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Rules Committee hears presentation on Reproductive Freedom Act; moves to file measure for November ballot
Summary
Mayor’s office and public health officials presented a proposed ordinance to declare San Francisco policy to safeguard reproductive freedom, create a funding mechanism, require public information and protective directives for city staff; the committee voted to file the matter for the November ballot after supportive public comment.
SAN FRANCISCO — The Rules Committee on July 11 heard a presentation on a mayoral ordinance to enshrine an official city policy protecting comprehensive reproductive freedom and to place that policy before voters in November.
Eileen Mariano, manager of state and federal affairs for the Mayor’s Office, framed the proposed San Francisco Reproductive Freedom Act as a response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision and said the city is focusing on safety for clinics, access to care and regional collaboration. "This is a right that we know should never be taken, restricted, or denied," Mariano said.
Dr. Navina Bhabha, deputy director at the Department of Public Health, outlined the ordinance’s provisions: establishing a fund to support reproductive health care and services, requiring the Health Department to provide public information about where abortion and emergency contraception are available, enabling signage that informs people when limited-service pregnancy centers do not provide comprehensive reproductive care, protecting city officers and employees from cooperating with out-of-state prosecutions of reproductive health care that is lawful in California, and amending the planning code to explicitly permit reproductive health care centers in nonresidential zoning districts.
Ruth Nunez of Planned Parenthood of Northern California told the committee that Planned Parenthood’s San Francisco health center is among the busiest in the region and applauded the measure. "We applaud the mayor and the board of supervisors for putting this initiative before the San Francisco voters at a critical time for reproductive freedom," Nunez said.
After presentations and public comment, Supervisor Myrna Melgar moved to file the hearing (placing the measure on the ballot); the motion passed without objection. The committee recorded unanimous ayes. The clerk closed the meeting after the filing motion passed.
What’s next: The measure will be processed for the November 5 ballot as laid out in the filing; further procedural steps will follow through the Clerk’s office and the Board.
