As uprisings swept across the nation in the summer of 2020, BWWAP joined forces with several coalition partners to urge Governor Newsom to declare racism a public health crisis. In a glaring example of reproductive injustice, Black women have for decades been dying from pregnancy-related causes at 3 to 4 times the rate of California’s average, with somewhere between 40 to 70% of these deaths deemed preventable. Racial bias in our health system is partially to blame, and BWWAP has sponsored legislation in recent years to expose and address this. In 2021, we are advancing a comprehensive Momnibus package that increases access to doulas, collects data on racial disparities, and extends postpartum Medi-Cal coverage, among other things. We applaud Governor Newsom and the state legislature for recognizing the importance of addressing maternal health disparities in California, and are committed to continuing this work and educating decision-makers about the ways historic and systematic racism continues to harm the health of women and families. 

Our efforts to have racism acknowledged as a public health crisis extend to the 2021 state budget process. California is currently sitting on a budget surplus in the billions. It is time for our state to invest in We support the $500 million Racial Justice Innovation Fund budget request, which will help California take advantage of this window in time to reimagine our systems and structures and strive for a more equitable state. With bold and innovative solutions properly funded and led by stakeholders who can leverage their expertise, our state can be a national leader in the fight for racial justice. 

Structural racism is a complex problem that requires innovative solutions. We have lent our voice to the chorus demanding diverting resources away from the police and towards healthcare, affordable housing, and food security. We are committed to working with leaders to innovatively address the historic and systemic racism that has resulted in the racial disparities that continue to cause harm and inequities across our state.

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Black women face unacceptably high rates of maternal mortality. Black mothers across the U.S. (including here in California) are more than three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related complications as white women, and this holds true across incomes and education levels. While all women giving birth in the U.S. face poorer health outcomes than people in similarly developed nations, Black women and infants persistently experience the worst morbidity and mortality rates. This is unconscionable, and complex. Previously, BWWAP passed a bill to require hospital staff to be trained on implicit bias– one obstacle Black women commonly face when accessing health care– but pregnant women need a full range of services to support them throughout pregnancy, during delivery, and after giving birth.

What our bill does

We have put together a comprehensive legislative packet aimed at reducing maternal mortality and morbidity as well as expanding and redefining maternal healthcare in California. The package includes:

• Expanding full spectrum doula coverage in MediCal
• Extending Postpartum coverage in Medi-Cal
• Codifying and expanding California’s Maternal Mortality Review Board
• Updating Fetal and Infant Maternal Investigation
• Expanding access to midwifery programs
• Universal Income for low and middle-income pregnant people
• Updating data collection on mortality and morbity experienced in Lesbian, Trans and Gender Non-Confirming communties
• Reviewing climate impact on birthing outcomes
• Requiring recommendations to close racial disparity gaps

Legislative Victory

We are thrilled to share that this bill was signed into law on October 4, 2021. Much of the funds needed to implement our proposed policy changes were also included in the California state budget signed by Governor Newsom in July 2021. This is a historic step forward in the fight for reproductive justice, and we thank the Governor, Senator Skinner and her staff, and the many advocates and community partners who worked hard alongside BWWAP to make this happen. We look forward to continuing to build on this success.

Right after the bill was signed, our team went to work reaching out to and educating folks who might benefit. We are spending the last months of 2021 knocking doors and calling women and families to make sure they know about the new law. Find out more about Momnibus benefits and our outreach campaign.

You can learn more about this by watching the Governor’s virtual bill signing ceremony (featuring BWWAP’s Executive Director, Nourbese Flint!), reading our Op-Ed in CalMatters, and in our press release.

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To do this, we held weekly online educational forums in the fall where voters could drop by and get their questions answered. We also used information gleaned from focus groups to design ads that would appeal to young Black voters in California. Understanding that Black voters recognize and are impacted by a range of intersectional issues, our ads touched upon a broad scope of factors including health care, climate change, racism, and voting rights. We ran our ads where the most people would see them: online, and in transit locations where essential workers– most of whom are people of color– were still commuting during the pandemic. More than 4.9 million people viewed our transit ads in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, and another 294,000 were reached via our digital ads. On social media, we reached an additional 789,000 people and our content generated more than 11,000 comments and other interactions.

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California’s foster youth and nonminor dependents experience disproportionately high rates of sexually transmitted infections, unintended pregnancy, and poor access to prenatal care. This burden falls heavily on Black youth, who are overrepresented in our state’s foster system by 3.1x their share of the general population. This is a complex and intersectional issue, but there are some immediate ways we can support these youth. Providing financial support to expectant parents is shown to reduce negative maternal and child health outcomes of stillbirth, miscarriage, low birth weight, and complicated pregnancy.

What our bill does

AB 366 improves upon existing law in three ways: it extends expectant foster youth’s infant supplement payments by three months to cover the final term of pregnancy; it ensures foster youth have access to comprehensive sexual health education, rights, and services; and it creates transparency through additional data reporting.

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For the past three decades, the rates of sexually transmitted disease (STDs) have continued to climb in California. Chlamydia and gonorrhea are becoming more prevalent and can have long-term health effects if left untreated.  Syphilis has risen at an especially alarming rate (nearly 900% between 2012-2018!) and can cause serious harm to adults and to newborns during childbirth. Young adults and Black people face disproportionately high rates of infection, and addressing this requires removing barriers to testing and treatment.

What our bill does

SB 306 helps to addresses the STD epidemic and improve health outcomes by reducing barriers to STD services and treatment by:

• Expanding access to STD services and treatment for low-income and uninsured patients through the Family PACT program and provider network
• Increasing prevention through innovative strategies like home testing + expansion of health professionals that conduct rapid testing in the community
• Revising current law to support the delivery and increased utilization of Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT). This evidence-based and effective STD prevention practice provides patients who test positive for chlamydia or gonorrhea with take-home medication or perscriptions for their sex partners.
• Updating state law to require congenital syphilis testing during the third trimester of pregnancy

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Abortion is a safe, legal health procedure that many women will choose at some point in life. California is one of only six states which require insurance plans to cover this care, but unfortunately many birthing people still face high cost-sharing burdens. Eliminating financial barriers is critical to ensuring that all birthing people, regardless of income, can access the care they need in a timely manner.

What our bill does

SB 245 removes co-payments and deductibles, and others costs charged to patients seeking abortions with private insurance.

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Not being able to afford or access menstrual products can result in the loss of educational, employment, and other opportunities. California is the world’s fifth largest economy, and it is time that we join the international movement that is demanding equality for women and menstruating people.

What our bill does

AB 367 would require public schools that maintain any combination of classes from grades 6 to 12, California State Universities and Community Colleges, and public institutions to stock at least 50% of restrooms with free menstrual products at all times.

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Crisis Pregnancy Centers are essentially fake clinics that lure pregnant women– primarily women of color– with the promise of affordable reproductive care, then force an anti-abortion agenda on patients to dissuade them from terminating a pregnancy. There are currently dozens of known Crisis Pregnancy Centers operating in California, and the Trump administration made it easier for these groups to receive federal funding.

BWW has sponsored state legislation to inform people about these fake clinics and how they harm women, but unfortunately the policy was never implemented because anti-abortion activists sued California in a case that went all the way up to the supreme court and lost 5-4. After this, we teamed up with Courage California to create a short film that highlights the dangers of CPCs as well as educate our communities about abortion access. We also ran ads throughout California to elevate the importance of safe, legal abortion.

Check out YouDeserveBetter.Us to learn more about how to spot a fake clinic, what your rights are, and actions you can take to stop these harmful practices.

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