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California Future of Abortion Council Releases Latest Report Amid Unprecedented Federal Attacks on Reproductive Freedom

New Report Includes Recommendations and Actions Needed for California to Continue Leading the Nation as a Reproductive Freedom State

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 21, 2026

 

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SACRAMENTO — The California Future of Abortion Council (FAB Council), comprised of more than 50 organizations from across California, released a new report highlighting 48 policy recommendations that state leaders and lawmakers can pursue to protect and expand abortion access in the state as attacks from the Trump Administration, Congress, and federal courts seek to devastate the abortion and reproductive health care safety net nationwide, including in California.


The FAB Council’s third report comes at a time when Planned Parenthood health centers and other abortion providers are currently barred from receiving payment with federal funds for reproductive health services provided to Medi-Cal patients – effectively defunding them in states like California. These and other imminent federal attacks on abortion care pose an existential threat to the stability of California’s reproductive health care safety net and endangers access to essential services for countless Californians in urban and rural communities alike. 


While state leaders have enacted and implemented nation-leading abortion protection legislation, as well as continue to prioritize critical investments in reproductive health care, California still must do more to meaningfully protect abortion access as a Reproductive Freedom State. This new report builds on the state’s successes, while further preparing California for ongoing attacks to abortion and reproductive health care by a hostile, anti-abortion federal government.


“Since the overturning of Roe, California has led the way nationwide in protecting and expanding abortion access for all people in our state. Yet nonetheless, we are not immune to the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans’ unrelenting attacks against the reproductive freedom we have fought so hard for here in California,” said Sylvia Castillo, Executive Director of the California Coalition for Reproductive Freedom, which houses the FAB Council. “It is essential that California leaders protect the progress we’ve made in expanding access to equitable abortion care and uphold the state’s legacy as a beacon of reproductive freedom. The FAB Council’s new recommendations report provides a roadmap to do just that.” 


The California FAB Council members will continue to work with state leaders to advance and implement the policy recommendations outlined in this report to protect abortion access in the state. Read the full report here.

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The California FAB Council was launched in 2021 by reproductive health, rights and justice advocates - with support from Governor Gavin Newsom and state legislative leaders - to identify barriers to abortion access and recommend policy solutions to expand equitable and affordable access to abortion services for all who seek care in California. The FAB Council developed two successive reports (in 2021 and 2022) outlining recommendations to expand access to abortion care in anticipation of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. 

 

Quotes from CA Future of Abortion Council Leaders

 

ACCESS REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE Executive Director Jessica Gil said:

“ACCESS REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE has been honored to participate in the California Future of Abortion Council, leading the work to ensure that practical supports such as transportation, lodging, childcare, and other emotional and financial support are prioritized as we fight to strengthen abortion access amidst rising authoritarianism and increased attacks on healthcare. The same communities we serve on the Healthline - poor and working class, Black, Indigenous and other people of color, rural, young and LGBTQ+ Californians - will bear the brunt of the dangerous cuts imposed by this federal administration. Abortion funds and practical support organizations will continue to support individuals with transportation to and from their appointments, lodging for overnight stays, meals, childcare and more – however, the unmet need far exceeds what we are able to support. The policy recommendations made in the FAB Council report are integral to filling the gaps in abortion access that persist for Californians and those in neighboring states.”

 

ACLU California Action Executive Director, David Trujillo said: 

“The FAB Council report makes clear that the escalating threats facing abortion access demand an even greater response from our state. ACLU California Action remains committed to advancing policies that defend providers and patients, safeguards care, and ensures that reproductive freedom is a lived reality for all. No matter a person’s income, gender identity, or immigration status, everyone is entitled to access to reproductive health care. California has the responsibility to not only protect access within our state but to continue to be a leading voice for reproductive justice nationwide with the urgency and resolve these times call for.”


Black Women for Wellness Action Project Policy Director LaKisha Camese said:

“At a time when federal attacks on reproductive healthcare are accelerating and Black birthing people and gender-expansive people are bearing the brunt of these harms, abortion care must be named and protected as a fundamental pillar of reproductive justice. Reproductive justice is not theoretical—it is only realized when people have real, timely, and culturally responsive access to care grounded in dignity, autonomy, and informed consent.

Black Women for Wellness Action Project remains unwavering in our fight for a future where Black communities are free to decide if, when, and how to build their families—without coercion, surveillance, or systemic neglect. In this pivotal moment, the FAB Council is not only necessary, it is urgent. As a co-convener, we are proud to help lead this collective effort to fortify California as a reproductive justice stronghold by advancing bold, community-informed policy solutions that confront medical racism, expand access, and safeguard bodily autonomy for all. These recommendations reflect California’s commitment to resisting harmful federal rollbacks and ensuring that Black women, girls, and gender-expansive people can fully exercise their reproductive rights—now and for generations to come.”


