Governor Hochul Signs Nation-Leading Legislative Package to Protect Abortion and Reproductive Rights for All

Governor Kathy Hochul today signed a nation-leading legislative package to immediately protect the rights of patients and empower reproductive healthcare providers in anticipation of a final decision by the Supreme Court on abortion access. The legislation takes specific actions to address a variety of legal concerns unleashed by the Supreme Court's leaked opinion on Dobbs v. Jackson, which would overturn the landmark decision of Roe v. Wade on the eve of its 50th anniversary. Governor Hochul signed the bills at the historic Great Hall of Cooper Union, while flanked by Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Speaker Carl Heastie, key partners in the state legislature, as well as abortion and reproductive healthcare providers and advocates.

"Reproductive rights are human rights, and today we are signing landmark legislation to further protect them and all who wish to access them in New York State. The women of New York will never be subjected to government mandated pregnancies. Not here. Not now. Not ever," Governor Hochul said. "Today, we are taking action to protect our service providers from the retaliatory actions of anti-abortion states and ensure that New York will always be a safe harbor for those seeking reproductive healthcare. New York has always been a beacon for those yearning to be free. And I want the world to hear — loud and clear — that will not change."

"New York refuses to sit back and allow the Supreme Court to reverse years of progress by taking away a woman's right to make choices about her own body," said Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado. "We will provide a safe haven for women in New York with this nation leading package of legislation signed into law today which protects a patient's rights and empowers reproductive healthcare providers. New York will never stop fighting to make sure that women who are seeking safe, accessible abortion services receive them."

Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins said, "The leaked Supreme Court opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade sent shockwaves throughout the nation. Taking away the right to safe and legal abortion care will harm women's health and relegate women to second-class citizens with no right to bodily autonomy. Since gaining the Senate Majority in 2019, the Democratic Majority has been actively working to safeguard the reproductive rights of New Yorkers, and we will once again lead the way to guarantee reproductive rights and protect New York women from harmful policies implemented around the country. Thank you to Governor Hochul, Speaker Heastie, and all of my members in the Democratic Conference for ensuring our rights remain safe."

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said, "Reproductive health care decisions should be made between a patient and their doctor. The bills being signed into law today will ensure that the medical professionals that provide these critical and lifesaving practices are protected from retaliation by states that are restricting those rights. Thank you to Governor Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and my Assembly Majority colleagues for working together to get this done. We will keep fighting to protect women's bodily autonomy, their right to make their own health care decisions, and the doctors and nurses and everyone that ensures that women have access to reproductive healthcare."

State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said, “New York has done much to enshrine abortion rights into law, and for that I am grateful and proud. Safe abortions protect our medical and physical well-being, and provide us with the choice of autonomy and intervention, but are also filtered through the inequities of our society and this will be particularly true among Black, Brown, and Indigenous people as these new barriers will mean less access for communities of color and those who are low income further entrenching long standing inequities. Today’s bill signings further preserve those rights, strengthen those protections, and provide access to services that would otherwise be denied, and so I want to thank Governor Hochul, Leader Stewart-Cousins and Speaker Heastie for their leadership and efforts to make certain New York remains a beacon of hope, a safe harbor, a sanctuary for all.”

Legislation S.9039A/A.10094A establishes a cause of action for unlawful interference with protected rights. This will allow individuals to bring a claim against someone who has sued them or brought charges against them for facilitating, aiding, or obtaining reproductive health or endocrine care services in accordance with New York State Law.

Legislation S.9077A/A.10372A aims to provide certain legal protections for abortion service providers, those who assist someone else in obtaining an abortion, or individuals who self-manage an abortion. This bill provides those protections by creating a statutory exception for the extradition of abortion-related offenses, prohibiting courts from cooperating with out-of-state civil and criminal cases that stem from abortions that took place legally within their borders, and providing judicial protections by prohibiting law enforcement from cooperating with anti-abortion states' investigations regarding abortions that look place legally.

Legislation S.9079B/A.9687B prohibits professional misconduct charges against healthcare practitioners on the basis that such healthcare practitioner, acting within their scope of practice, performed, recommended or provided reproductive healthcare services for a patient who resides in a state where such services are illegal.

Legislation S.9080B/A.9718B prohibits medical malpractice insurance companies from taking any adverse action against an abortion or reproductive healthcare provider who performs an abortion or provides reproductive healthcare that is legal in the state of New York on someone who is from out of state.

Legislation S.9384A/A.9818A allows reproductive healthcare services providers, employees, volunteers, patients, or immediate family members of reproductive healthcare services providers to enroll in the State's address confidentiality program to protect themselves from threats.

Legislation S.470/A.5499 directs the New York State Department of Health commissioner to conduct a study and issue a report examining the unmet health and resource needs facing pregnant people in New York and the impact of limited service pregnancy centers. This ensures New Yorkers have access to information and resources necessary to have healthy pregnancies with positive outcomes.

State Senator Alessandra Biaggi said, "Today, New York is one step closer to becoming a true sanctuary state for those seeking healthcare no matter the circumstances. While other states are looking to criminalize abortion and gender-affirming care, New York continues to reaffirm its commitment to reproductive justice and serve as a model for the rest of our nation. The FIRE HATE Act will protect individuals who come to New York to receive an abortion or gender-affirming care— ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, always has the right to care. I'd like to thank Governor Hochul, Assemblymember Burdick, and my Legislative colleagues for prioritizing this crucial legislation and ensuring that New York remains a safe haven for reproductive care."

State Senator Cordell Cleare said, "As Chair of the Senate Women's Issues Committee—I am very proud that today, our State takes a number of proactive steps to ensure that we protect the fundamental human rights of health, safety and choice as it relates to reproductive healthcare. These collective measures, including my Address Confidentiality Bill (S.9384-A) will work together to ensure that New York is a safe haven for equity, justice and equal rights and outcomes for all."

