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California Legislature Must Act Now to Safeguard Reproductive Health Access

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media@essentialaccess.org

Sacramento, CA — Essential Access Health is calling on the California State Legislature to take urgent action to sustain vital programs for family planning and abortion access in the State Budget and ensure that California’s values and position as a leading Reproductive Freedom state remain intact. Without leadership from the legislature, years of progress made to expand access to care will be unraveled and access to essential services will be severely reduced. A harmful combination of proposed state cuts, program funding drying up, and current and imminent federal funding cuts could devastate the sexual and reproductive health care safety net statewide.

“We recognize the difficult decisions state leaders face this year—particularly amid budgetary pressures caused by hostile federal actions—but California cannot afford to reverse hard-won progress in transforming our sexual and reproductive health care landscape,” said Amy Moy, Co-CEO of Essential Access Health. “With federal threats escalating, the stakes have never been higher. California must hold the line as a Reproductive Freedom State by rejecting the funding cuts proposed in the Governor’s May Revise and sustaining family planning and abortion access programs that expand options and pathways to time-sensitive health services. This is no time to retreat on our state’s priorities and promises. We urge our legislative leaders to ensure that the budget proposal they send to the Governor reflects who we are in California and the strength of our conviction to do what’s right—even when times are hard.”

The Governor’s May Revise proposes to:

  • Eliminate more than $500 million in supplemental payments to health care providers for family planning and abortion care from Proposition 56 funds for FY 25-26.
  • Shut down the Reproductive Justice and Freedom Fund—rescinding funding already awarded through existing contracts to community-based organizations including Essential Access Health for abortion-related research and culturally-appropriate community education
  • Close the Reproductive Freedom and Abortion Access Unit, leaving in question the administration and maintenance of California’s Abortion.ca.gov website. 

Essential Access Health is urging the Legislature to reject these proposed funding cuts and reflect the following critical actions in their budget:

  • Protect Family Planning Services by Backfilling the Loss of Title X Funding. As of April 1, California family planning providers are not receiving Title X federal family planning funds for the first time in the 55-year history of the program, which served more than half a million Californians in 2024. Without state intervention, nearly half of Title X-funded agencies report that they will have immediate or likely layoffs, and 62% report that they will have immediate reductions in family planning services.
  • Sustain the Uncompensated Care Grant Program, which has already supported over 130,000 patients in accessing abortion and contraception. The Uncompensated Care program will be discontinued if additional state funding is not secured in the FY 25-26 budget.
  • Continue the LA County Abortion Safe Haven Program, which recognizes the unique role LA County plays as a hub for abortion care and expands access through clinical care expansions, legal support, direct practical support, provider training, and more. The LA Safe Haven program will be discontinued if additional state funding is not secured in the FY 25-26 budget. 
  • Update and maintain Abortion.ca.gov, a trusted source of scientific, evidence-based sexual and reproductive health information. The May Revise proposes to close the Reproductive Freedom and Abortion Access Unit which currently maintains the site. This vital resource must be protected.
  • Invest ADAP Rebate funds to protect HIV and STI prevention programs and sustain HIV—and syndemic STI—prevention services across California, to protect programs that are facing substantial and devastating cuts due to changes at the CDC.

Without the state investments outlined above, California’s family planning and abortion access safety net will be decimated, with patients unable to access vital health services and health centers forced to lay off essential health workers. 

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Essential Access Health advances reproductive equity and champions quality sexual and reproductive health care for all through distributing public funding, policy advocacy, research, training and capacity building for the health care workforce, and youth and community empowerment. We work to ensure that everyone, everywhere can get the care they want and need, where and how they need it, with dignity and respect.