Assembly Bill 260
Status: Signed into Law (September 26, 2025)
Effective Date: Immediate (Urgency Clause)
Primary Focus: Reproductive Health Care Access and Shielding Providers
Assembly Bill 260 (Aguiar-Curry) is a landmark “shield law” designed to fortify California’s protections for reproductive health care. Amidst increasing legal challenges to medication abortion nationally, this bill ensures that mifepristone remains legal, accessible, and covered by insurance within the state. Most significantly, it creates a robust legal “firewall” that protects California healthcare providers, pharmacists, and patients from civil, criminal, or professional consequences originating from out-of-state anti-abortion laws.
1. Shielding Providers and Pharmacists
- Liability Protection: Prohibits state boards and agencies from taking criminal, civil, or professional disciplinary action against a healing arts practitioner or pharmacist for manufacturing, transporting, or dispensing medication abortion drugs.
- Out-of-State Actions: Explicitly states that out-of-state judgments or federal actions that interfere with a provider’s authority to offer medication abortion are against the public policy of California.
2. Medication Abortion Labeling and Privacy
- Anonymous Dispensing: To protect the safety of patients and providers, the law authorizes pharmacists to dispense mifepristone or other medication abortion drugs without including the name of the patient, the prescriber, or the pharmacy address on the label.
- Data Protection: Strengthens existing laws that prohibit providers from sharing identifiable medical information related to lawful abortion care with out-of-state entities.
3. Mandated Insurance Coverage
- No Exclusions: Prohibits health care service plans and insurance policies from limiting or excluding coverage for brand-name or generic mifepristone.
- FDA Independence: Requires coverage for medication abortion drugs even if they are no longer approved by the FDA, provided they are recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) or the National Academies of Science.
4. Expanded Telehealth and Minors’ Rights
- Family Code Updates: Amends Family Code Section 6925 to clarify and strengthen the rights of minors to consent to reproductive health care and reinforces protections for providers serving them.
- Asynchronous Care: Authorizes providers to establish new patient relationships for reproductive health services through “asynchronous store and forward” (e.g., messaging/photo submission) rather than requiring a real-time video visit.