Health Care & Reproductive Rights

OAKLAND — Co-leading a coalition of 22 attorneys general and the state of Pennsylvania, California Attorney General Rob Bonta today filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to block the Trump Administration from enforcing the “Defund Provision” within the recently enacted federal budget bill (“Big Beautiful Bill”). The Defund Provision excludes certain health centers, including Planned Parenthood health centers, from receiving federal Medicaid reimbursements. Among other things, these centers provide essential healthcare services to low-income patients, such as cancer screenings, testing and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and birth control. After filing suit over the Defund Provision on July 29, 2025, the coalition is now asking the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts to grant its motion for a preliminary injunction because the States are likely to succeed on the merits, the Defund Provision would result in irreparable harm to the States if allowed to stay in effect, and the balance of equities and the public interest favor the States. In a related lawsuit, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. v. Kennedy, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit issued an unpublished order on September 11, 2025 granting the Trump Administration’s request to allow the Defund Provision to go into effect. 

“For years and years, the attacks on Planned Parenthood have been relentless. With the Defund Provision in President Trump’s so-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ those attacks have escalated to an all-out assault. Let me be clear: Our coalition’s support for Planned Parenthood and other health centers providing essential reproductive healthcare is resolute,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “We are asking the court to grant our motion for a preliminary injunction because the stakes have never been higher. These centers provide critical healthcare services for low-income patients across the country — our states, and the health of our people, will suffer immensely if the Defund Provision is allowed to remain in effect.” 

“Right now, access to abortion and reproductive health care in California hangs in the balance. All 109 Planned Parenthood health centers in California are currently prohibited from being reimbursed for any of the services they provide to patients on Medi-Cal. As a trusted provider in the Medi-Cal program, Planned Parenthood health centers continue to provide care to these patients, but given over 80% of Planned Parenthood patients in California are Medi-Cal enrollees, this is unsustainable and greatly jeopardizes sexual and reproductive health care access in the state,” said Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California CEO and President Jodi Hicks. “If the Defund Provision remains in effect, Planned Parenthood health centers in California will be forced to reduce services, scale back hours, or close their doors — cutting off access to live-saving health care services for our most vulnerable communities. As we continue to weather these attacks by the Trump Administration, PPAC is grateful to California Attorney General Rob Bonta and other state attorneys general for their ongoing efforts to halt this devastating federal defund and ensure people can continue to access the essential health care they need and deserve, including at Planned Parenthood health centers.” 

The coalition’s lawsuit alleges that the Defund Provision violates the U.S. Constitution’s Spending Clause due to the lack of clear notice and the inclusion of unconstitutional provisions. Specifically, it is evident that Planned Parenthood health centers are the clear target of the Defund Provision, but Congress failed to adequately define (1) the full scope of providers that qualify as “prohibited entities” and (2) the timing of the prohibition on federal reimbursements to such entities. Moreover, the Defund Provision constitutes a change that the States could not have anticipated when joining Medicaid. Throughout the sixty-year history of Medicaid, States — not the federal government — have determined whether providers “qualify” for the Medicaid program.  

In its motion for a preliminary injunction, the coalition underscores that:

• The Defund Provision is already impacting the States through increased administrative burdens and compliance costs. For example, the States have had to restructure their claims-processing infrastructure to try to accommodate the Defund Provision’s requirements.  
• The Defund Provision’s ambiguity has resulted in the States having to field questions from providers and draft guidance in an attempt to address the ambiguities.  
• The Defund Provision will also result in significant increases in the States’ healthcare expenses. For example, treatment for later-stage breast and cervical cancer is much more expensive than screenings and early or preventative treatment. Further, Planned Parenthood treats a high volume of patients, and other healthcare centers not targeted by the Defund Provision will not be able to absorb the influx of patients. 

In filing the motion for a preliminary injunction, Attorney General Bonta — along with the attorneys general of Connecticut and New York — lead the attorneys general of Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, as well as the state of Pennsylvania. 

A copy of the motion for a preliminary injunction can be found here. In support of its motion for a preliminary injunction, the coalition also submitted a declaration from Megan L. Kavanaugh, Principal Research Scientist at the Guttmacher Institute. That declaration can be found here.