State Senator Michelle Hinchey said, "With the Supreme Court poised to overturn Roe and swift action by states across our country to criminalize reproductive healthcare, we are fighting to ensure that no matter what happens at the federal level, New York is a safe place for everyone providing and seeking an abortion here. I'm proud to sponsor a bill as part of this critical package of legislation that protects medical practitioners from retaliatory actions if they perform an abortion for a patient whose home state has made this vital healthcare illegal. I will always fight to protect and expand access to reproductive healthcare, and I'm proud to stand with my colleagues and Governor Hochul today to affirm that every person in need of an abortion can find one safely here in New York."

State Senator Brad Holyman said, "Today, New York leads the nation protecting bodily autonomy. Reproductive rights are under attack nationwide, but the bills Governor Hochul is signing today ensure New Yorkers will have the right to make the best choice for them and their families and our state will become a safe haven for women across the country to exercise that right. I am proud my Limited Services Pregnancy Center bill with Assemblymember Glick, S.470, has been enacted as part of this package. The bill directs the Commissioner of Health to study and report on unlicensed, often misleading facilities that offer pregnancy-related services but don't provide or refer for comprehensive reproductive healthcare. These centers are often more interested in pushing their own agenda than doing what's best for their patient's health, and they waste precious time for pregnant people who may consider abortion. This bill will help identify the unmet health and resource needs facing pregnant people in New York and the impact of these centers on their ability to obtain, accurate, non-coercive healthcare information and timely access to services."

State Senator Anna Kaplan said, "With the fate of Roe hanging in the balance, red states across the country are salivating at the opportunity to restrict women's access to reproductive healthcare, with many declaring war on doctors who provide reproductive health services. Here in New York, we're standing up for the rights of women to access reproductive healthcare, and we're standing up for the rights of doctors to provide the services women rely on - no matter what happens at the Supreme Court. My bill will protect doctors from frivolous attacks by shameless anti-choice laws in red states, and it will ensure that women subjected to draconian restrictions on their bodies can find safe haven in New York and access health services here without endangering the medical professionals treating them. I'm proud to be the sponsor of this legislation along with my partner Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, and I'm grateful for the leadership of Governor Kathy Hochul in ensuring that reproductive rights in New York are protected no matter what."

State Senator Liz Krueger said, "Every day we get closer to a radical extremist Supreme Court issuing their final opinion overturning 50 years of protection for abortion rights. It is now more vital than ever that we use every available option to counter this assault on Americans' rights to make the most personal decisions about their own bodies and to access necessary reproductive healthcare services. New York must ensure abortion access both to New Yorkers and refugees from other states who are being denied their basic rights, and we must offer all the protection we can for New York healthcare providers against abhorrent and regressive laws in other states that seek to punish them for providing legal abortion services in New York. The bills that Governor Hochul is signing today are an important first step in making New York a safe haven for those in need of abortion care, those who help them, and those who provide that much-needed care."

Assemblymember Chris Burdick said, "New York must stand together with those who come here from states that are hostile to basic healthcare rights. The FIRE HATE Act will protect them from those attempting to intimidate and harass them with litigation in their home states. Plain and simple, it is an infringement on the rights established in New York law to interfere with anyone attempting to come here for reproductive or gender affirming healthcare. The FIRE HATE Act, which establishes a cause of action for interfering with these protected rights, is critical to people who simply want control over their own bodies."

Assemblymember Deborah Glick said, "I'm glad to see Governor Hochul sign my bill with Senator Hoylman, A.5499/S.470, which directs the NYS Department of Health to conduct a study on the prevalence of limited service pregnancy centers, sometimes called 'fake clinics.' The decision to keep or terminate a pregnancy may be the most challenging decision a person makes in their life. Pregnant New Yorkers must be able to make this complex and deeply personal decision with the help of a licensed medical professional, and free from fear, intimidation, and misinformation. The information collected under this legislation will help us to ensure pregnant New Yorkers have access to quality healthcare. I'm so grateful to stand with my colleagues in NYS government who are committed to protecting people's basic human rights."

Assemblymember Charles Lavine said, "Abortion service providers are being unjustly targeted by anti-abortion laws around the country, but in New York we are working to protect them. By providing legal protections for providers, we can rest assured that safe, regulated abortions are accessible for those who need them. Thank you to my partners in the Senate and Assembly for making this law, and to Governor Hochul for working tirelessly to solidify the rights of New Yorkers."

Assemblymember Amy Paulin said, "Healthcare workers, including those providing abortion care, should not be subjected to harassment, intimidation, stalking or violence, which is happening with increasing frequency nationwide. We need to protect and empower our reproductive healthcare workers who are working hard to give women the healthcare they need. Allowing them the ability to protect their identity in the face of today's local and national anti-abortion campaigns gives these workers a critical tool for their safety and security. I thank Governor Hochul for signing this bill into law, which gives protection for our reproductive healthcare workers so they can continue to give the best care possible to the women of New York State."

Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal said, "Across the country, a woman's right to safe and legal abortion is under attack. As some states work to block access to safe abortions and deprive women of the right to make their own healthcare decisions, and in anticipation of the US Supreme Court's decision striking down Roe, New York State is pushing back and doing everything in our power to safeguard abortion access. I thank Governor Hochul for signing this reproductive rights package into law, including my two bills to protect healthcare providers against professional discipline measures and adverse actions affecting medical malpractice insurance. With these laws, New York's healthcare professionals can continue to provide abortion and reproductive healthcare services for all women, including the many who will be traveling here from out of state, without fear of consequence, no matter the decision that is ultimately handed down by the Supreme Court."