California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a legislative package designed to widen access to reproductive and maternal healthcare across the state. The newly enacted measures target critical gaps in services, bringing medication abortion to community college campuses, establishing state-level care programs for military veterans, and removing barriers for postpartum patients and nursing mothers.
Extending Medication Abortion to Community College Campuses
Among the core measures signed by Governor Newsom is AB 2540, sponsored by Assemblymember Catherine Stefani, a Democrat from San Francisco. This legislation expands on prior state laws by making medication abortion available on community college campuses. It builds directly on a 2022 mandate that required similar services across California State University and University of California campuses.
Filling the Healthcare Void for Military Veterans
Another prominent component of the legislative package is AB 2531, sponsored by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, a Democrat from Thousand Oaks. This bill addresses a significant healthcare gap affecting military veterans in California following federal policy shifts under the Trump administration, which largely barred the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs from providing abortion services.
The new California measure enables veterans residing in the state to access abortion and contraception services through a state program.
“Freedom means being able to make deeply personal decisions without elected officials inserting themselves in pursuit of a political agenda,” Newsom said in a statement announcing the legislation. “California is protecting that freedom and showing the nation, particularly under increasingly severe attacks by the Trump administration, what is possible when we put patients and people first — not politics.”
Broadening Nurse-Midwife Authority and Perinatal Support
The legislative package also tackles workforce and maternal care limitations. AB 1696, introduced by Assemblymember Catherine Stefani, broadens the scope of practice for certified nurse-midwives. The law specifies that physician supervision is no longer required when certified nurse-midwives provide certain services to pregnant and postpartum patients, including stabilizing patients experiencing an emergency medical condition or active labor.
Additional measures signed into law on the same day focus on maternal and infant nutrition and recovery. AB 2160, sponsored by Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez, a Democrat from San Fernando, removes preauthorization requirements for lactation care and breast pumps through Medi-Cal, cutting through administrative red tape for nursing mothers. Other bills in the package address pelvic floor health resources for postpartum mothers and extend paid maternity leave to 26 weeks for firefighters.
A Continued Legislative Push Amid Evolving Federal Landscape
The signings reinforce California’s ongoing strategy to cement its status as a sanctuary for reproductive rights following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson decision. Over the past several years, the state legislature and the governor’s office have appropriated hundreds of millions of dollars to support reproductive and gender-affirming care, counter federal funding restrictions, and establish protections for out-of-state patients seeking medical procedures.
