California Legislation + College Access to Medication Abortion
Q: I am thankful for all the work Reproductive Justice organizations do on policy advocacy. It’s thanks to these organizations that access to medication abortion is required on college campuses. How can this work be more visible? How can there be more access on college campuses?
- The College Student Right to Access Act/SB 24:
WFC managed the 2 year campaign (2018-2019) to pass SB24, the legislation requiring student health centers on University of California and California State University campuses to offer abortion by medication techniques on site by January of 2023. Passed and signed in 2019, SB24 increases access to reproductive health care at UC and CSU campuses and is designed to reduce barriers for the hundreds of California public university students who are forced to go off-campus to seek care every month, often missing class and delaying their access to these vital health care services. The California Commission on the Status of Women is the public entity monitoring the implementation of SB 24. - For resources and SB24 implementation status, contact Holly Martinez, Executive Director, California Commission on the Status of Women.
Engagement:
With Elected Officials:
Q: Can we mobilize people to go to elected officials’ offices, to peacefully put pressure on them to take measures to safeguard bodily autonomy and other rights?
- Each of the organizations featured during our call are doing incredible organizing work up and down the state. Please follow their work to engage in ongoing and upcoming campaigns:
- In addition to our featured partners, the following are state and national organizations and campaigns doing important engagement work:
- National:
- California:
Q: How can we sustain our fury over this issue for the next four months when the November elections occur?
- Let us use that rage to fuel us to participate and support integrated voter engagement efforts:
- There are important efforts to support:
- Constitutional Amendment: In November, California voters will have an opportunity to amend the state’s constitution to include the right to an abortion.
- Use the 2022 midterm elections as an opportunity to talk and educate family members, neighbors and friends about reproductive rights issues that will be impacted by election results.
- There are important efforts to support:
- We will likely be hearing in mainstream news about more and more cases of people facing insurmountable obstacles, scrutiny, and stigma in obtaining an abortion. We can turn our anger into action by engaging with media outlets and using our social media platforms with abortion justice messaging that we know connects with our shared values.
Q: What organization works to elect women to local offices, who support reproductive justice and other intersectional issues?
With Organizing/Mobilization:
Q: Is there a coalition of folks who are working on C4 and electoral issues?
- While not specifically C4 coalitions, the following organizations work with C3 and C4 organizations around electoral issues and building political power:
Q: Did attendees agree to have their contact information circulated?
- We did not get permission to share contact information but you are welcome to reach out to the speakers:
- Nakia Woods, California Coalition for Reproductive Freedom: nwoods@reproductivefreedomca.org
- Jessica Pinkney, Access Reproductive Justice: jessica.pinckney@accessrj.org
- Laura Jimenez, California Latinas for Reproductive Justice: laura@clrj.org
- Onyemma Obiekea, Black Women for Wellness/Black Women for Wellness Action Project: onyenma@bwwla.com
Q: How can organizations not solely focus on reproductive justice work, but doing work that is adjacent and/or with some reproductive justice components, support and link resources, and participate in coordinated efforts?
- We encourage organizations to connect with Nakia Woods at CCRF for on-going collaboration with California’s reproductive justice advocates.
- Share resources and information with constituents on the importance of this issue in relation to their work and lives.
- Partner with organizations doing integrated voter education for the 2022 midterm elections, with a focus on how this issue will impact the elections.
Q: Are people moving to California, or just coming for healthcare and going back to their respective states?
- It is too early to tell.
With Volunteering:
Q: I’m with a group of activists eager to help. I believe I can get some people to directly volunteer, but most of the people I work with are looking for ways to help from the outside. What can groups like ours do to help?
Q: Many people have asked me about how to help, and some specifically want to provide lodging, etc to people coming here for an abortion. I direct them to complete the Access RJ volunteer form at your website. I am wondering what it has been like on the other side of that form? And what should people expect after completing the form?
A. During the briefing, Jessica Pinkney shared the challenges organizations face in managing the influx of volunteer support offers. For example, Access RJ has 1 volunteer manager/trainer for the entire state of California. To hear more context, watch the recorded video of the call. As such, some organizations may take time to engage with folks looking to volunteer. We encourage you to follow them and check back with them in the coming months as they build up their infrastructure to meet this new reality.
B. As always, donations (especially ongoing, monthly, or multi-year financial commitments) are most helpful to support organizations to meet the current and future challenges, demands, and needs.
Federal Executive Order:
Q: How does President Biden’s recent Executive Order help or not help California in addressing the demand to access abortions in CA? How far can the Biden Administration go in protecting women’s rights and access to abortions? What are they not doing that they can?
A. We are not legal scholars, but the Guardian provided a helpful analysis on the benefits and limitations of President Biden’s Executive Order, in this July 10, 2022 article.
Grantmaking:
Q: In light of the SCOTUS decision, how might your grantmaking change to meet the current moment and need (if at all)?
Q: Will there be special grant opportunities specific to those wanting to increase their capacity to provide abortion care within California and increasing abortion care access?
A. WFC is a public foundation, which means we fundraise for the dollars we give away. We intend to create opportunities for donors to partner with us to increase support to reproductive justice organizations and will make funding available as we are able to increase our grantmaking budget. To find further information about WFC’s grantmaking, please go to our website.
Q: How are funders talking with each other about strengthening security for community-based organizations, be it digital security audits, protecting databases, or uplifting best practices giving respective organizational staff support to develop tailored team security plans?
- In terms of WFC, we continue to provide general operating support to our partners, so that organizations can prioritize how to best utilize the funds.
- During the previous presidential administration, several national foundations funded organizations to access training and services from Roadmap Consulting on digital and cyber security.
Legal & Procedural Implications:
Q: Are insurance providers required to follow the state’s reproductive laws? For example someone with Medicaid in TX or Blue Cross Blue Shield/TX would not have it covered if they had an abortion done in another state?
- As we understand it for now, this will depend on each state and each health insurance plan.
- For analysis about the future of abortion health care coverage, please see this June 27, 22 article on Politico.
- In California, current law recognizes abortion care as basic health care, and most insurance plans must cover basic health care services. Please also see this June 22, 2022 statement and FAQs from the California Department of Insurance.
Q: Despite, Gavin Newsome’s promise to not cooperate with interstate prosecutions for abortion, could someone in California get in trouble for helping someone in another state get an abortion?
Q: How could we use CA’s data privacy laws to protect us in those efforts re: Shaelana’s question?
- Based on information from our partners, we believe there are no clear answers at the moment. The legal landscape is rapidly evolving and judges may still disagree on laws we believe clearly protect patients and those involved in providing people abortion care, such as the most recent AB 1666.
- To keep up to date on the changing legal landscape, please go to If When How, Lawyering for Reproductive Justice and National Health Law Program.
- If you or someone you know or loved ones need legal advice, go to Repro Legal Defense Fund, a project of If, When, How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice.
- To learn about data privacy and reproductive justice, please go to Electronic Frontier Foundation.