ns0:DocName>Health and Safety Code</ns0:DocName>
is amended to read:
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<ns0:Num>127633.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
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:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The abortion and contraception services provided are within the provider’s scope of practice and licensure.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
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.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
To the extent services provided are covered pursuant to Section 14132 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 400 percent of the federal poverty level who meets both of the following criteria:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(A)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Is uninsured or has health care coverage that does not include both abortion and contraception.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(B)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Is not otherwise eligible to receive both abortion and contraception care at no cost through the Medi-Cal and Family PACT programs.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(4)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
To the extent services
provided are covered pursuant to Section 14132 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:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(A)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
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.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(B)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Is not otherwise eligible to receive both abortion and contraception care at no cost through the Medi-Cal and Family PACT programs.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
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.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
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.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
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.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(e)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
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 90 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.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 4.</ns0:Num>
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Section 127634 of the
<ns0:DocName>Health and Safety Code</ns0:DocName>
is amended to read:
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<ns0:Num>127634.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
An application for a grant under this chapter shall be made on a form to be developed by the department.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
An application shall include both of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A justification of the amount of grant funds requested, including both of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(A)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The cost of uncompensated abortion and contraceptive services the applicant provided to patients with household incomes at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty level and to patients who are veterans in the previous 12 months.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(B)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The anticipated cost of uncompensated abortion and contraception services to be provided to patients with household incomes at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty level and to patients who are veterans in the upcoming 12 months.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Other pertinent information that the department requires.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The department shall develop an application form and shall begin accepting applications for grants pursuant to this chapter on or before January 1, 2023.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
For purposes of subdivision (b), the cost of uncompensated abortion and contraception services shall:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
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.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
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 14132 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(e)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
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.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(f)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
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 1 of the Government Code).
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 5.</ns0:Num>
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Section 92 is added to the
<ns0:DocName>Military and Veterans Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
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<ns0:Num>92.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>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.</html:p>
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