$5 Million for UCLA Center for Reproductive Health, Law and Policy Secured in State Budget

Funding Will Strengthen California's National Leadership in Protecting Reproductive Freedom and Supporting Patients, Providers, and Advocates

SACRAMENTO, CA - Assembly Democratic Caucus Chair Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Hollywood) today announced that the California State Budget approved by the Legislature and signed by Governor Gavin Newsom includes $5 million in one-time funding for the UCLA Center for Reproductive Health, Law and Policy (CRHLP)-an investment Assemblymember Zbur championed throughout this year's budget hearing process.

The funding will allow CRHLP to continue providing legal expertise, policy analysis, empirical research, and strategic support as states across the country continue to restrict access to reproductive health care and challenge longstanding constitutional protections.

"California has a responsibility not only to protect reproductive freedom within our own borders, but to lead the nation in developing the legal strategies, research, and policy solutions that will safeguard those rights for generations to come," said Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur. "At a time when reproductive health care providers, patients, and advocates are facing unprecedented attacks, this investment ensures UCLA's Center for Reproductive Health, Law and Policy can continue serving as a national hub for innovation, legal scholarship, and reproductive justice."

Founded in 2022 with seed funding from the State of California, the UCLA Center for Reproductive Health, Law and Policy brings together lawyers, policy experts, scholars, and researchers to develop lasting solutions that advance reproductive justice. The Center provides free legal assistance to patients and providers, supports government attorneys and policymakers, convenes experts from across the country to develop new legal frameworks and bold policy innovations, and trains the next generation of reproductive justice advocates.

The Center's work extends beyond protecting abortion access to defending contraception, advancing maternal health equity, supporting family-building policies, addressing the racial and economic disparities that continue to shape reproductive health outcomes, and ending gender bias that limits reproductive justice and attention to women's health and wellness in areas like menopause.

"As the federal government and states across the country continue efforts to restrict reproductive health care, California must continue investing in the institutions that are doing the critical work of defending patients, supporting providers, and developing the next generation of legal and policy leaders," Zbur said. "This funding helps ensure that California remains the nation's leader in reproductive freedom and a beacon for evidence-based policy and legal innovation."

"I'm grateful for California's leadership and vision to protect reproductive autonomy and gender equality, not just for those in the state but across the country," said Melissa Goodman, Executive Director of the Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy, UCLA Law. "Thanks to Assemblymember Zbur and the Legislature, this investment in the Center fuels our work to develop new legal frameworks and data that move from academia into courtrooms and legislatures where advocates and policymakers can establish new rights and protections. From abortion, maternal health, pregnancy criminalization, infertility, menopause and more, the Center is leading the way towards legal innovation that advances bold policy innovations while providing urgent legal services today while reproductive freedom is under attack."

"As the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans strip away people's access to essential health care, including by 'defunding' Planned Parenthood health centers, the UCLA Center on Reproductive Health, Law and Policy is a critical partner in the fight to protect reproductive freedom," said Angela Pontes, SVP of Government Affairs, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California. "PPAC thanks Assemblymember Zbur and the Legislature for championing this investment that will ensure the Center can continue its nation-leading research and legal work."

The funding was included in the final 2026-27 State Budget approved by the Legislature and signed by Governor Newsom.

Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur serves as the Democratic Caucus Chair for the California State Assembly and represents the 51st Assembly District, which includes Universal City, Hollywood, Hancock Park, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Westwood, West Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and other portions of Los Angeles.

CONTACT: Vienna Montague, (916) 319-2051, [email protected]