The California Senate Public Safety Committee heard strong support Tuesday for a bill that would add protections for those seeking abortion and gender-affirming care.

The question is whether supporters can now agree on the language of the proposed law.

The intent of Assembly Bill 793 is to ban reverse-location searches and reverse-keyword searches in cases involving reproductive and gender-affirming care. The location searches allow law enforcement to get cellphone records about people near a certain place. Reverse-keyword searches let law enforcement get information about people who used certain search terms online.

AB 793 next heads to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The bill’s author — Democratic Assemblywoman Mia Bonta, whose district includes Oakland, Alameda, and Emeryville — said she’s committed to focusing the bill on reproductive health and gender-affirming care….

State Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, a Republican from Yucaipa, said she appreciated the intent of the bill. However, she questioned advancing a bill without knowing what its final language will state and that AB 793 keeps moving forward on “faith.”

“We haven’t seen anything concrete,” Bogh said, adding that she’d oppose the bill that day but looks forward to seeing its new language.

Another bill related to abortion had its day Tuesday before the Assembly Health Committee. Senate Bill 487 — sponsored by state Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins, a San Diego Democrat — would, among other acts, create protections for California health care providers who provide services in other states with different abortion laws.

Atkins, like Bonta in the earlier Senate hearing, invoked Dobbs. She said Dobbs emboldened some states to target abortion providers. SB 487 would shield those providers from repercussions in California.

For example, California providers would have protection from contract termination and discrimination for actions in other states that are not prohibited here….

From Courtyard News