Tobacco products not appearing on Unflavored Tobacco List will be ineligible for sale in California

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today reminded tobacco manufacturers and importers that, pursuant to Assembly Bill (AB) 3218 (Wood, 2024), the Attorney General’s Office is required to establish a Unflavored Tobacco List (UTL), a list of unflavored tobacco products that are lawful for sale in California. Any covered tobacco product not appearing on the UTL will be deemed a flavored tobacco product and ineligible for sale. To be considered for the initial publication of the UTL, tobacco manufacturers and importers must submit completed applications by Thursday, October 9, 2025. The UTL Portal, where applicants may create accounts and submit applications, is available at utl.doj.ca.gov. Sponsored by Attorney General Bonta, AB 3218 provides that the UTL must be published by December 31, 2025.

“In California, we have not, and will not, waver in protecting the health of our people — especially our youth. Critical to those efforts will be the Unflavored Tobacco List that my office is charged with publishing and maintaining,” said Attorney General Bonta. “This list provides much-needed transparency about the unflavored tobacco products that can be legally sold in our state. I encourage tobacco manufacturers and importers to submit their applications for inclusion in the Unflavored Tobacco List as soon as possible. The October 9 deadline is just around the corner.” 

In 2020, Senate Bill 793 (Hill, 2020) banned flavored tobacco products (subject to certain exceptions) and tobacco product flavor enhancers in California. AB 3218, which went into effect on January 1, 2025, amended the flavor ban by expanding the definition of flavored products, expanding enforcement power, and creating the UTL. The Attorney General’s Office issued emergency regulations to implement AB 3218, in part, by describing how tobacco manufacturers and importers of unflavored tobacco products may apply for the placement of their products on the UTL and what information those manufacturers and importers must provide. The regulations also establish fees for initial and renewed placement on the list, and describe how civil penalties against distributors, wholesalers, and delivery sellers of products not appearing on the UTL may be assessed and appealed.

Any eligible tobacco manufacturer or importer may appoint authorized agents to prepare product forms and make submissions on their behalf. Applications for the list submitted by October 9, 2025 will be considered for that initial list and will receive a response — whether that is an approval, denial, or request for additional information, before the list goes live. Applications are complete and will be considered for the initial list if, by October 9, 2025, a manufacturer or importer creates an account, fills out information regarding products through product or variant form(s), completes UTL application(s), submits payment that the Attorney General’s Office receives, and samples are postmarked. 

Questions regarding registration and submissions can be directed to UTLInbox@doj.ca.gov.

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell today co-led a coalition of 22 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter opposing the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) proposed federal rule that would eliminate veterans’ and their families’ access to abortion care. In 2022, the Biden Administration implemented the “Reproductive Health Services” Rule (the Rule), which currently allows veterans and their survivors and dependents to access abortion services at VA health care centers in situations where the patient’s life or health is threatened and in cases of self-reported rape or incest. The Rule also permits veterans and their survivors and dependents to access abortion counseling at VA health centers. After the Trump Administration indicated it was reviewing the Rule and held meetings with other stakeholders on the Rule, a coalition of attorneys general — including the Office of Attorney General Bonta — met with VA officials and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on April 8, 2025 to express why rolling back the Rule would cause harm to veterans and their families. On August 4, 2025, the Trump Administration published a proposed rule to formally undo the Biden Administration’s Rule. The comment letter is submitted in response to the VA’s invitation for public comment.  

“Earlier this year, my fellow attorneys general and I urged the Trump Administration to protect access to abortion care for veterans and their families in cases of rape, incest, and when the life or health of the woman is at risk. We also urged the Trump Administration to protect access to abortion counseling. Despite our commonsense positions, the Trump Administration has decided to continue its relentless attacks on reproductive healthcare,” said Attorney General Bonta. “As I have said before, medical decisions should be made by patients and their doctors — free from political interference. I’m proud to be co-leading my fellow attorneys general in calling on the Trump Administration to withdraw its proposed rule, which is both extreme and unjustified by any legal rationale.” 

On September 2, 2022, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade, the Biden Administration’s VA announced the interim version of the Rule. On October 11, 2022, Attorney General Bonta led a coalition of 23 attorneys general in filing a comment letter supporting the VA’s efforts to increase reproductive freedom. After receiving public comment, the VA finalized the Rule on March 4, 2024. Since the Dobbs decision, at least 19 states have banned or restricted abortion care, while others are still proposing new restrictions.  

