AB 2531: Public health: abortion services.
What AB 2531 does, verified September 29, 2026
The bill aims to expand access to abortion services in California. It would allow Medi-Cal enrolled providers to receive grants to offer free or reduced-cost abortion services to patients with low incomes who are uninsured or have inadequate health coverage. Additionally, the bill would make these services available to veterans who meet certain eligibility criteria. The bill also requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to publish a link to the state's abortion information website on its website, promoting information and resources for women veterans.
Bill journey
✓IntroducedComplete
✓In CommitteeComplete
✓First Chamber FloorComplete
✓Second ChamberComplete
✓GovernorComplete
6ChapteredCurrent
Last action: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 489, Statutes of 2026. (2026-09-27)Alert me
Quick answers about AB 2531
- What is the current status of AB 2531?
- As of September 29, 2026, AB 2531 is recorded as "Chaptered/Signed": it has been signed by the Governor and chaptered into law. The last recorded action, on September 27, 2026, was "Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 489, Statutes of 2026".
- Did AB 2531 pass?
- Yes. AB 2531 passed both houses and was signed into law (last action September 27, 2026). Most California bills signed in a given year take effect on January 1 of the following year, unless the bill carries an urgency clause or sets its own operative date.
- Who wrote AB 2531, and where is it now?
- AB 2531 was authored by Asm. Jacqui Irwin with 4 coauthors. It is filed under Health and Safety, alongside 516 other California Health and Safety bills this session.
Author and sponsors
Full contact details, staff, and committees with Connect, $16/moUnlockRecent actions27 total · showing 5
| Sep. 27, 2026 | Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 489, Statutes of 2026. |
| Sep. 27, 2026 | Approved by the Governor. |
| Sep. 03, 2026 | Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m. |
| Aug. 26, 2026 | Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 60. Noes 18. Page 6587.). |
| Aug. 25, 2026 | In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending. |
Latest bill textChaptered version, September 27, 2026 · 1,893 words
Assembly Bill No. 2531
CHAPTER 489
An act to amend Sections 127632, 127633, and 127634 of the Health and Safety Code, and to add Section 92 to the Military and Veterans Code, relating to public health.
[ Approved by Governor September 27, 2026. Filed with Secretary of State September 27, 2026. ]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2531, Irwin. Public health: abortion services.
Existing law establishes the California Reproductive and TGI Health Equity Program within the Department of Health Care Access and Information for the purpose of ensuring abortion, contraception, and gender-affirming care are affordable for and accessible to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay, and to provide financial support for safety net providers of these services to offset the costs of providing uncompensated care to patients with low incomes who would otherwise lack access to care. Existing law authorizes a Medi-Cal enrolled provider to apply for a grant, and a continuation award after the initial grant, if they agree to provide abortion, contraception, and gender-affirming care services in accordance with specified requirements, including that the services are provided at no cost or a reduced cost to individuals with a household income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level who are uninsured or have health care coverage that does not include both abortion and contraception or does not include gender-affirming care and are not otherwise eligible to receive both abortion and contraception care at no cost through the Medi-Cal and Family PACT programs or receive gender-affirming care at no cost through the Medi-Cal program.
This bill would additionally authorize a Medi-Cal enrolled provider to apply for a grant or a continuation of a grant if they provide the above-described services to patients who are veterans, as defined, who are uninsured or have health care coverage that does not include both abortion and contraception and are not otherwise eligible to receive both abortion and contraception care at no cost through the Medi-Cal and Family PACT programs. The bill would make other conforming changes and would make related findings and declarations.
Existing law establishes the Department of Veterans Affairs and vests the department with specified duties related to veterans in the state, including the development of a transition program to assist veterans in successfully transitioning from military to civilian life by providing information related to, among other things, health care programs and services.
This bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to publish a link to the State Department of Public Health’s abortion information internet website on the women veterans resources page of its internet website.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) Both the California Constitution and the Health and Safety Code guarantee the right to abortion and contraception.
(b) California is home to around 150,000 women veterans, representing nearly 11 percent of the state’s veteran population. Approximately one-third of California’s women veterans are of reproductive age. Women veterans are the fastest growing segment of the veteran community.
(c) In 2022, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs promulgated a final rule that allowed the department to offer abortion counseling and abortions at department health care centers to pregnant veterans and Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) beneficiaries when the patient’s life or health is threatened and in cases of rape or incest.
(d) In December 2025, the department issued a memo and promulgated a final rule reversing the 2022 rule to exclude abortion and abortion counseling from the department’s medical benefits package and CHAMPVA coverage even in cases of rape and incest unless a physician certifies that “the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term.”
(e) The department’s 2025 policy applies to all department health care facilities, including in California, where access to abortion is legal and protected by the state’s constitution.
(f) It is the intent of the Legislature that California’s veteran population has access to receiving abortion care in this state at no cost or reduced cost.
SEC. 2.
Section 127632 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:127632.
