Abortion Rights in California

What does overturning Roe v Wade means for abortion nationwide?

Roe V Wade was a ruling made by the Supreme Court in 1973. This decision has been struck down after 49 years on June 24, 2022. Roe V Wade being struck down now means that States now can make their own decisions regarding abortions without any federal restriction against banning it. Many states already severely restrict abortions by with laws such ae six weeks rule but until now haven’t been able completely to ban it. At the moment, 13 states have laws that are expected to ban abortion within a month.26 states are expected to ban abortions.

What about abortion in California?

Abortion will remain legal in California. The state will allow people to have an abortion until a physician determines “there is a reasonable likelihood of the fetus’ sustained survival outside the uterus without the application of extraordinary medical measures” or if the procedure is necessary in order to “protect the life or health of the woman.”Minors can have abortions without their parent’s consent. California also requires Medicaid and other private insurance to cover the full cost of an abortion. In March the governor signed a bill requiring health insurers licensed by the state to cover the full cost of an abortion, without a co-pay, deductible, or other cost-sharing. Additionally, few weeks ago Senate Constitutional Amendment 10 cleared the senate which if made an amendment will prohibit the state from banning abortion in future years. In addition to the constitutional amendment, Governor Newsom has also proposed $125 million in new funds for a "Reproductive Health Package" that would, according to the governor's office, "maintain and improve the availability of safe and accessible reproductive health care services and prepare for a potential influx of people from other states seeking reproductive health care and abortion services."

Next steps for California:

California is expecting 8,000- 16,000 more travelers here just for abortions. To assist the influx of people California Future of Abortion Council has thrown its support behind 13 different bills in the Legislature. Among the most publicized bills are a California abortion "travel fund" that would aid patients in Republican-led states where the procedure could soon be banned. Additionally, Governor Newson signed a bill on that creates immediate protections for abortion providers in CA who do abortions for people who come from places where it’s illegal. California is also working with Oregon and Washington to create “the West Coast offense to protect patients’ access to reproductive care.” This means making abortion more accessible on the West coast for travelers.