In the letter, the attorneys general write that: 

• The proposed rule presents an unclear standard as to when, if at all, VA physicians can provide abortion care. Specifically, the proposed rule’s preamble insists that it will allow VA physicians to provide lifesaving care — in circumstances “when a physician certifies that the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term” — while the proposed regulatory text bans abortion care for veterans entirely. Generally, where there is a discrepancy between the preamble and the regulatory text, the regulatory text controls. In addition, to the extent that the VA carves out an exception for the lives of pregnant survivors and dependents, it fails to set out a process by which individuals may take advantage of the exception.
• The proposed rule is extreme in its formulation and is out of step with existing abortion exceptions on the state and federal level. Although exceptions themselves are problematic and often difficult to administer, the VA’s proposed changes would mark a substantial and inhumane departure from decades of policy protecting the health and lives of pregnant patients and the autonomy of pregnant patients who have experienced rape and incest.
• The proposed rule is inadequately justified. It falsely claims that the VA does not have legal authority to provide abortion care, obfuscates other federal abortion policy in order to establish congressional intent for a VA abortion ban where there is none, and relies on political considerations instead of medical ones. 

Joining Attorney General Bonta in sending the comment letter are the attorneys general of Massachusetts, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia. 

A copy of the comment letter can be found here.

Under settlement, new owner — Sycamore Partners Management, L.P. — must use best efforts to continue operating Walgreens stores throughout California, including Bakersfield, Fresno, Huntington Beach, Los Angeles, Modesto, Riverside, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, and Stockton 

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced a settlement with Walgreens Co. (Walgreens) and its succeeding owner, Sycamore Partners Management, L.P. (Sycamore), that would operate as an injunction and protect competition, patients, and pharmacy-related workers. Earlier this year, on March 6, 2025, Walgreens announced that it agreed to be acquired by private equity firm, Sycamore. The proposed transaction, which involves over 450 California Walgreens stores, has the potential to increase pharmacy deserts in California — with disproportionate impacts on workers and patients of Walgreens. Walgreens patients include low-income individuals, elderly individuals, individuals who live in rural areas, and people of color. The settlement was reached under Assembly Bill 853 (AB 853), which requires notice and review by the Attorney General of transactions involving retail pharmacies and grocery stores in order to assess impact on access and labor. AB 853 was authored by former Assemblymember Brian Maienschein (D-San Diego) and went into effect on October 8, 2023. The settlement is subject to court approval.

“The settlement we have reached with Walgreens and Sycamore is good news for Californians. At its core, it ensures that the California Walgreens stores remain open and continue providing vital services in our communities,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Across the country, pharmacies are closing in alarming numbers. Thanks to AB 853, my office has the power to address the competition harms posed by transactions involving retail pharmacies and grocery stores, and we are not letting that authority go unused.”

Walgreens is the last nationwide and statewide independent pharmacy chain — that is, a chain not owned by one of the Big Three Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), which are CVS Caremark, Optum Rx, and Express Scripts. The proposed transaction between Walgreens and Sycamore includes, but is not limited to, the following Walgreens stores in California: six in Bakersfield, 11 in Fresno, five in Huntington Beach, 13 in Los Angeles, eight in Modesto, five in Riverside, seven in Sacramento, seven in San Diego, 26 in San Francisco, 10 in San Jose, and seven in Stockton.

Under the settlement, Walgreens and Sycamore agree to the following conditions for the next seven years: 

• Use best efforts to maintain all California Walgreens stores remaining as of the date of the agreement, as well as all required licenses.
• Provide 90-day notice of sale or closure of any remaining Walgreens stores.
• Prohibition from reselling any of the Walgreens stores in California to any of the Big Three PBMs.
• Prohibition from using any dividend recapitalization or other distribution of profits where such a dividend recapitalization or other distribution of profits would reasonably be likely to materially impair the operations of Walgreens.
• Use best efforts to continue participation in Medi-Cal and Medicare.
• Use best efforts to provide financial assistance to patients.
• Ensure best efforts regarding compliance with state staffing levels.
• Maintain a hiring list for all employees from stores that close going forward for preferential hiring at other Walgreens stores.
• Use commercially reasonable efforts to pay retirement contributions if collective bargaining agreements require such payments.
• Use commercially reasonable efforts to abstain from contesting unemployment for individuals who are laid off as a result of the sale or closure of Walgreens stores if no nearby Walgreens store offers employment.
• Use commercially reasonable efforts to bargain with any unions in good faith.
• Comply with nondiscrimination rules in the provision of healthcare services.

