Health care: legally protected health care activity.

Assembly Member Ward's comprehensive health care privacy legislation expands California's address confidentiality program and strengthens protections for providers and patients accessing reproductive and gender-affirming care. The bill extends existing safeguards for reproductive health care providers to include gender-affirming care providers, prohibiting disclosure of their personal information and establishing new privacy requirements for prescription reporting.

The legislation modifies California's Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) to exempt testosterone and mifepristone prescriptions from reporting requirements. It mandates removal of existing records for these medications by January 2027 and authorizes the Department of Justice to add other medications used in legally protected health care to the exemption list.

To prevent out-of-state enforcement actions, the bill requires $0 bail for individuals arrested in connection with providing or obtaining legally protected health care services in California. It prohibits state and local law enforcement from assisting with out-of-state investigations into legal health care activities and requires affidavits confirming that subpoenas and warrants are not related to such investigations. False affidavits would incur a $15,000 civil penalty.

The address confidentiality program would allow providers, employees, volunteers and patients facing threats or harassment to shield their addresses from public records. Participants must document their affiliation with a covered facility and provide evidence of threats or violence. The program includes new application procedures and certification periods, with fees waived for patients.