California Latinas for Reproductive Justice Executive Director Jocelyn De La Rosa said: 

“The federal defunding of abortion providers is not an abstract policy decision—it has real consequences for our communities,” said Jocelyn De La Rosa, Executive Director of California Latinas for Reproductive Justice. “When providers lose funding, already vulnerable people lose care. California’s leadership has been critical in stepping in, and this report outlines a clear path forward to not only protect abortion access, but to strengthen a reproductive health care system that honors our dignity, self-determination, and the power we already hold in our communities.Since 2008, CLRJ has built Latina/e power and cultivated leadership through policy advocacy,  community engagement, research and strategic communications to achieve Reproductive Justice (RJ). We firmly believe that all people deserve the right to make fully informed decisions over their bodies with dignity and respect. CLRJ has a strong commitment to just and equitable access to abortion and this FAB report showcases one set of recommendations we aim to achieve to navigate the days ahead.”


California Nurse-Midwives Association (CNMA) Legislative Action and Advocacy committee co-chair Anya Rapoport said: 

“The California Future of Abortion Council’s updated report underscores the necessity of safeguarding and expanding abortion access as essential health care. The California Nurse-Midwives Association is proud to contribute to this year's report, bringing the perspective of clinicians who provide reproductive and abortion care across California every day.  At a time when reproductive freedom is being systematically eroded at the federal level, this report offers clear, actionable policy recommendations to protect abortion as essential health care. CNMA stands with the Council in advocating for bold, evidence-based solutions that ensure every person can access timely, equitable, and respectful abortion care without barriers.”


Essential Access Health Co-CEO Amy Moy said:

“Abortion is essential health care, and policies that deny access are inhumane and dangerous. Extreme bans and restrictions are a form of state-sanctioned violence against people who can get pregnant, stripping them of bodily autonomy and putting their lives at risk. While California has strong legal protections, abortion access remains out of reach for too many - including people with low-incomes and individuals living in rural communities. As extreme and regressive policies threaten millions nationwide, California must continue to take bold action to reduce health inequities and expand abortion options and pathways to care to ensure everyone can get the time-sensitive services they want and need, when and where they need it.”


National Health Law Program’s Senior Director of Sexual Health and Reproductive Health Fabiola De Liban said:

“An organization that defends health care rights for low-income and underserved individuals and communities, NHeLP reiterates that abortion is health care. We are pleased to continue to work towards a future where abortion isn’t just legal – but also accessible, affordable, and supported for anyone who steps foot in California. Lack of abortion access hardest on Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, people with disabilities, people in rural areas, young people, immigrants, and those having difficulty making ends meet. The fundamental right to make decisions about our bodies, lives, and futures is essential to the pursuit of health equity and racial, reproductive, and economic justice. We are ready to work with our state policy makers to meet this crucial moment in our nation’s history.”


Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California President and CEO Jodi Hicks said:

“This past year has, undoubtedly, brought unprecedented challenges to the fight to protect abortion access in California. With the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans’ federal defund of Planned Parenthood health centers, reproductive freedom in California has been threatened tenfold. As we look forward to 2026 and beyond, California must continue to build a resilient health care delivery system that will protect people's access to essential health care against a hostile federal government. Alongside our partners in health care and reproductive justice, PPAC will continue to work to actualize California’s commitment to reproductive freedom by ensuring Planned Parenthood health centers remain open to serve patients and that all people in California can access the care they need and deserve, at the provider of their choice, with dignity and autonomy.”


Reproductive Freedom for All Vice President of Organizing and Campaigns David Berrios released the following statement:

“The Trump Administration is attacking reproductive freedom from all angles — weaponizing the courts, Congress, government agencies and state legislatures to restrict people’s access to health care. Reproductive Freedom for All California’s members have worked tirelessly to make sure California remains a leader in protecting abortion care, and we are proud to continue working with the California Future of Abortion Council on policy recommendations that will ensure anyone can access the care they need.”


Training in Early Abortion for Comprehensive Healthcare (TEACH) Executive Director Flor Hunt said:

“We are living through a pivotal moment for reproductive freedom—one in which the fundamental right to bodily autonomy is being challenged and entire communities face the threat of a decades-long rollback of access to care. As part of the statewide movement to safeguard abortion access for everyone who needs it, TEACH is proud to stand on the front lines to ensure Californians can receive skilled, nonjudgmental, and compassionate abortion care. We are strengthening California’s reproductive health care workforce by training and supporting clinicians across disciplines, expanding high-quality clinical training sites, and equipping providers with the tools and mentorship needed to deliver evidence-based abortion and comprehensive reproductive health care. In this moment, California must lead—and TEACH is committed to setting a clear standard for what it looks like to protect and expand reproductive freedom for all.”

 

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