(a) The California Reproductive and TGI Health Equity Program is hereby established within the department.(b) The purpose of the program is to ensure abortion, contraception, and gender-affirming care are affordable for and accessible to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay, and to provide financial support for safety net providers of these services to offset the costs of providing uncompensated care to patients with low incomes and patients who are veterans who would otherwise lack access to care.
(c) The department may carry out the program described in this chapter through grants and contracts, including exclusive or nonexclusive contracts, or amending existing contracts, on a bid or negotiated basis. Contracts and grants entered into or amended pursuant to this chapter shall be exempt from Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 14825) of Part 5.5 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, Section 19130 of the Government Code, Part 2 (commencing with Section 10100) of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code, and the State Administrative Manual.
(d) Contracts, grants, and related information created pursuant to this chapter shall not be made public and are exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1 of the Government Code).
(e) In administering this chapter, the department shall be exempt from the requirements of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
SEC. 3.
Section 127633 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:127633.
(a) A Medi-Cal enrolled provider, as determined by the State Department of Health Care Services, may apply for a grant, and a continuation award after the initial grant, under this chapter if they agree to provide either, both abortion and contraception services, or gender-affirming care services in accordance with all of the following:(1) The abortion, contraception, or gender-affirming care services provided are within the provider’s scope of practice and licensure.
(2) The provider agrees to be identified, in a manner determined by the department, as a participating provider in the program. An institutional provider shall not be required to identify any individual who is an abortion or gender-affirming care provider as a condition of a grant awarded pursuant to this chapter.
(3) To the extent services provided are covered pursuant to Section 14132 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, the services shall be provided at no cost or a reduced cost to an individual with a household income at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty level who meets both of the following criteria:
(A) Is uninsured or has health care coverage that does not include both abortion and contraception or does not include coverage for gender-affirming care.
(B) Is not otherwise eligible to receive both abortion and contraception care at no cost through the Medi-Cal and Family PACT programs or receive gender-affirming care at no cost through the Medi-Cal program.
(4) To the extent services provided are covered pursuant to Section 14132 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, the services shall be provided at no cost or a reduced cost to an individual who is a veteran who meets both of the following criteria:
(A) Has health care coverage that does not include abortion or is unable to access abortion or contraception care through the Department of Veterans Affairs health system.
(B) Is not otherwise eligible to receive both abortion and contraception care at no cost through the Medi-Cal and Family PACT programs.
(b) For purposes of this chapter, an individual’s self-declaration of income and source of health care coverage, or veteran status, made to the provider at the time of service shall be all that is required to determine whether the individual may be able to access no-cost or reduced-cost services pursuant to this chapter.
(c) This chapter does not require a provider to accept additional patients if, in the reasonable professional judgment of the provider, accepting additional patients would endanger access to, or continuity of, care for existing patients.
(d) The department shall work with the State Department of Health Care Services to notify Medi-Cal enrolled providers of the availability of funding under this chapter, including any pertinent deadlines and other requirements.
(e) For the purposes of this chapter, “veteran” means a person who served in the active military, naval, air, or space service of the United States or as a member of the National Guard who was called to, and released from, active duty or active service that was for a period of not less than 90 consecutive days and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable, was discharged due to a service-connected disability within that 90-day period, or was discharged solely as a result of Executive Order No. 14183 issued on January 27, 2025.
SEC. 4.
Section 127634 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:127634.
(a) An application for a grant under this chapter shall be made on a form to be developed by the department.(b) An application shall include both of the following:
(1) A justification of the amount of grant funds requested, including both of the following:
(A) The cost of uncompensated abortion, contraception, and gender-affirming care services the applicant provided to patients with household incomes at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty level and to patients who are veterans in the previous 12 months.
(B) The anticipated cost of uncompensated abortion, contraception, and gender-affirming care services to be provided to patients with household incomes at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty level and to patients who are veterans in the upcoming 12 months.
(2) Other pertinent information that the department requires.
(c) The department shall develop an application form and shall begin accepting applications for grants pursuant to this chapter on or before January 1, 2027.
(d) For purposes of subdivision (b), the cost of uncompensated abortion, contraception, and gender-affirming care services shall:
(1) Be calculated based on the amount the provider would expect to receive for providing these services to a patient enrolled in the Medi-Cal program.
(2) Include those services provided through prescription, including laboratory and pharmaceutical, as well as services that are the result of complications related to services provided pursuant to this chapter, to the extent they would be covered pursuant to Section 14132 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(e) For purposes of this section, the department shall not require the submission of personal information about individuals receiving uncompensated abortion, contraception, and gender-affirming care services as part of an application. Information required by the department shall only include information in summary, statistical, or other forms that do not identify particular individuals.
(f) Contracts, grants, and related information created pursuant to this chapter shall not be made public and are exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1 of the Government Code).
SEC. 5.
Section 92 is added to the Military and Veterans Code, to read:92.
The department shall publish a link to the abortion.ca.gov internet website on the women veterans resources page of the department’s internet website.Text of AB 2531 as chaptered, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions