California Legislature Approves Bill Banning the Disclosure of Data About Abortions

The Californian legislature has approved a bill (AB-1242) that forbids organizations in the state from honoring warrants by other states that like to access data about persons looking to or offering abortions.

The judgment of the U.S. Supreme Court to revoke Roe v. Wade eliminated the federal right to get an abortion. A number of states had trigger laws set up that made abortion unlawful in case Roe v. Wade is revoked. Twelve states have now made abortion unlawful for state locals. Some other states are contemplating employing the same limitations.

There are concerns that lawsuits can be filed against persons in those states in case they seek abortions in other states, and that state attorneys general and police authorities may try to acquire data concerning people getting abortions in states allowing abortion legally. Under the current legislation in California, information about persons must be given in case a search warrant is given for particular reasons. The change in the law forbids issuing such a warrant associated with investigations of people getting abortions or people offering abortions. The new law likewise forbids local authorities from helping abortion investigations, which include giving cellphone location details of women who take a trip to California to get abortions.

Particularly, the law forbids issuing an ex parte order permitting the interception of any electronic communication or wire or an order, or extension of an order, permitting or authorizing the setup and using a pen register or trap and trace device for the goal of investigating or retrieving proof of a prohibited violation.

Prohibited violations are described as a violation of the legislation that results in liability for, or arising out of, either banning, facilitating, or getting an abortion or planning or trying to offer, facilitate, or get an abortion that is legal with California legislation.

In case a state wants to release a search warrant to find the identity of people or the details of their communications, it is necessary for those states to testify that the data being searched is not associated with the abortion investigations. When any Californian firm decides to abide by any such requirement, the state attorney general will be allowed to file a suit against the firm for a violation of state legislation.

The bill only needs the approval of California Governor Gavin Newsom. The due date is September 30, 2022 for Newsom to sign the new legislation.