Kaiser to halt gender-affirming surgeries

One of California’s largest health care providers said it will stop providing gender-affirming surgeries for patients under 19 beginning Aug. 29 — a move that was criticized by members of the LGBTQ community and praised by parental rights groups.

Kaiser Permanente serves 12 million patients in eight states, including more than 9 million in California. In a statement, the health care giant cited actions by President Donald Trump’s administration to restrict gender-affirming care, including issuing subpoenas to doctors and clinics that provide care to transgender youth.

• Kaiser: “After significant deliberation and consultation with internal and external experts including our physicians, we’ve made the difficult decision to pause surgical treatment for patients. … All other gender-affirming care treatment remains available.”

Kaiser’s move follows decisions by two other California hospitals to limit transgender health services: Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, which closed its health clinic for transgender youth last week; and Stanford Medicine, which paused services earlier this month.

Some members of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus expressed disappointment in Kaiser’s policy while slamming the federal administration.

• Assemblymember Christopher Ward, a San Diego Democrat and chairperson of the caucus, in an email to CalMatters: “While we recognize the impossible position Trump’s threats have put Kaiser in, it’s devastating that yet another barrier now stands between families and the care they know their children need. … It’s simply cruel.”

Jonathan Zachreson, a Roseville school board member who led an unsuccessful campaign last year to require California schools to notify parents if their children identified as transgender, told CalMatters that Kaiser’s decision was “a win for California and the nation.”

• Zachreson: “This is protecting kids from mutilation. … It’s been very positive and we’re grateful for the federal actions that have taken place.”

From CalMatters higher education and workforce reporter Adam Echelman:

AmeriCorps’ public service programs face yet another obstacle in California. Last week the state amended one of its lawsuits against the federal government, saying AmeriCorps is withholding millions of dollars in congressionally-appropriated funds for new projects that were scheduled to start this summer. 

It’s the latest development in a months-long saga. In April the Department of Government Efficiency, better known as DOGE, pushed the federal volunteer service agency to slash programs, effectively laying off more than 5,600 California public service workers and leaving the schools that depend on AmeriCorps in a lurch. 

A few months later, a judge ordered AmeriCorps to temporarily reinstate California’s programs until the lawsuit is concluded. Despite the court order, only about half of those workers have actually returned to finish their jobs, CalMatters reported.

Now, many of the new AmeriCorps programs, which typically start in July or August, are unable to access their next round of funding. 

• California Attorney General Rob Bonta, in a statement: “Last month, I secured a court order stopping the illegal dismantling of AmeriCorps. … But now, President Trump is trying a different, yet similarly, illegal tactic to withhold funding.”

The federal government has yet to respond to the amended lawsuit.

From CalMatters economy reporter Levi Sumagaysay:

CleanNet USA sold janitorial franchises to Californians using unfair and deceptive practices, then misclassified janitors and denied them employment rights such as minimum wage and reimbursement for supplies, the state alleged last week after an investigation by the attorney general’s office. 

The national company and its four California operators in the Bay Area, Sacramento, Southern California and San Diego must pay $1.7 million in restitution to more than 200 workers and $150,000 in civil penalties under a settlement with the state. 

The company must change its franchising business model and will be prohibited from selling franchises to sole proprietors or entities with fewer than two employees. It will also be monitored by the state Justice Department for at least three years to prove it’s complying with the settlement, which is pending court approval. 

The settlement says CleanNet denies all allegations. Robert Erickson, national director for the company, said in an email that CleanNet was “pleased” that its talks with the state led to an agreement.

The Trump administration plans to repeal a rule protecting 4 million acres of California’s national forests from logging and roadbuilding. CalMatters’ Rachel Becker and video strategy director Robert Meeks have a video segment on why some experts argue that revoking the rule would not help prevent wildfires as part of our partnership with PBS SoCal. Watch it here.

SoCalMatters airs at 5:58 p.m. weekdays on PBS SoCal.