SB 623 Summary

• Replaces references to section 17015 (the former abortion definition) with a new statutory definition of "abortion" as the intentional termination of pregnancy except to increase probability of live birth, preserve health of child after birth, or remove a fetus that died from natural causes, accidental trauma, or criminal assault; excludes contraceptive drugs and devices.

• Removes language from the Public Health Code that specifically prohibited licensing of freestanding surgical outpatient facilities performing abortions and exempted them from certificate of need requirements, effectively eliminating these abortion-specific regulatory carve-outs.

• Updates disciplinary provisions by removing references to repealed abortion-specific violation sections (17015, 17015a, 17017, 17515, 17517, 17016, and 17516) from health professional licensing grounds for discipline.

• Modifies section 20131 to change "assure" to "ensure" in describing departmental objectives for health facility licensure and updates section 20106 to clarify "Health facility or agency" definition language.

• Takes effect 90 days after enactment and is contingent on Senate Bill No. 622 being enacted into law.