Albany and Washington, D.C. – On Monday, State Innovation Exchange’s Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council — a network of state legislators working to advance reproductive health, rights, and justice — organized an amicus brief in support of legal abortion in Dobbs v. Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court case likely to decide the future of reproductive freedom in the United States. The brief, signed by 897 state legislators, including 56 New York Assembly Members and Senators, all members of the New York State Bipartisan Pro-Choice Legislative Caucus, represents the strongest showing ever recorded of state legislators supporting legal abortion nationwide.

“For many years before we passed the Reproductive Health Act in New York, we were told by opponents of choice that it was unnecessary, because the Supreme Court would never consider overturning Roe v. Wade,” said Senator Liz Krueger, BPCLC Co-Chair. “Yet here we are, a mere two years after passing the RHA, and a Court packed with radical partisan extremists will decide whether or not 160 million Americans have the basic human right to control their own bodies. Overturning Roe would be the single most significant step backwards for American women in the history of our nation.”

“The Court’s recent decision to allow the clearly unconstitutional Texas anti-abortion law to take affect is truly appalling and goes against longstanding precedent” said Assembly Member Karines Reyes, R.N., BPCLC Co-Chair. “The judicial activism shown by the Court’s conservative majority is regressive and denies women in Texas equal protection under the law. I am heartened by the fact that New York State legislators, more than in any other state, have made the choice to join the legal fight in support of protecting a woman’s right to choose.”

The Mississippi law at the heart of the case banned abortion services after 15 weeks of pregnancy — well before the 24-week precedent established by Roe v. Wade. Despite multiple lower courts’ rulings that the law was blatantly unconstitutional, the Supreme Court agreed to hold oral arguments to determine whether all pre-viability abortion bans are constitutional. In their amicus brief, the state legislators argue that the Court’s failure to uphold the rule of law and precedent would result in disastrous consequences for women seeking abortions, as well as for their families.

Arguments in Dobbs v. Women’s Health Organization will come on the heels of Texas enacting a law that effectively bans all abortions in the state after six weeks of pregnancy and emboldens any citizen to surveil and harass virtually anyone under vigilante claims of noncompliance. The Texas law is just one of nearly 600 abortion restriction bills introduced in 2021—the worst year for state legislative attacks on abortion since the Roe decision. Many more restrictions are expected, as several state officials have indicated they are looking to mimic the Texas law in their own states.
Public sentiment is overwhelmingly in favor of keeping Roe, according to a recent Data for Progress poll, with 60% in favor and 23% against. By a 2–1 margin, voters also strongly disapprove of allowing citizens to sue individuals they suspect of helping someone get an abortion—the cornerstone of the Texas bill.
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“The decision about whether to have an abortion is deeply personal,” said Senator Krueger. “It involves a complex weighing of a woman’s unique circumstances, her medical needs, her private morality, and her own body. That is why it is a decision that must be made by a woman and her healthcare provider alone – not by the government. This is the law of the land established under Roe, and the majority on the Court must now decide if they will uphold the law, or if they care so much about controlling women’s bodies that they are willing to destroy the reputation of the Court and turn back the march toward equality for half the population of this country.”

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Albany - Bipartisan Pro-Choice Legislative Caucus (BPCLC) Co-Chairs Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Senator Liz Krueger are very pleased to announce that Assemblywoman Karines Reyes has agreed to serve as a Co-Chair of the Caucus. The Majority Leader and Senator Krueger welcomed and introduced
Assemblywoman Reyes at the BPCLC Annual Legislative Meeting on Friday,
January 22nd. A Registered Nurse and passionate fighter for her community,
Assemblywoman Reyes was elected to the Assembly in 2018. With a professional background as an Oncology Nurse, as well as experience in Gynecologic Oncology, Assemblywoman Reyes has seen firsthand how important reproductive rights, and access to reproductive and preventive healthcare are for community members of all ages and income brackets. Assemblywoman Reyes is a member of the Assembly Health Committee and the Legislative Women's Caucus, and is the sponsor of A1926, a bill that establishes the abortion access fund. Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Senator Krueger are excited to work with Assemblywoman Reyes, and to draw on her valuable experience to help further the mission of the BPCLC.

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New York - Since the Reproductive Health Act (RHA) was passed and signed into law on January 22nd, there has been a lot of misinformation circulated about what the law allows and its implications. To help dispel false information, the office of BPCLC Co-Chair Senator Liz Krueger has issued Frequently Asked Questions about the RHA:

Albany - On Tuesday, January 22nd, the 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Reproductive Health Act (RHA) was passed in the New York State Senate and Assembly, and was signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo. After many years of being blocked in the Senate, today New York State legislators voted to codify Roe v. Wade protections into state law and ensure access to safe, legal abortion. 

Thanks go to BPCLC members Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Senator Liz Krueger, and Assemblywoman Deborah Glick for sponsoring the RHA in the Senate and the Assembly; to Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Speaker Carl Heastie, Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, and Governor Andrew Cuomo for their leadership; and to the advocacy groups and community activists who worked tirelessly to protect abortion rights in New York State!

Albany - Today, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Senator Liz Krueger, and Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee submitted a BPCLC public comment letter opposing the Trump administration's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Exchange Program Integrity proposed rule.