Today’s settlement is the second reached by Attorney General Bonta under AB 853. The first settlement was with Rite Aid and was announced by Attorney General Bonta on August 19, 2024. In addition, on April 14, 2025, Attorney General Bonta joined a bipartisan coalition of 39 attorneys general in urging the leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate to enact a law that prohibits PBMs, their parent companies, or affiliates from owning or operating pharmacies. Created in the late 1960s to process claims for drug companies, PBMs were supposed to help consumers access low-cost pharmaceutical care through negotiated volume-pricing discounts, generic substitution, manufacturer rebates, and other tools. However, PBMs have overtaken the market and now wield outsized power to reap massive profits at the expense of consumers and local community pharmacies.

The California Department of Justice’s Healthcare Rights and Access Section (HRA) works proactively to increase and protect the affordability, accessibility, and quality of healthcare in California. HRA’s attorneys monitor and contribute to various areas of the Attorney General’s healthcare work, including nonprofit healthcare transactions; consumer rights; anticompetitive consolidation in the healthcare market; anticompetitive drug pricing; privacy issues; civil rights, such as reproductive rights and LGBTQ+ healthcare-related rights; and public health work on tobacco, e-cigarettes, and other products. 

A copy of the settlement documents can be found here.

Providence St. Joseph Hospital seeking to skirt state law, deny women emergency abortion care

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a statement ahead of tomorrow’s hearing in People of the State of California v. St. Joseph Health Northern California. On September 30, 2024, Attorney General Bonta filed a lawsuit in Humboldt County Superior Court alleging that Providence St. Joseph Hospital (Providence) in Eureka, California violated multiple laws — including California’s Emergency Services Law, the state level analogue to the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), and the Unruh Civil Rights Act — by refusing to provide emergency abortion care when needed to save the life and health of patients. On October 29, 2024, he secured a voluntary stipulation from Providence, in which it agreed to provide access to emergency abortion care. That same day, the court signed an accompanying order, requiring Providence to abide by the terms of the stipulation. On June 5, 2025, Attorney General Bonta filed a motion to enforce the stipulation and order due to Providence’s attempt to modify or dissolve altogether the stipulation, which will be the focus of tomorrow’s hearing. 

“Providence is attempting to go back on its word. It agreed to provide emergency abortion care, yet it is now asking the court to allow it to reverse course. This is not only disappointing, it's troubling: It stands to put the women of Humboldt County back in harm’s way,” said Attorney General Bonta. “My team and I look forward to tomorrow’s hearing. We firmly believe that Providence is in the wrong. Earlier this year, we successfully blocked Providence’s meritless attempt to dismiss our lawsuit, and I am confident that we will prevail again. Whether the attacks are coming from the Trump Administration or from within our state, I am committed to doing everything in my power to ensure that California remains a safe haven for those seeking essential reproductive healthcare.”  

Providence is currently the only available option for women in Humboldt County to seek emergency abortion care. Providence’s effort to modify or dissolve the stipulation escalates a deeply concerning position: that the stipulation and order do not mean what they plainly state and that Providence does not have to fully comply with them. 

If you were denied an abortion you needed in a medical emergency, or if you were denied any other emergency medical care, you can contact abortion.access@doj.ca.gov. Attorney General Bonta also recently announced the launch of a statewide survey to assess how hospital emergency departments are following emergency reproductive healthcare laws. Results from the survey will inform oversight, guide enforcement efforts, and ensure hospitals are fully complying with California’s Emergency Services Law.

A copy of Attorney General Bonta’s latest filing — a consolidated brief that supports his motion to enforce and opposes Providence’s effort to modify or dissolve the stipulation — can be found here.

The hearing is scheduled to begin in Humboldt County Superior Court's Department 4 at 10:30 AM PT tomorrow, and will be accessible virtually here.

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Bonta today joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court defending a Colorado law that prohibits licensed health professionals from practicing conversion “therapy” on minors. Conversion “therapy,” also called sexual orientation or gender identity change efforts, are harmful and ineffective practices that attempt to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Colorado’s law prohibits licensed health professionals from practicing conversion therapy on children and youth. The statute was challenged in federal court by a licensed counselor who supports conversion therapy. Most recently, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit ruled that Colorado is entitled to regulate professional conduct, particularly where there is evidence of harm. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral argument in this case on October 7, 2025.

