Abortion providers in Arizona will be able to temporarily provide services to patients from Arizona who travel to California after Governor Gavin Newsom (D) signed a new law into law on Thursday.
The bill, titled Senate Bill 233, would allow Arizona abortion providers to be expeditedly approved to practice in California. The bill was introduced by Governor Newsom last month in response to the Arizona Supreme Court’s near-total abortion ban, which has since been overturned.
Under the new law, doctors licensed in Arizona can fill out an application to perform abortions, and California regulators are required to approve the application within five business days if it meets certain requirements.
The bill, supported by the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, passed the California Senate on Tuesday by a vote of 30-8.
“Arizona Republicans have attempted to turn back the clock to 1864 to impose a near-total abortion ban across the state. We refuse to stand by and condone their oppressive and dangerous attacks on women,” Newsom said. wrote in the statement He later added Thursday that “California stands ready to protect reproductive freedom.”
When Governor Newsom announced the bill last month, he said it would be a “valuable stopgap” if the Arizona Legislature ultimately repeals the ban.
Arizona is the latest state to face an abortion access issue after the state Supreme Court last month upheld an 1864 law that bans almost all abortions in the state except to save the mother’s life, and also imposes prison time for doctors who perform abortions.
The 160-year-old law was never repealed and remained in effect for decades, until the Republican-appointed state Supreme Court ruled 4-2 that the ban was enforceable because Roe v. Wade had been overturned.
The Arizona Legislature passed a bill to repeal the ban, which was quickly signed by Governor Katie Hobbs (Democrat).
When the repeal takes effect, the state would revert to the 15-week ban that former Gov. Doug Ducey (R) signed into law in 2022.
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