Attorney General: Reproductive Privacy Act: enforcement.

Assembly Member Bauer-Kahan's proposal to expand enforcement of California's Reproductive Privacy Act would grant the Attorney General new authority to investigate and prosecute violations of reproductive rights protections.

The legislation authorizes the Attorney General to pursue civil actions in superior court against individuals or entities that violate the Reproductive Privacy Act, with the power to seek injunctions, restraining orders, and writs of mandate. The Attorney General may conduct investigations, issue subpoenas for documents and testimony, and publish information about violations. The bill establishes civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation, with courts considering factors such as the violation's severity, duration, and willfulness when determining penalty amounts.

Under the measure, the Attorney General can seek additional remedies including restitution and damages on behalf of affected individuals. Any monetary penalties collected would be directed to the Attorney General's office, subject to legislative appropriation, for enforcing the Reproductive Privacy Act. The bill preserves a four-year statute of limitations for bringing enforcement actions while maintaining that these new enforcement mechanisms can be used in combination with existing legal remedies.

The proposal includes procedural safeguards regarding compelled testimony - while individuals cannot refuse to testify based on self-incrimination concerns, their testimony cannot be used against them in subsequent prosecutions except in cases of perjury or contempt. The bill explicitly prevents legal action against the Attorney General for exercising these enforcement powers.