California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill that would allow minors to withhold information about abortions and sex operations from their parents.
On Wednesday, Newsom signed off on two bills. One of the bills was AB 1356, which would stop patients from being recorded or photographed within 100 feet of an entrance to reproductive health service facilities. The next bill is AB 1184, which would keep patient information private and hidden from people who are the primary policyholder for their health insurance, Yahoo! News reports.
Some of the services patients would be able to keep confidential are “reproductive health care and gender-affirming care.”
In his statement, Newsom said, “California has been a leader in protecting access to sexual and reproductive rights, but as we’ve seen recently with unprecedented attacks on these rights, we can and must do more.” He continued: “I applaud the establishment of the California Future of Abortion Council and look forward to its important work to advance our state’s leadership on this vital issue. I’m proud today to sign these two bills that demonstrate our dedication to strengthening and further protecting access to reproductive health care services in California.”
In response, nine Republicans who opposed the bill said, “We should be encouraging parents and family to be involved in their children’s lives, not removing them further from it.”
