New California law expands reproductive healthcare privacies

The state of California is now providing stronger privacy protections for individuals receiving reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare. 

“When you and I walk into a doctor's office, we expect that what services we receive there will be private and confidential. And so it feels really good to be taking a step forward and ensuring that every patient here in California has that protection, no matter where they come from," said Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan’s AB 352 into law to protect information regarding an individual's abortion, gender-affirming care, pregnancy loss and more.

 Per Governor Gavin Newsom's office,  "this closes a major loophole in privacy protections for people traveling to California for abortion and gender-affirming care." 

Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan adds that the law gives patients the power to share their personal healthcare information at their own discretion.

“If you receive an abortion here in California, and you were to go home to another state, you would have to opt in for those records to be shared with your providers in your home state.” 

This law one of nine that Governor Newson signed last September.

The following laws aim to protect abortion care patients and providers:

• AB 254– Confidentiality of Medical Information Act: reproductive or sexual health application information.
• AB 352– Health information.
• AB 571 – Medical malpractice insurance.
• AB 1646– Physicians and surgeons: postgraduate training: guest rotations.
• AB 1707– Health professionals and facilities: adverse actions based on another state’s law.
• AB 1720– Clinics: prenatal screening.
• SB 345 – Health care services: legally protected health care activities.
• SB 487– Abortion: provider protections.

Watch News Channel 3 at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. for more information.