Angelus News | January 26, 2024 | Vol. 9 No. 2
On the cover: High school student Atticus Maldonado smiles between classes at St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy in Downey. On Page 10, Angelus contributor Steve Lowery has the incredible story of how Maldonado’s school community rallied behind him in prayer — and why his unlikely recovery from a rare cancer may not even be the story’s biggest miracle.
On the cover: High school student Atticus Maldonado smiles between classes at St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy in Downey. On Page 10, Angelus contributor Steve Lowery has the incredible story of how Maldonado’s school community rallied behind him in prayer — and why his unlikely recovery from a rare cancer may not even be the story’s biggest miracle.
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The California State Capitol<br />
building. | SHUTTERSTOCK<br />
LETTERS OF THE LAW<br />
Many new California laws for <strong>2024</strong> will leave Catholics<br />
in the state either satisfied or concerned.<br />
BY ANGELUS STAFF<br />
With <strong>2024</strong> underway, several<br />
new California laws have<br />
taken effect — or will soon<br />
— that would be of interest to Catholic<br />
residents in the state and beyond.<br />
Here are just some of the hundreds<br />
of laws being put into action in <strong>2024</strong>.<br />
Read or search for all bills at leginfo.<br />
legislature.ca.gov.<br />
ABORTION<br />
Several bills related to abortion were<br />
signed into law by California Gov.<br />
Gavin <strong>News</strong>om. Said <strong>News</strong>om: “The<br />
right to an abortion is enshrined in<br />
California’s Constitution. We will<br />
continue to protect women and health<br />
care workers who are seeking and<br />
providing basic care.”<br />
SB 345: Crafted by state Democrat<br />
Sen. Nancy Skinner, this law would<br />
protect health care professionals who<br />
perform or provide abortions and<br />
gender-affirming care in California<br />
from punishment by states where these<br />
procedures are illegal. The bill would<br />
also safeguard any out-of-state patients<br />
who came to California to receive this<br />
care.<br />
AB 352: The bill would require<br />
companies and institutions that<br />
manage electronic health records from<br />
protecting, separating, and shielding a<br />
patient’s data as it relates to abortion,<br />
contraceptives, and gender-affirming<br />
care. The bill, authored by state<br />
Democrat Assemblywoman Rebecca<br />
Bauer-Kahan, would also prohibit<br />
healthcare providers from releasing<br />
medical information that would identify<br />
someone who received those specific<br />
services. Companies need to comply<br />
by July 1.<br />
SB 385: State Senate President Pro<br />
Tem Democrat Toni Atkins generated<br />
this bill that would allow physician<br />
assistants to be trained beyond their<br />
normal instruction to perform certain<br />
abortions without the supervision of a<br />
physician or surgeon. The goal of the<br />
bill is to expand the number of health<br />
care providers who have the ability to<br />
perform abortions.<br />
HEALTH<br />
Several bills increased health care<br />
services and health-related leave for all<br />
California residents, including more<br />
for undocumented immigrants. Said<br />
<strong>News</strong>om: “We’re making it known that<br />
the health and well-being of workers<br />
and their families is of the utmost importance<br />
for California’s future.”<br />
Expanding Medi-Cal to immigrants:<br />
With this new bill, California made<br />
history, becoming the first state in the<br />
U.S. to provide health care coverage<br />
to undocumented immigrants of all<br />
16 • ANGELUS • <strong>January</strong> <strong>26</strong>, <strong>2024</strong>