Community colleges in California will be required to offer medication abortions — also known as the abortion pill — in a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, expanding a service already required across the California State University and University of California systems.
California law requires that health care services clinics at CSU and UC campuses offer abortions via medication, describing abortion care as “an integral part of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care.” It went into effect in 2023.
Several years later, a bill introduced by Assemblymember Catherine Stefani, a Democrat, sees that community colleges do the same, depending on whether lawmakers can appropriate funds for it.
What are community colleges being required to do?
Under AB 2540, community colleges that have a student health center are required to offer access to medication abortions starting in 2029. Medication abortions use prescription pills to end a pregnancy and are also called the abortion pill, according to Cleveland Clinic and Planned Parenthood.
A community college doesn’t have to provide medication abortions directly. While these schools can provide this service through staff providers at the student health care center, it can also do so through telehealth services; through providers contracted by an outside agency; or through partnerships with other community health providers.
Stefani, whose district includes a swath of San Francisco, said the bill is “closing a critical gap by ensuring that community college students — one of the most diverse and economically vulnerable populations in our state — have the same access to care as their peers at four-year institutions” in April, according to CalMatters’ Digital Democracy database.
March for Life: See photos from the anti-abortion march in Washington
1 of 5
People hold rosaries as they pray the hail Mary during the 53rd annual March for Life rally on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on January 23, 2026. (Brendan Smialowsk, AFP via Getty Images)
The California Community College system served more than 2.2 million students in 2025 across more than 100 campuses statewide.
Documents associated with an assembly hearing in April show that in the fiscal year 2024-2025, nearly 300 abortions by medication were provided on UC campuses; 349 abortions by medication were provided on CSU campuses for the same period.
Claire Densmore, legislative affairs director for region two of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges, testified in support of AB 2540 during an assembly committee hearing in April.
“Community college students are balancing work, school and real financial pressures,” Densmore said. “Leaving campus for care can mean delays or going without care altogether.”
However, AB 2540 raised several questions about implementation, such as the “readiness” of community college health centers to provide these services and “the adequacy of available funds” to support it, according to an assembly analysis.
Nicole Johnson, past president of the Health Services Association California Community Colleges, said in April that “colleges are being asked to build and manage multiple care pathways to make this work within their health centers that are already operating at capacity and designed for short-term episodic care on a public health model.”
CSUs, UCs to expand student awareness of abortion services
Students enrolled at CSUs or UCs across California will soon find themselves learning about the medication abortion services their schools provide. AB 2540 requires that student health centers at these schools promote awareness of their abortion services being offered and provide information about these services to students by 2028. Student health centers will also be required to post the availability of these services online.
AB 2540 is among a number of bills signed into law by Newsom —legislation that impacts elections, data centers, artificial intelligence, and a slew of other matters.
Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at pbarraza@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why California community colleges will be required to offer abortions