California Latinas for Reproductive Justice was founded in December 2004, when it was approved as a sponsored Project of Community Partners’ Incubators Program, and launched its initial program operations in 2005. CLRJ elected its first Board of Directors composed of long standing Latina leaders in January 2008, following its governance by a 14-member Founding Advisory Board from 2004-2007. CLRJ received its 501(c)3 determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service in October 2008, and began its independent operations in January 2009.
Since its founding, CLRJ has emerged as an important state level actor and has a growing profile at the national level. CLRJ has evolved to be the leading California-based Latina/e Reproductive Justice organization, and is the only California-based, statewide advocacy organization whose mission focuses specifically on promoting Latinas’/es’ Reproductive Justice through policy advocacy, combined with community-informed research, community mobilization, alliance-building, leadership development and long-term movement-building strategies.
CLRJ has raised the profile of Latinas’/es’ Reproductive Justice needs by conducting policy analysis and advocacy, policymaker education, policy briefs, and research. Our policy victories, unique ability to build coalitions, and commitment to long term narrative shift, have positioned CLRJ as a trusted and recognized leader that pushes a Reproductive Justice agenda based on the needs of structurally underserved Latina/e communities. We empower and mobilize Latinas/es to play an active and leading role in the policy process
CLRJ is Founded
2004
INITIATIVE NAME: Sexual Health Education Accountability Act.
AB 629
This bill promotes comprehensive sexuality education in California communties.
AUTHOR:
Assemblymember Julia Brownley.
2007
Sexual Health Education Accountability Act.
INITIATIVE NAME: Calls for Kids
AB 2015
This bill ensures that custodial parents, regardless of immigration status or language, can arrange for the care of their children at the time of arrest and retain some contact with their child's caregiver.
AUTHOR:
Assemblymember Holly Mitchell.
2012
Calls for Kids
INITIATIVE NAME: Improving Access to Early Abortion
AB 154
This bill improves abortion access by authorizing specially trained nurse practitioners (NPs), certified nurse midwives (CNMs) and physician assistants (PAs) to provide abortion services within the first trimester.
AUTHOR:
Assemblymember Toni Atkins.
2013
Improving Access to Early Abortion
INITIATIVE NAME: The California Healthy Youth Act
AB 329
This bill will update, strengthen, and integrate the existing statutes relating to HIV prevention and comprehensive sexual health education.
AUTHOR:
Assemblymember Holly Mitchell
2015
The California Healthy Youth Act
INITIATIVE NAME: Improve Access to Lactation Accommodations for Parenting Students
AB 302
This bill requires high schools with one or more lactating students to provide access to a private, secure room to deal with any needs associated with breastfeeding or expressing milk as well as allow lactating students to bring a breast pump to school and store expressed milk.
AUTHOR:
Assemblymember Cristina Garcia.
2015
Improve Access to Lactation Accommodations for Parenting Students
INITIATIVE NAME:
Repeal the CalWORKs Maximum Family Grant in the 2016 Budget Act
This budget request repealed the Maximum Family Grant (MFG) rule, which prevented parents receiving assistance through the CalWORKs program from receiving a grant for any child born to the household while any member of the household is receiving aid.
AUTHOR:
Senatory Holly Mitchell.
2016
Repeal the CalWORKs Maximum Family Grant in the 2016 Budget Act
INITIATIVE NAME: Direct Access to Reproductive Healthcare Act
AB 1954
This bill prohibits health insurance plans from requiring a referral prior to a patient accessing essential sexual and reproductive health care services.
AUTHOR:
Assemblymember Autumn Burke.
2016
Direct Access to Reproductive Healthcare Act
INITIATIVE NAME: California Young Parents Day Resolution
ACR 201
This Resolution establised August 25th as California Young Parents Day
AUTHOR:
Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez.
2016
California Young Parents Day Resolution
INITIATIVE NAME: Increasing Options for Low-Income Domestic Violence Survivors
AB 557
This bill would strengthen support for domestic violence survivors who are applicants or recipients of CalWORKs assistance establishing a statewide noticing policy and maximizing the use of the Federal Family Violence Option.
AUTHOR:
Assemblymember Blanca Rubio.
2017
Increasing Options for Low-Income Domestic Violence Survivors
INITIATIVE NAME:
End Childhood Deep Poverty for CalWORKs Families in the 2018-19 Budget
This Budget Request raised the CalWORKs grant levels above the deep poverty threshold by setting a floor for grants at 50% of the federal poverty line.
AUTHOR:
Senator Holly Mitchell.
2017
End Childhood Deep Poverty for CalWORKs Families in the 2018-19 Budget
INITIATIVE NAME: Young Parents’ Right to Education Act
AB 2289
This Budget Request raised the CalWORKs grant levels above the deep poverty threshold by setting a floor for grants at 50% of the federal poverty line.
AUTHOR:
Assemblymember Dr. Shirley Weber.
2018
Young Parents’ Right to Education Act
INITIATIVE NAME:
Motion: Apologizing for Historical Coerced Sterilization Practices
County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a formal public apology to the over 200 women sterilized without proper consent at LA County USC Medical Center from 1968 - 1974. The Supervisors also agreed to install a plaque on the County+ USC Medical Center campus to acknowledge and apologize for the injustice and irreparable harm done
AUTHOR:
Supervisor Sheila Kuehl & Supervisor Hilda Solis.
2018
Motion: Apologizing for Historical Coerced Sterilization Practices
INITIATIVE NAME: College Student Right to Access Act
SB 24
This bill will increase access to reproductive health services for students by providing medication abortion at student health centers at puiblic universities.
AUTHOR:
Senator Connie Leyva.
2019
College Student Right to Access Act
INITIATIVE NAME: Reproductive Dignity for Incarcerated People Act
AB 732
This bill will improve the quality of reproductive health care, support, and accommodations for pregnant people in county jails and state prisons.
AUTHOR:
Assemblymember Rob Bonta.
2020
Reproductive Dignity for Incarcerated People Act
INITIATIVE NAME: Forced Sterilization Compensation Program
$7.5 Million Budget Request (SB 139)
This budget request will provide reparations to survivors of state sponsored forced or involuntary sterilizations under California’s eugenics laws from 1909-1979 and survivors of involuntary sterilizations in women’s state prisons after 1979.
AUTHOR:
Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo.
2021
Forced Sterilization Compensation Program
INITIATIVE NAME: Menstrual Equity for All Act
AB 367
This bill will increase access to menstrual products in public schools maintaining grades 6-12, community college campuses, and California State Universities.
AUTHOR:
Assemblymember Christina Garcia.
2021
Menstrual Equity for All Act
INITIATIVE NAME: Decriminalization of Abortion and Pregnancy Loss
AB 2223
This bill will ensure that no one in the State of California will be investigated for ending a pregnancy or experiencing pregnancy loss.
AUTHOR:
Assemblymember Buffy Wicks.
2022
Decriminalization of Abortion and Pregnancy Loss
INITIATIVE NAME: Reproductive and Sexual Health Inequities
AB 2586
This bill seeks to address and eliminate reproductive and sexual health inequities by developing responsive policy recommendations centered in a Reproductive Justice Framework.
AUTHOR:
Assemblymember Cristina Garcia.
2022
Reproductive and Sexual Health Inequities