All opinions and political endorsements expressed are my own and are not affiliated with the Center of Excellence in MCAH at UC Berkeley.
While completing my undergraduate degree at the University of California, Davis, I was fortunate to become involved in the campus community by joining student-led organizations. In my first year, I was invited by a close friend to join Students for Reproductive Freedom (SRF) at UC Davis, the Planned Parenthood Generation Action (PPGA) and Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity (URGE) chapter. Our club participated in reproductive justice movement building through a few avenues: weekly general meetings, community resource drives, free reproductive health product distributions, and advocacy (including canvassing and phone-banking).
One of the most exciting events we participated in as a club was Planned Parenthood Capitol Day, held annually in April or May to align with the legislative and budgetary cycle. On Capitol Day, Planned Parenthood affiliates transport staff, volunteers, and college students from all over the state of California to the state capitol in Sacramento to participate in lobby meetings with Assemblymembers and Senators from their region. Prior to the event, all participants complete a virtual training hosted by their regional Planned Parenthood organizers to review the day’s lobby visit schedule, priority legislation, and roles for lobby visits such as facilitator, storyteller, and closer. As UC Davis students, we always got front seats to the action, being only 30 minutes away from Sacramento. 
This year, as a graduate student concentrating in Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, I wanted to continue advocating for reproductive healthcare at the state level and once again joined my UC Davis peers to participate in Capitol Day 2024. I arrived at a convention center nearby the Capitol to pick up lunch and meet up with the SRF executive board and the rest of the Sacramento lobby team. During the morning’s events, advocates had participated in a rally and heard the Attorney General of California, Rob Bonta, speak on reproductive rights in California. After lunch, we boarded shuttles and headed for the “Swing Space,” a building close to the Capitol building where legislators and their staff have their own offices and meeting spaces. We participated in 2 afternoon lobby visits with the legislative staffers of Senator Eggman and Asm. Nguyen. This year, as someone who has experience with lobby visits, I was super excited to make space for new undergraduate and even high school students to take the main roles of facilitator, educator, and storyteller.
The three priority bills for the 2024 legislative session are listed below:
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AB 2085 (Bauer-Kahan) Health Center Permitting
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Authorizes local agencies to submit applications for a licensed community clinic that is located in a permitted zone for office, retail, health care, and/or parking use.
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Simplifies the process and removes barriers to developing health centers in regions where Planned Parenthood Mar Monte (PPMM) has had difficulty acquiring permits due to discrimination and stigma towards PPMM and reproductive health care services.
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AB 2442 (Zbur) Expedited Licensure
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This bill aims to expedite licensure for gender-affirming care (GAC) providers in California, anticipating an influx of patients from other states due to restrictions on their ability to access care in their home state.
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GAC encompasses various services tailored to support transgender and non-binary individuals and is supported by major medical and mental health organizations. However, numerous states have enacted restrictive laws preventing access to such care, disproportionately impacting transgender youth.
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SB 1131 (Gonzalez) Streamline Family Planning Program Requirements
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Increases access to essential family planning services for low-income Californians using the Family Planning, Access, Care and Treatment (Family PACT) Program by expanding who can certify a clinic to provide Family PACT services to include Physician Assistants (PA) and non-clinical staff.
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73% of PPMM patients in CA utilize Family PACT
After the lobby visits in the Swing Space, our group headed to the steps of the Capitol for a photo opportunity with the other Planned Parenthood lobby teams. We ran into Senator Eggman on our way there, who has been a longtime supporter of LGBTQIA+ and reproductive rights legislation. Of course we had to stop for a picture with her!
Finally, we walked to the Capitol Rose Garden for professional headshots, snacks, and karaoke with other Planned Parenthood college chapters. I am grateful that I was welcomed back to participate in Capitol Day, even after graduating from SRF at UC Davis, and would like to thank Candelaria Vargas (Director of Public Affairs, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte) and Mariela Fries (Sacramento Region Grassroots Organizer, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte) for allowing me to show up to advocate for gender-affirming care and abortion rights! See you next year!