“In 2012, California became the first state to enact legislation — SB 1172 — banning conversion therapy on anyone under 18 years of age. Because conversion therapy doesn’t work; because it’s harmful to our youth; and because it’s fundamentally wrong,” said Attorney General Bonta. “With this important case now before the U.S. Supreme Court, we are proud to once again stand on the right side of history. We urge the justices to uphold Colorado’s law.”  

In the amicus brief, the attorneys general support Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy because it is not a safe or effective treatment for any condition, puts youth at risk of serious harms, including increased risks of suicide and depression, and falls below the standard of care for mental health practitioners. California is one of over 25 states that bans or restricts conversion therapy. The practice is repudiated by all leading medical and mental professional organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Psychiatric Association.

The brief outlines why the court should reject the arguments against Colorado’s ban on the practice:

• The First Amendment does not shield dangerous and ineffective mental health practices from regulation, nor does it allow licensed providers to operate below a certain standard of care.
• Such bans are consistent with states’ long history of establishing and regulating professional standards of care.
• Striking down such a ban could create profound unintended consequences for states’ authority to regulate professional practices within their borders as they have throughout most of the nation’s history.

In filing the amicus brief, Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of: Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. Attorney General Bonta also filed an amicus brief in support of the Colorado law when it was pending at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.  

A copy of the amicus brief can be found here. 

HOW TO GET HELP

If you identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and are thinking about suicide or struggling with your emotional health, we encourage you to reach out to one or more of the following resources and support services:

Trevor Project Lifeline: (866) 488-7386

The Trevor Lifeline provides support to LGBTQ+ youths and allies in crisis or in need of a safe and judgment-free place to talk.

Trans Lifeline: (877) 565-8860

Trans Lifeline provides peer support for the transgender community, and is run by and for trans people.

LGBT National Help Center

A national resource that provides LGBTQ+ community with free & confidential support and referral resources via phone, text, and chat.

Colors Youth

This non-profit organization provides free and unlimited mental health services for LGBTQ-identified youths ages 25 and younger.

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) LGBTQ+ Page

This page highlights the unique mental health needs of the LGBTQ+ community and includes hotlines and resources to help address those needs.

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced conditionally approving the affiliations of Chapters Health System, Inc., a Florida not-for-profit hospice provider, with two nonprofit hospice providers in California. Chapters Health System, Inc. is seeking to expand its current operations, which are largely based on the East Coast, through the creation of “Chapters West Region,” a nonprofit hospice network covering California, Nevada, and Oregon. Specifically, in California, Chapters Health System, Inc. proposed affiliations with East Bay Integrated Care, Inc. (doing business as Hospice East Bay) and Hospice of Santa Cruz County. Both Hospice East Bay and Hospice of Santa Cruz County are longstanding providers of hospice and palliative care in their respective communities. Under California law, any transaction involving the sale, or transfer of control and governance of a nonprofit health facility, must secure the approval of the Attorney General’s Office. Today’s conditional approval represents the first-ever review involving nonprofit hospice providers by the Attorney General’s Office; the overwhelming majority of hospice providers are for-profit entities.  

“The hospice industry has increasingly attracted scrutiny, in part because of the potential for fraud and abuse. Earlier this month, I launched a new initiative aimed at addressing that very problem, and now, I am announcing that my office is, for the first time, conditionally approving transactions involving nonprofit hospice care providers,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The conditions we have developed are the result of a thorough review and serve the public interest by ensuring continued access to services for terminally ill patients and their loved ones. At the California Department of Justice, we remain committed to prioritizing oversight of the hospice industry.” 

For over 40 years, Hospice East Bay has served the counties of Contra Costa, Alameda, and Solano. Similarly, for over 40 years, Hospice of Santa Cruz County has served the counties of Santa Cruz and Monterrey. Under the two proposed affiliation agreements, Chapters Health System, Inc. would become the sole corporate member of Hospice East Bay and Hospice of Santa Cruz County. No sale or transfer of assets are contemplated, and both Hospice East Bay and Hospice of Santa Cruz County will retain separate governing bodies, nonprofit status, and irrevocable use of their assets, revenues, fundraising, gifts, and bequests.

