California Attorney General Rob Bonta has issued an updated bulletin to law enforcement agencies across the state, reminding them of California’s legal protections for reproductive healthcare and prohibitions on cooperating with out-of-state investigations or prosecutions related to abortions that are lawful in California. The action follows a recent case in which a California physician was indicted by Louisiana authorities for allegedly assisting with a medication abortion, which is permitted under California law.
“California remains firmly committed to serving as a safe haven for reproductive rights. We will not allow anti-abortion extremists from outside our state to reach in and undermine the protections guaranteed under California law,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Whether the attacks are coming from the Trump Administration or another state, I am reminding our law enforcement agencies that they cannot assist in prosecuting individuals who seek or provide reproductive healthcare that is lawful in California.”
The bulletin instructs district attorneys, police chiefs, sheriffs, and other state law enforcement officials to take several steps when confronted with requests from other states regarding abortion-related cases. These include exercising caution when sharing information with out-of-state or federal agencies, closely reviewing arrest warrants before taking any action, and refraining from cooperating if the warrant concerns activities legal under California law. Law enforcement officers are also advised that out-of-state warrants do not obligate them to make arrests or begin extradition proceedings.
Additional guidance covers situations involving electronic surveillance requests and urges agencies to consult the Attorney General’s Office if there are questions about out-of-state warrants.
Attorney General Bonta has previously taken actions defending reproductive rights. In December, he opposed Congressional efforts to tie Affordable Care Act subsidies to new abortion restrictions. He has also filed suit against Providence St. Joseph Hospital over its refusal to provide emergency abortion care and has challenged federal attempts to limit veterans’ access to abortion services.
Californians who believe their right to reproductive healthcare has been violated can file complaints at https://oag.ca.gov/report.
The California Attorney General’s office serves as the state’s chief law enforcement authority and is part of the executive branch of government as established by the state constitution (official website). The office operates statewide and advances policies in civil rights, consumer protection, economic security, and environmental justice (official website). Rob Bonta currently leads this office (official website), which promotes transparency through resources like the OpenJustice portal for criminal justice data (official website).
