A controversial California bill that would significantly expand who can perform abortions — and at what stage of pregnancy — is advancing through the state legislature after clearing a key committee along party lines.

Assembly Bill 1973, introduced by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry and coauthored by Assemblymember Dawn Pellerin,passed out of committeelast week and now heads to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, its next stop before a full Assembly vote.

The proposal seeks to amend multiple sections of California’s Business and Professions Code, marking a notable shift instate law governing abortion providers.

Under current law, nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, and physician assistantsare allowed to perform certain abortions— but only during the first trimester and typically under more limited definitions such as medication or aspiration procedures.

AB 1973 would remove that first-trimester restriction entirely.

If passed, the bill would allow those same non-physician providers to perform “procedural abortions” beyond the early stages of pregnancy, so long as they are trained and acting within their scope of practice.

“This is gonna put women in California in danger and it’s going to be women in rural communities, and they don’t haveaccess to doctors. It is going to affect women in poor places,” Greg Burt, president of the California Family Council, who testified against the bill, told the California Post. “You would think if you’re pro-choice, you would still be concerned and that safe abortions would be needed, but that is not the case.”

The legislation also broadens the terminology from specific methods to the wider category of “procedural abortion,” while requiring providers to demonstrate clinical competency through approved training programs.

Backers of the bill say it addresses ongoing gaps in access to abortion care, particularly in underserved areas.

“The reality is simple. We already have a workforce that is trained, qualified, and ready to provide this care, but they are restricted in their ability to do so,” said Aguiar-Curry who presented her bill to the committee. “Nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and physician assistants, also known as advanced practiced clinicians APCs, receive extensive education and training.”

Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos