AB 1500 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Sexual and reproductive health information.

Summary

Under the California Constitution, the state is prohibited from denying or interfering with an individual's reproductive freedom in their most intimate decisions, including their fundamental right to choose to have an abortion. Existing law, the Reproductive Privacy Act, prohibits the state from denying or interfering with a pregnant person's right to choose or obtain an abortion prior to viability of the fetus, or when the abortion is necessary to protect the life or health of the pregnant person. Existing law requires the California Health and Human Services Agency, or an entity designated by the agency, to establish an internet website where the public can find information on abortion services in the state. Existing law requires the internet website to include specified information and resources, including, among other things, the location of abortion providers and practical support services, as specified, to help a person access and obtain an abortion. Existing law requires the internet website to be updated every 6 months. This bill would require the State Department of Public Health to partner with an organization, as specified, to update and maintain the above-described internet website. The bill would require the internet website to include additional information on sexual and reproductive health, including, among others, sexual and reproductive health information historically relied on and made available on federal internet websites, as specified. The bill would require the organization to recruit, form, and consult with a stakeholder workgroup and community workgroup, as specified, to determine and update the information and resources posted on the internet website. The bill would require the organization, in consultation with those workgroups, to review the information and resources on the internet website to ensure that it is current and updated at reasonable intervals, but no less than once every 3 months. The bill would require the department to ensure public awareness of the internet website, as specified. The bill would require the department to prepare and submit a report to the Legislature on an annual basis that includes, at a minimum, information about the internet website's reach and impact. The bill would make related findings and declarations.

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Bill status failed 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 21, 2025 Last action Feb 2, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

02/21/25 - Introduced → 03/28/25 - Amended Assembly · 10 edits · Mar 28, 2025

MAJOR

AB 1500 was substantially expanded from a simple legislative intent statement about an abortion awareness campaign into a comprehensive bill amending Health and Safety Code Section 123430. The amended version requires the State Department of Public Health to partner with a California-based nonprofit to maintain and update the Abortion.CA.Gov website with broader sexual and reproductive health content, including information removed from federal websites after Roe v. Wade was overturned. It adds stakeholder and community workgroup requirements, shortens the update cycle from six months to three months, and mandates annual reporting to the Legislature.

Scope change

Expanded from a non-binding legislative intent statement about an awareness campaign into a binding statutory amendment to Health and Safety Code Section 123430 that imposes specific operational requirements on the State Department of Public Health, mandates a partnership with a qualified nonprofit, establishes workgroup governance structures, shortens update cycles, and creates annual reporting obligations.

SCOPE

The bill now amends Health and Safety Code Section 123430 rather than merely expressing legislative intent. It requires the State Department of Public Health to partner with a California-based nonprofit organization to update and maintain the Abortion.CA.Gov website with expanded sexual and reproductive health content.

Website content requirements expanded from abortion-specific information to the full range of sexual and reproductive health care services, including evidence-based clinical practice guidelines, data and research, and educational materials historically available on federal internet websites that were removed after Roe v. Wade was overturned.

REQUIREMENT

The partnered organization must be a California-based nonprofit with content expertise, extensive partnerships in sexual and reproductive health care and justice movements, experience sharing clinical guidelines with providers, and experience maintaining publicly accessible websites with community-informed content.

The organization must recruit, form, and consult with both a stakeholder workgroup (including the department, Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, Department of Justice, State Department of Health Care Services, Department of Managed Health Care, and patient/provider/assistant organizations) and a community workgroup (including California youth and representatives of communities facing systemic barriers to sexual and reproductive health care).

New requirements for the website to have mobile capabilities, comply with Section 508 of the federal Rehabilitation Act for accessibility, and include a feature allowing users to report erroneous or outdated information.

A privacy protection provision requiring that the website shall not include the name or location of any individual who is an abortion provider.

TIMELINE

The website update frequency was shortened from at least once every six months to at least once every three months.

ENFORCEMENT

The department must ensure public awareness of the website through governmental newsletters and notifications from relevant departments and public universities, and by partnering with community-based organizations experienced in sexual and reproductive health public awareness campaigns.

The department must prepare and submit an annual report to the Legislature on the website's reach and impact, including total unique visits, total visits, and other information determined with the workgroups. Reports must be in aggregate numbers only and comply with Government Code Section 9795.

FISCAL

The fiscal committee designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the amended bill now has fiscal implications requiring review by the Assembly and Senate fiscal committees.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

lower

May 23, 2025

Lower · Passed

In committee: Held under submission.

lower

Apr 23, 2025

Committee

In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.

lower

Apr 9, 2025

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 1.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Apr 1, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.

lower

Mar 28, 2025

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HEALTH. Read second time and amended.

lower

Mar 28, 2025

Committee

Referred to Com. on HEALTH.

lower

Feb 22, 2025

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.

lower

Feb 21, 2025

Introduced

Introduced. To print.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors