The Department of Justice is committed to the strong and vigorous enforcement of federal and state laws that protect individuals’ rights and access to quality, affordable healthcare. These include prohibitions on discrimination against healthcare consumers on the basis of sex, including pregnancy, childbirth, gender identity, and gender expression; race inclusive of traits associated with race; color; religion, including religious belief, observance, and practice; ancestry; national origin; disability, including mental and physical disability; medical condition; genetic information; marital status; sexual orientation; citizenship; primary language; and immigration status.
California’s state laws provide strong, broad protections against discrimination, independent of federal law. For example, California’s Transgender, Gender Diverse, and Intersex (TGI) Inclusive Care Act protects the right of Californians to access gender-affirming healthcare services. And California state laws permit proactive efforts to overcome the health effects of discrimination.
Toward this end, the Healthcare Rights and Access Section’s Health Equity Unit takes a proactive role in identifying civil rights violations in the healthcare arena. The unit represents the Attorney General in his independent capacity as California’s chief law officer to protect California residents, including women and LGBTQ+ individuals, and other protected groups. The unit engages in affirmative litigation and filing amicus curiae briefs in cases brought by third parties in which significant healthcare civil rights issues will be resolved. The Section’s reproductive care work is covered separately here.
Attorney General’s Office Tools and Resources
DOJ Actions
Below are actions taken by the Attorney General to bolster equitable healthcare rights.
- Following SCOTUS Oral Argument in U.S. v. Skrmetti, Attorney General Bonta Reaffirms California’s Commitment to Protecting Access to Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender Youth (December 4, 2024)
- Attorney General Bonta Defends Biden Rule Expanding Healthcare Access to Dreamers (October 2, 2024)
- Attorney General Bonta Leads 20 States in Opposing Tennessee’s Law Barring Access to Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender Youth (September 3, 2024)
- Attorney General Bonta Leads 20 Attorneys General in Support of Increased Health Care Protections for Marginalized Communities (June 27, 2024)
- Attorney General Bonta Supports Efforts to Vacate Trump Administration Rule Allowing Health Care Discrimination (March 27, 2024)
- Attorney General Bonta Files Amicus Brief in Support of Ruling Blocking Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender Youth (March 12, 2024)
- Attorney General Bonta Supports Increased Access to Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender Veterans (January 30, 2024)
- Attorney General Bonta Files Amicus Brief in Support of Ruling Invalidating Arkansas’ Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender Youth (December 13, 2023)
- Attorney General Bonta Leads Multistate Amicus Brief in Support of Healthcare Rights for Transgender Americans (December 4, 2023)
- Attorney General Bonta Leads 21 Attorneys General in Opposing Oklahoma’s Ban on Lifesaving Gender-Affirming Care (November 16, 2023)
- Attorney General Bonta Co-Leads Multistate Coalition in Fighting for Health and Nutrition Stability for Immigrant Families (October 28, 2023)
- Attorney General Bonta Leads Coalition Urging Court to Protect Access to Healthcare for Transgender Teenagers (September 27, 2023)
- Attorney General Bonta Leads 20 States in Opposing Anti-Transgender Laws in Tennessee, Kentucky (August 10, 2023)
- Attorney General Bonta Combats Healthcare Discrimination by Filing Multistate Amicus Brief to Protect the Rights of Transgender Americans (May 1, 2023)
- Attorney General Bonta Takes Action Against Healthcare Discrimination in Legal Brief Supporting the Rights of Transgender Americans (October 11, 2022)
- Attorney General Bonta Leads Multistate Opposition to Alabama Law Criminalizing Gender-Affirming Medical Care for Transgender Youth (August 17, 2022)
- Attorney General Bonta Leads Coalition Urging Court to Protect Access to Healthcare for Transgender Teenagers (January 19, 2022)
- Attorney General Bonta Joins Coalition Working to Protect Access for Individuals with Disabilities (Sept. 10, 2021)
- California Attorney General Bonta and New York Attorney General James Lead Coalition in Support of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Effort to Undo Trump-Era Healthcare Rule (May 17, 2021)
