California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined a coalition of 17 attorneys general and one governor in filing an amicus brief opposing the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) attempt to subpoena patient records related to gender-affirming care at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). The brief, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, argues that the DOJ’s request violates patient privacy, exceeds federal authority, undermines states’ rights to regulate medical practice, and seeks to intimidate providers.
Attorney General Bonta stated, “The Trump Administration continues to attack the privacy of transgender adolescents by subpoenaing confidential medical records. U.S. DOJ’s flagrant overreach undermines states’ rights to ensure their residents receive effective health care from providers they can trust. U.S. DOJ has severely misinterpreted federal law in a manner that harms doctors’ freedoms to provide treatment their expertise deems most appropriate, across all fields of medicine, beyond just gender-affirming care. We will continue to defend Americans’ privacy and their ability to access safe, high-quality care.”
The dispute began in June 2025 when the DOJ issued an administrative subpoena seeking information on UPMC’s provision of gender-affirming care, including personally identifiable information for adolescent patients and their families. In September, several current and former patients filed a lawsuit asking the court to quash the subpoena. On December 24, the district court granted a motion limiting portions of the subpoena that sought patient records. The DOJ now intends to request anonymized versions of these records.
In their brief, Bonta and other officials urge the court not to allow access even to anonymized records due to ongoing concerns about privacy risks for transgender patients and their families. They argue that such disclosure remains too great a threat given recent targeting of this community.
The coalition also asserts that issuing such subpoenas infringes on states’ rights under the Tenth Amendment by interfering with state regulation of medical practice. They contend that applying federal laws concerning drug labeling—specifically those under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act—to gender-affirming care contradicts both statutory language and legal precedent.
Additionally, Bonta and his colleagues allege that seeking these records is intended not for legitimate regulatory purposes but rather as an effort by federal authorities to pressure providers into discontinuing gender-affirming care programs.
Bonta previously joined similar multistate briefs in 2025 opposing DOJ subpoenas against Boston Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Children’s Hospital Colorado; those efforts resulted in limitations or quashing of those subpoenas.
The California Attorney General serves as the chief law enforcement authority for California—overseeing law enforcement activities statewide while promoting public safety and civil rights initiatives according to its official website.
Other signatories on this latest amicus brief include attorneys general from Massachusetts, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin as well as Pennsylvania’s governor.
