State Bill Forcing College Campuses To Provide Abortion Pill Advances In California Legislature

The Senate Health Committee of the California state legislature approved a bill in early April that requires any health clinic on a college campus to provide abortion pills.

The College Student Right to Access Act, or S.B. 24, advanced through the legislature’s first hurdle on April 3 after the California State Senate Health Committee approved the bill with a 7 to 3 vote.

The proposed legislation would amend California’s public health code to force any health clinic located on a University of California campus to “offer abortion by medication techniques” beginning in 2023, according to The Washington Times. It would also provide $10.2 million in private funds to cover the cost of the necessary equipment and training.

“Women do not lose the constitutional right to end a pregnancy simply because they are a college student,” Leyva said in January, adding that collegiate women should not have to bear the cost of abortions or travel long distances for the procedure.

While Leyva received the majority of her 2018 fundraising through public and trade unions, she received nearly $18,000 from a health care union and $8,000 from Blue Cross Blue Shield of California.