Recent Victories for California 

• In December 2008 the San Francisco Superior Court struck down a law that required women to be residents of California for at least six months before they can be eligible to receive prenatal and other medical care services through California’s Access for Infants and Mothers (AIM) insurance program. Back in 2007, Maternal and Child Health Access and Planned Parenthood sponsored AB 1328 (Hayashi) to address this issue. The bill was ultimately vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger. As a result of that veto, Maternal and Child Health Access along with the ACLU of Northern CA sued to prevent the state from enforcing the six month residency rule. This ruling is a great victory for women’s access to critical prenatal care in California.
• In November 2008 Proposition 4, the 3rd parental notification initiative in four years, was defeated by a margin of 52% to 48%. Two similar propositions, Prop 85 in 2006 and Prop 73 in 2005, were defeated by a margin of 54% to 46% and 53% to 47%, respectively.
  AB 2010 (DeSaulnier) exempts affiliate clinics from the provisional licensure law which streamlines the process for Planned Parenthood affiliates to open new health centers.
• SB 1770 (Padilla) will extend the sunset date of the Reproductive Rights Law Enforcement Act (RRLEA), a provision of the California FACE Act (SB 780 Ortiz) to January 1, 2014. As a result law enforcement agencies will have more time to conduct trainings related to the reporting and classification of anti-reproductive rights crimes, in an effort to ensure safe access to reproductive health centers.
• In 2008 PPGG participated in a coalition to pass the “ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE FACILITIES” ordinance which will protect patients from the harassment of anti-choice protestors when accessing reproductive health services within the city of Oakland.

PPGG’s 2008 Legislative Session Round-Up 

The Good: Bills signed by the Governor

• AB 2010 (DeSaulnier) exempts affiliate clinics from the provisional licensure law which streamlines the process for Planned Parenthood affiliates to open new health centers. 
• SB 1770 (Chapter 206) will extend the sunset date of the Reproductive Rights Law Enforcement Act (RRLEA), a provision of the California FACE Act (SB 780 Ortiz) to January 1, 2014. As a result law enforcement agencies will have more time to conduct trainings related to the reporting and classification of anti-reproductive rights crimes, in an effort to ensure safe access to reproductive health centers.
• SB 1213 (Ducheny) This bill would change the requirement for mobile clinic units to notify the Department of Public Health and local authorities from 15 days prior to a first visit to a new site to 72 hour after the visit.
• AB 499 (Swanson) which creates a pilot project authorizes the District Attorney of the Alameda County to create a pilot project to address the needs and effective treatment of minors arrested for prostitution.

The Bad: Bills vetoed by the Governor

• AB 1962 (De La Torre) would have ensured that all health care plans in California included maternity benefits.

How You Can Help 

• Let your voice be heard! Take Action here.
• Find out other ways you can get involved here.
• Learn more about pro-choice, anti-choice, and related laws in California at http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/.