California could OK abortions by solo nurse practitioners

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A bill announced Thursday in the California Legislature would let some nurse practitioners perform abortions without the supervision of a doctor — part of a plan to prepare for a potential influx of patients from other states if the U.S. Supreme Court allows states to ban or severely restrict the procedure.

State Senate leader Toni Atkins, a Democrat from San Diego, said the goal is to increase the number of health care workers in California who can perform abortions ahead of a potential Supreme Court ruling this summer.

“As states like Texas and others start to restrict further abortion, it just makes sense that women are going to find other places to go. California will be one of those states,” she said.

Nurse practitioners are not doctors, but they have advanced degrees and can provide a number of treatments. In 2013, California passed a law allowing nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and physician assistants to perform abortions during the first trimester of pregnancy — but only if they completed special training and were under the supervision of a doctor.

Atkins' bill would change the law by letting nurse practitioners with the required training perform first trimester abortions without a doctor's supervision. California has about 30,000 nurse practitioners. But it's unclear how many more of them would be allowed to perform abortions if this bill becomes law.

The U.S. Supreme Court now has a conservative majority after former President Donald Trump made three appointments during his term. Many conservative-led states have responded by passing new abortion restrictions, hoping the court will uphold them.

Texas has a law that bans nearly all abortions in the state, but it is only enforceable by civil lawsuits. Abortion rights...