Assembly committee advances bill to shield health data and expand protections for gender‑affirming care

The Assembly Public Safety Committee on Thursday advanced Assembly Bill 82, a measure that backers say is intended to protect patients, families and health professionals who access or provide gender‑affirming and other legally permitted health services. The committee recommended the bill be passed to the Judiciary Committee.

AB 82, authored by Assemblymember Alex Ward, would prohibit reporting certain prescriptions to California's prescription drug monitoring program (CURES), extend parts of the state's Safe at Home program to health professionals who provide gender‑affirming care, expand protections to reduce criminal exposure for families ensuring access to such care, and broaden state anti‑doxing and confidentiality protections to cover both patients and providers of gender‑affirming services.

Supporters told the committee the changes respond to a coordinated national effort to use health‑system data and public records to target patients and providers. "This bill will help protect families like mine by making sure information about personal health care is protected," said Renee Bayardo, a parent and alliance board member who testified as a cosponsor. "Medical decisions like the ones contemplated in this bill are private matters that…