California Bill Would Keep Parents from Knowing When Children Have Abortions, Get Transgender Hormones

Planned Parenthood of California has made the passing of a bill that would block parents from knowing if their child had an abortion or received transgender hormone treatments one of their legislative priorities for this year. 

SB 1004, sponsored by Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, would revise “California’s existing patient protections to ensure that information about any sensitive services, as defined, is not sent to a third party or a policyholder not authorized to receive it.”

The bill expands the definition of “sensitive services” to include “services related to mental health, reproductive health, sexually transmitted infections, substance abuse disorders, transgender health including gender-affirming care, and intimate partner violence.”

Planned Parenthood of California frames its support for the bill as providing patients with greater confidentiality. In explaining their support, they say that, “When a patient accesses health care for a sensitive service, including sexual and reproductive health care, confidentiality is of the utmost importance.” Then, they point out that communication from health insurance companies is not usually confidential and many seeking these services are not the “main policyholder.” They continue, “This bill will expand upon California’s existing protections to ensure that information about any…