BILL NUMBER: SJR 19	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Jackson
   (Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Atkins and Cristina Garcia)


                        AUGUST 26, 2015

   Relative to Planned Parenthood.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SJR 19, as introduced, Jackson. Planned Parenthood: funding.
   This measure would request the President and the Congress of the
United States to express their support for access to comprehensive
reproductive health care provided by Planned Parenthood and oppose
efforts to eliminate federal funding for Planned Parenthood.
   Fiscal committee: no.



   WHEREAS, Planned Parenthood is one of California's largest
providers of women's health care and reproductive health care
services, operating 115 community-based health centers across the
state, which service over 1.6 million patient visits a year; and
   WHEREAS, Planned Parenthood provides comprehensive health care
services to men and women, including well-woman exams, birth control,
testing and treatment of sexually transmitted infections and HIV,
pregnancy tests, life-saving cancer screenings, prenatal care, sex
education, primary care services in some locations, and abortion
services; and
   WHEREAS, Nationwide, during 4.6 million health center visits in
2013, Planned Parenthood provided services, including nearly 400,000
Pap smear tests, nearly 500,000 breast examinations, nearly 1.1
million pregnancy tests, nearly 3.6 million provisions of birth
control information and services, and nearly 4.5 million tests and
treatments for sexually transmitted illnesses (including HIV), to
approximately 2.7 million patients, nearly 80 percent of whom were
living with incomes at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty
level; and
   WHEREAS, By providing millions of women with access to
contraceptive services, public funding of Planned Parenthood helps
women to avoid an estimated 516,000 unplanned pregnancies each year
nationwide; and
   WHEREAS, A sudden defunding of Planned Parenthood's publicly
funded clinics by federal or state governments would put patients
across California, particularly members of underserved communities,
at a significant disadvantage relating to their general health care
given that Planned Parenthood is often the only source of health care
services for so many Californians; and
   WHEREAS, The State of California stands in strong opposition to
recent attacks on Planned Parenthood and other health care providers
that offer reproductive health care services; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of
California, jointly, That the Legislature urges the President of the
United States and Congress to express their support for access to
comprehensive reproductive health care provided by Planned Parenthood
and oppose efforts to eliminate federal funding for Planned
Parenthood; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this
resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States,
to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Majority
Leader of the Senate, and to each Senator and Representative from
California in the Congress of the United States.