Pursuing justice for women and girls,
fighting to create an equal future.

California Women’s Law Center (CWLC) advocates for laws and policies to break down barriers to gender equity and strengthen the safety, autonomy, and economic security of women, girls, and people impacted by gender discrimination across California. 

During each legislative session, CWLC monitors and helps shape policies and bills related to gender discrimination and Title IX, women’s health and reproductive justice, economic security, and violence against women. Across these areas, CWLC focuses on enforceable protections, institutional accountability, and equitable access for communities facing systemic barriers. 

As a statewide legal aid support center, CWLC brings a gender equity analysis to issues raised across California’s legal aid services and advocacy networks, in concert with Qualified Legal Services Projects (QLSPs) and statewide coalitions. Among wide-ranging policy efforts, CWLC co-sponsors legislation, submits support and opposition letters, provides technical assistance, testifies before policymakers, issues policy reports and briefs, and comments on proposed state and federal regulations. 

2026 Legislative Priorities 

The current priorities of California Women’s Law Center (CWLC) center around advancing enforceable civil rights protections, reproductive freedom and privacy, access to care, and accountability in higher education, among other issues. Throughout 2026, priority bills include: 

• AB 2563 (Pacheco) – Sex Discrimination.  
  
  CWLC is co-sponsoring AB 2563 with Feminist Majority, prioritizing this critical legislation as a key issue during the 2026 session.  
   
  Establishing a clear standard for sex and gender discrimination to safeguard and enhance protections and equity. Specifically, AB 2563 extends protections in the law to include gender identity and expression, pregnancy and related medical conditions, and reproductive health decision-making—across wide-ranging contexts such as employment, housing, education, healthcare, and public accommodations.

• AB 1930 (Zbur) – Abortion or Gender-Affirming Health Care Services.  
  
  Protects information about abortion and gender-affirming care with regard to investigations, subpoenas, and summonses, further ensuring safeguards and court review where necessary. 

• AB 1973 (Aguiar-Curry and Wicks) – Abortion: Authorized Procedures.  
  
  Expands abortion access by allowing qualified and trained non-physician clinicians, such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants, to perform the procedure beyond the first trimester.

• AB 2164 (Bauer-Kahan) – Legally Protected Activities.  
  
  Protects patients and providers involved in reproductive or gender-affirming care from extradition and arrest, including when they are physically located in another state, regardless of the administration. 

• AB 2448 (Berman and Bauer-Kahan) – Medical Information: Confidentiality.  
  
  Expands existing law by requiring electronic health record companies to enable technology that allows providers to protect patient information related to abortion and gender-affirming care from disclosure.

• AB 2212 (Bauer-Kahan) – Technology-Facilitated Sexual Harassment.  
  
  Updates Equity in Higher Education Act definitions of sexual harassment and sexual exploitation to include technology-facilitated harms, ensuring that campus protections and support resources address harms enabled by digital technologies. 

2025 Legislative Victories 

During the 2025 legislative year, California Women’s Law Center (CWLC) supported measures to expand access to reproductive and maternal health care, protect lawful care, strengthen economic security for workers and families, improve consumer safety, and reduce barriers to services. CWLC helped advance seven bills signed into law. Key victories include:

• AB 50 (Bonta) – Equitable Birth Control Access Act.  
  
  Expands access to over-the-counter contraception through pharmacists and allows patients to request up to a 12-month supply.

• AB 260 (Aguiar-Curry) – Sexual and Reproductive Health Care.  
  
  Strengthens access to medication abortion and protects patients, providers, and pharmacists against legal threats to care that is lawful in California.

• AB 836 (Stefani) – Midwifery Workforce Training Act.  
  
  Creates a framework for a statewide study of barriers in midwifery education to help build a more sustainable and diverse maternal health workforce.

• SB 590 (Durazo) – Paid Family Leave for Chosen Family.  
  
  Strengthens economic security by expanding Paid Family Leave, beginning in 2028, enabling workers to care for a seriously ill person whose relationship is equivalent to a family member.