Attorney General Bonta Issues Statement Ahead of Tomorrow’s Hearing in Defense of Emergency Abortion Care in Humboldt County

Providence St. Joseph Hospital seeking to skirt state law, deny women emergency abortion care

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a statement ahead of tomorrow’s hearing in People of the State of California v. St. Joseph Health Northern California. On September 30, 2024, Attorney General Bonta filed a lawsuit in Humboldt County Superior Court alleging that Providence St. Joseph Hospital (Providence) in Eureka, California violated multiple laws — including California’s Emergency Services Law, the state level analogue to the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), and the Unruh Civil Rights Act — by refusing to provide emergency abortion care when needed to save the life and health of patients. On October 29, 2024, he secured a voluntary stipulation from Providence, in which it agreed to provide access to emergency abortion care. That same day, the court signed an accompanying order, requiring Providence to abide by the terms of the stipulation. On June 5, 2025, Attorney General Bonta filed a motion to enforce the stipulation and order due to Providence’s attempt to modify or dissolve altogether the stipulation, which will be the focus of tomorrow’s hearing. 

“Providence is attempting to go back on its word. It agreed to provide emergency abortion care, yet it is now asking the court to allow it to reverse course. This is not only disappointing, it's troubling: It stands to put the women of Humboldt County back in harm’s way,” said Attorney General Bonta. “My team and I look forward to tomorrow’s hearing. We firmly believe that Providence is in the wrong. Earlier this year, we successfully blocked Providence’s meritless attempt to dismiss our lawsuit, and I am confident that we will prevail again. Whether the attacks are coming from the Trump Administration or from within our state, I am committed to doing everything in my power to ensure that California remains a safe haven for those seeking essential reproductive healthcare.”  

Providence is currently the only available option for women in Humboldt County to seek emergency abortion care. Providence’s effort to modify or dissolve the stipulation escalates a deeply concerning position: that the stipulation and order do not mean what they plainly state and that Providence does not have to fully comply with them. 

If you were denied an abortion you needed in a medical emergency, or if you were denied any other emergency medical care, you can contact abortion.access@doj.ca.gov. Attorney General Bonta also recently announced the launch of a statewide survey to assess how hospital emergency departments are following emergency reproductive healthcare laws. Results from the survey will inform oversight, guide enforcement efforts, and ensure hospitals are fully complying with California’s Emergency Services Law.

A copy of Attorney General Bonta’s latest filing — a consolidated brief that supports his motion to enforce and opposes Providence’s effort to modify or dissolve the stipulation — can be found here.

The hearing is scheduled to begin in Humboldt County Superior Court's Department 4 at 10:30 AM PT tomorrow, and will be accessible virtually here.