After conducting a review of the proposed affiliations, Attorney General Bonta consented to the affiliations subject to numerous conditions. The conditions, each of which would be in place for five years, would facilitate the continued operation of Hospice East Bay and Hospice of Santa Cruz County. Highlights of the conditions include requiring the parties to: 

• Ensure that Hospice East Bay and Hospice of Santa Cruz County continue their nonprofit legacies in providing hospice and palliative care and remain continuously licensed as hospices, as well as continuously certified by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). 
• Offer employment to staff in good standing and honor existing employment agreements, as well as provide for appropriate staffing levels required for hospice licensure and certification. 
• Provide timely and effective patient triage and referral systems to prevent delays in patient care. 
• Create and maintain quality advisory committees at both Hospice East Bay and Hospice of Santa Cruz County to provide recommendations for quality of life and care of patients. The parties will provide an annual summary of those recommendations to the Attorney General.
• Use commercially reasonable efforts to continue to maintain specialty services at Hospice East Bay that are not otherwise covered by the traditional Medicare hospice benefit, including veteran’s programs, children’s grief programs, and music therapy. 
• Annually report on compliance with the conditions, provide information reasonably necessary for the Attorney General to monitor compliance, and consent to all conditions upon closings of the affiliations. 
• Reserve the Attorney General’s rights to enforce conditions and recover attorneys’ fees. 

The California Department of Justice’s Healthcare Rights and Access Section (HRA) works proactively to increase and protect the affordability, accessibility, and quality of healthcare in California. HRA’s attorneys monitor and contribute to various areas of the Attorney General’s healthcare work, including nonprofit healthcare transactions; consumer rights; anticompetitive consolidation and conduct in the healthcare market; anticompetitive drug pricing; privacy issues; civil rights, such as reproductive rights and LGBTQ healthcare-related rights; and public health work on tobacco, e-cigarettes, and other products.   

A copy of the conditional approval letter is available here.

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today sued the Trump Administration over the sweeping budget reconciliation law (“Big Beautiful Bill”), specifically the “Defund Provision,” signed by President Donald Trump this month. This provision, which targets Planned Parenthood, is a direct attack on the healthcare access of millions of low-income Americans, disproportionally affecting women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and communities of color. This provision specifically blocks Medicaid reimbursements for essential healthcare services, such as cancer screenings, birth control, and STI testing, at Planned Parenthood health centers. Attorney General Bonta, co-leading a coalition of 22 attorneys general and one governor, asks the court to enjoin the Trump Administration from implementing this devastating and unlawful provision, which will lead to widespread disruptions in preventative care and increase healthcare costs, if allowed to stand. They also assert that the states should not be co-opted into executing this unconstitutional provision. 

“Let me be clear: Federal funds don't pay for abortions. This provision is purely retaliation against Planned Parenthood for its constitutionally protected advocacy for abortion care. The President and Congress are implementing a cruel, backdoor abortion ban through this provision, putting their political agendas over people’s lives,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “This will wreak havoc on healthcare services from cancer screenings to STI testing for millions of Americans who have nowhere else to turn. California will continue to lead as a reproductive freedom state — and we will be there every single time the federal administration tries to strip away your healthcare rights and ignore the rule of law.”

“PPAC is grateful for the support of California Attorney General Rob Bonta and other state attorneys general to ensure that patients who rely on Medicaid can continue to access the full range of sexual and reproductive health care services at Planned Parenthood health centers. The Defund Provision is a direct attack by the Trump administration and the GOP-led Congress on not only Planned Parenthood, but also on Reproductive Freedom States like California, where we value and prioritize access to reproductive health care,” said Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California CEO and President Jodi Hicks. “Planned Parenthood health centers are a critical part of reproductive health care access in California, which is why the impacts of this federal defund will reverberate throughout the state – cutting off access to live-saving health care services for our most vulnerable communities. Despite the challenges we face, PPAC will continue to fight back against this unjust defund, and work with our state leaders to ensure that every Californian can access the care they need, when they need it, no matter what.”

The “Big Beautiful Bill,” is a sweeping Republican-led law signed by the President last month. Among its many provisions, one of the most detrimental sections is a clause that blocks federal Medicaid funding for essential medical services such as cancer screenings, birth control, STI testing, and wellness exams provided at Planned Parenthood health centers. Defunding Planned Parenthood threatens at least 200 health centers nationwide, affecting healthcare for more than 1.1 million people, many of whom are unlikely to be able to receive care elsewhere. Despite claims by Republican lawmakers that other healthcare centers can absorb these patients, recent findings from the Guttmacher Institute indicate that alternative locations do not have the capacity to serve the number of Americans who currently rely on Planned Parenthood for their healthcare.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration challenging the prohibited Medicaid reimbursements. But last week, following the expiration of a temporary restraining order enjoining the Defund Provision, most Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide became cut off from Medicaid funding. In California, Planned Parenthood, which is the largest abortion provider in the state, lost all $300 million of its federal funding. This decision jeopardized the stability of the Planned Parenthood network in California, threatening its ability to continue operating 109 clinics, serving about 700,000 patients each year. Already, five Planned Parenthood clinics were forced to close their doors last week. Nearly 80% of those patients use Medi-Cal, the state version of the federal Medicaid program for people with low incomes or disabilities. While yesterday the court granted Planned Parenthood’s injunction in full, concluding that the Defund Provision violates the First Amendment and Equal Protection clause, as well as the prohibition on Bills of Attainder in the U.S. Constitution, the attorneys general remain committed to ensuring full relief.

