Herstory

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.

California Latinas For Reproductive Justice - 7 years

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 founders
Board members

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