Abortion Rights

The Supreme Court issued its opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overruling Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

Abortion is legal in California:

Courage California will fight to ensure that this will continue to be the case in our state and that our state’s model of expanding rights and protections will be the nationwide standard.

Californians and people across the nation must stand together, fight for the rights of all Americans, and take action to ensure we elect leaders with the courage to uphold the will of the people.

Courage California is committed to enshrining abortion protections championed by the California Future of Abortion Council and directing resources to ACCESS Reproductive Justice to support abortion for people in California and from states in which abortion is illegal and endorse and elect pro-choice candidates at all levels of government.

Watch: California Abortion Town Hall, May 2023

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California Legislation:

In Sept. 2023, California Expanded Access and Protections for Reproductive Health Care:

Senate Bill 345 by Senator Nancy Skinner (D–Berkeley) improves protections for providers against the enforcement of other states’ laws that criminalize or limit reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare services.
Senate Bill 487 by Senator Toni Atkins (D–San Diego) provides additional safeguards for California abortion providers to participate in the Medi-Cal program, regardless of enforcement activities in another state, if the conduct is legal under California law.
Assembly Bill 1707 by Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco (D–Downey) protects healthcare providers and facilities in California from state licensing actions against them based on the enforcement of hostile laws that restrict abortion and gender-affirming care in another state.
Assembly Bill 254 by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D–Orinda) protects reproductive and sexual health digital data included in personal health tracking applications.
Assembly Bill 352 by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D–Orinda) enhances privacy protections for electronic medical records related to abortion, gender-affirming care, pregnancy loss, and other sensitive services, closing a major loophole in privacy protections for people traveling to California for abortion and gender-affirming care.
Assembly Bill 571 by Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris (D–Laguna Beach) prohibits an insurer from refusing to provide malpractice insurance to a provider on the basis of them offering abortion, contraception, or gender-affirming care that is lawful in California but unlawful in another state.
Assembly Bill 1720 by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D–Orinda) clarifies that ultrasounds and similar medical imaging devices must be offered in licensed facilities or by licensed providers, protecting against unscrupulous uses.
Assembly Bill 1646 by Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen (D–Elk Grove) facilitates guest rotations in medical residency programs in California for residents who can no longer receive the proper training due to their program being in a state with restrictions or bans.
Senate Bill 385 (Atkins, D – San Diego) allows physician assistants to provide abortion care, after receiving training and in compliance with protocols.

Texas: Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA

In anticipation of the decision from the Northern District Court of Texas in the case of the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which seeks to overturn the FDA’s approval of the abortion drug mifepristone, Americans are encouraged to visit The Plan C Guide to Pills (plancpills.org/guide) to access a state-based directory of info and learn about alternate routes of access to pills and support.

Where the case is at now:

Did you know abortion pills can be purchased in advance of needing them, to stock at home? This year there is No Roe, but there is something we can do to take back our body autonomy: we can share info on how people are getting pills in advance, all across the US, as one way to reclaim agency and put abortion in their own hands, safely and privately.

Amplify: @plancpills #abortionpillsforever #Ihaveabortionpills

Why does this court case in Texas matter?

The judge could grant an emergency injunction that would force the FDA to withdraw its approval of mifepristone—which would pull it off the market and, in effect, ban it nationwide

Medication abortion is the most commonly used method of abortion. Banning mifepristone nationwide would have severe consequences on people’s ability to access critical abortion and miscarriage care.

Abortion access in our country is already in crisis after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. If this judge takes medication abortion off the market, even more people will lose the freedom to make their own decisions about their lives, bodies, and futures. prochoiceamerica.org

Six things you can do to protect abortion:

Donate to ACCESS Reproductive Justice — the only abortion fund in California — and Courage California in order to ensure people in California and people traveling to California can safety access abortion care and to continue the fight to enshrine abortion protection in California and the nation.
Listen to our “Courage – It Looks Good On You” podcast episode that discusses the future of abortion and features Nourbese Flint of Planned Parenthood, Onyemma Obiekea of Black Women for Wellness, Shannon Hovis of NARAL Pro-Choice CA, and Sierra Harris of the National Network of Abortion Funds. Learn how California’s fight to expand abortion rights and access can be a model for the nation.
Sign up to receive our voter resources to stay updated on which federal, state, and local leaders and candidates support or oppose abortion.

Abortion Rights Resources

ACCESS REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE	ACCESS removes barriers and builds the power of Californians to achieve reproductive justice.	accessrj.org
California Future of Abortion Council	The CA FAB Council works in collaboration with policy makers, researchers, advocates, providers, patients, and key constituents to determine potential challenges in the state and recommend solutions that will continue to provide access and stability for both Californians and those who may seek services here from out of state.	cafabcouncil.org
Liberate Abortion	The Liberate Abortion Campaign is a multi-tactical coalition of more than 150 organizations who have come together to expand power, grow compassion, provide education, and build a groundswell of support for abortion access across the United States.	liberateabortion.org
#BansOffOurBodies	Social Media Kit: Show you’re part of the movement against abortion bans. Post these images on social media and say: #BansOffOurBodies	plannedparenthoodaction.org

YOU DESERVE BETTER

You Deserve Better is a campaign by Black Women for Wellness Action Project and Courage California. Using a speculative fiction format, we take a closer look at the horrors of crisis pregnancy centers.

Check out YouDeserveBetter.Us to learn how to spot a fake clinic, what your rights are, and actions you can take to stop these harmful practices.