In today’s filing, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition argue that the Defund Provision, which prohibits Medicaid reimbursements for Planned Parenthood, is impermissibly ambiguous and violates Congress’ Spending Clause power. They highlight that the provision is likely to increase health risks, including delayed diagnoses of STIs and cancer and increased unintended pregnancies, which will result not only in widespread and devastating effects on the health of our most vulnerable residents, but also increased costs of $30 million over the next five years and $52 million over the next ten years in Medicaid programs. The coalition urges the court to enjoin the Trump Administration from implementing the provision in order to prevent the tremendous harm this will have on public health and welfare of their states, as well as the increased costs to the states. 

In filing the lawsuit, Attorney General Bonta along with the attorneys general of Connecticut and New York, lead the attorneys general of Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, as well as the state of Pennslyvania. 

A copy of the lawsuit is available here. 

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a statement following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Planned Parenthood South Atlantic v. Medina denying Medicaid recipients' individual right to receive care from the qualified providers of their choice, including Planned Parenthood. In a 6-3 opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Medicaid beneficiaries do not have a private right of action to obtain assistance from any institution that is “qualified to perform the service or services required” under the Medicaid Act’s free-choice-of-provider provision  because the any-qualified-provider provision, passed by Congress, does not clearly and unambiguously confer individual rights enforceable under §1983. The case began when the state of South Carolina unlawfully terminated Planned Parenthood South Atlantic’s (Planned Parenthood) participation in Medicaid only because the organization performed abortions outside of the Medicaid program. As a result of the termination, Planned Parenthood immediately had to begin turning away Medicaid patients.

“Congress expressly granted patients the right to choose a qualified doctor or provider they trust while seeking medical care. Today’s decision got it wrong: It strips choice out of the hands of patients, and allows politicians to block patients from making their own decisions about their own healthcare,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The impacts of this decision are likely to harm real people, especially low-income residents of South Carolina and other Medicaid beneficiaries who turn to Planned Parenthood for critical services, including physical exams, pregnancy testing and counseling, and screening for conditions such as diabetes, depression, and high blood pressure. In California, we will continue to defend patients’ access to choose providers they trust, including qualified providers like Planned Parenthood.”  

As part of a coalition of 17 attorneys general, Attorney General Bonta previously filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of Medicaid recipients' individual right to receive care from the qualified providers of their choice, including Planned Parenthood.

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined a bipartisan coalition of 39 attorneys general in urging Congressional leaders to pass the Youth Substance Use Prevention and Awareness Act, a bipartisan bill that would authorize federal grant funding for public service announcement (PSA) campaigns aimed at reducing youth substance use. In addition, the bill would promote innovation by supporting youth-led PSA contests — an approach that not only engages young people directly but also encourages peer-to-peer communication, which is shown to be highly effective. 

“Youth substance use is a serious problem — one that affects all communities, no matter their politics,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I’m joining a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general in supporting the Youth Substance Use Prevention and Awareness Act because it can help to save lives. I urge Congress to pass this bill as quickly as possible.”

In the letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the attorneys general emphasize that: 

• They are deeply involved in efforts to address substance use and addiction from every angle — criminal enforcement, civil litigation, consumer protection, public education, and prevention. 
• The earlier an individual begins using substances, the likelier they are to develop substance use disorders later in life. That is why prevention, particularly among youth, remains an effective tool in addressing this public health and public safety crisis. 
• By requiring annual reports on the content, reach, and outcomes of the funded campaigns, the legislation will ensure transparency, accountability, and effectiveness. 

In sending today’s letter, Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York, South Dakota, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, American Samoa, the District of Columbia, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

A copy of the letter can be found here.