In the name of promoting program integrity, this proposed rule would require health insurance plans that cover abortion services to issue two monthly premium bills: one for abortion services and the second for all other health care services. This means that policy holders would have to make two health insurance premium payments on time each month in order to maintain coverage.
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This proposed rule is harmful because it could result in higher health insurance premiums; insurance providers dropping abortion coverage; lack of access to safe, legal abortion; increased utilization of emergency room services; and surges in health care expenses, as well as increased rates of poverty and bankruptcy; maternal morbidity and mortality; and infertility. 

New York - Today, BPCLC's Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins, Senator Liz Krueger, and Assemblywoman Deborah Glick joined Governor Andrew Cuomo, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, State and Federal Legislators, and reproductive rights advocates to speak in support of passing the Reproductive Health Act (RHA). 

Albany – Members of the Bipartisan Pro-Choice Legislative Caucus (BPCLC) released today an open letter to President Trump, declaring that his administration’s Title X proposed rule would have dangerous implications for the healthcare system, the doctor-patient relationship, and women’s health and well-being. The BPCLC asserts that the proposed rule would violate patient rights, serve as a “gag rule”, and have negative impacts on maternal morbidity and mortality, as well as unintended pregnancy rates. The full text of the letter can be read below, and is also available here.

Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, “We cannot sit idly by as the Trump Administration and its supporters chip away at our basic rights and health care protections. New York State must step up and lead, and that is what the Bipartisan Pro-Choice Legislative Caucus is doing. I am proud to join my colleagues in urging President Trump to backtrack his plan to deny essential funds to women’s health care facilities. Regardless of what happens in Washington, we must be ready to protect women’s rights in New York and serve as an example to the nation during these difficult times.”

“This is yet another example of the Trump administration seeking to attack women’s reproductive rights, which is unacceptable,” said Senator Liz Krueger. “The Title X proposed rule would severely limit access to safe, legal abortion for women with low incomes and who are underinsured, even though it is their legal right to have an abortion. I oppose government involving itself in women’s reproductive healthcare decisions, which should be between a woman, her family, and her doctor. I also find the potential impacts alarming – many thousands of New Yorkers could find themselves without access to contraception, comprehensive counseling, and quality reproductive health care. This proposed rule is unnecessary and unethical, and we will not stand for it.”

“As a long time legislator, teacher, mother and WOMAN, I strongly oppose the Title X proposed rule which seeks to deny Title X funding to healthcare facilities that provide abortion services and referrals. New York State is a proud, progressive State with a long history of standing up for the rights of its citizens including the guarantee that all women have access to quality family planning and healthcare. The road to Title X funding has been long and hard won; we cannot now allow this administration to erase that progress. The loss of support for the services provided by the Title X funding will jeopardize the wellbeing of women all over this country and is unacceptable and punitive as it will most adversely affect women already at risk.” said Assemblywoman Jaffee.

On June 1st, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services issued proposed changes to Title X Family Planning Grant Program requirements. This Trump administration proposed rule would prohibit recipients of Title X funding, including Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health clinics, from performing abortions, or providing abortion referrals. Furthermore, this “domestic gag rule” stipulates that Title X recipients shall “provide a broad range of acceptable and effective family planning methods…”, including methods that are not evidence-based, nor that have been proven effective. Last year in New York State, more than 306,00 individuals, 83% of whom had incomes at or below 250% of the federal poverty level, relied on Title X facilities to receive needed health care services such as: pelvic exams; STD screening; screening for cervical and breast cancer; contraceptive counseling; screening for diabetes, anemia, and high blood pressure; HIV screening; and fertility services. Many Title X facilities also provide safe, legal abortions to women with low incomes or who are without adequate health insurance; however, in compliance with the Hyde Amendment, these facilities do not use federal funding to cover the cost of abortion services. The Trump administration claims that this proposed rule is necessary to ensure compliance, but it is clear that what the administration seeks is to defund Title X facilities that provide abortion, Planned Parenthood in particular.

The New York State Bipartisan Pro-Choice Legislative Caucus (BPCLC) was established in 2010, and includes members of both the State Senate and Assembly. The mission of the BPCLC is to protect reproductive rights across the state, and provide a voice for pro-choice state legislators in policy debates at both the state and national level. Specifically, the BPCLC works to protect access to quality reproductive health services, remove barriers to these services, ensure access to education about reproductive choices, and respond to any potential infringements to the legal right to reproductive healthcare in New York State.

BACKGROUND:
-The Title X Family Planning Program in New York: 
https://www.nationalfamilyplanning.org/file/impact-maps-2017/NY.pdf
-Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s overview of the Title X proposed rule: 
https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/blog/what-is-the-domestic-gag-rule?utm_source=ppact&utm_medium=tw&utm_campaign=actiontw&utm_content=gag0613
-State Innovation Exchange open letter from State legislators:
https://stateinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/RFLC_Open_Letter_Gag_Rule.pdf
-Proposed Rule Text: 
​https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/06/01/2018-11673/compliance-with-statutory-program-integrity-requirements

Albany – State Senators Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Liz Krueger, and Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee, Co-Chairs of the New York State Bipartisan Pro-Choice Legislative Caucus, today released a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Director Roger Severino, opposing proposed rule changes that would vastly expand the ability of healthcare providers and associated individuals to deny care to patients based on their personal beliefs. The proposed rules threaten to endanger the safety and well-being of a broad range of Americans seeking a variety of healthcare services. The full text of the letter can be read below, and is also available here.

“The fact that it is 2018 and yet we need to keep fighting to ensure women have access to emergency healthcare and preventative services is deeply troubling,” said Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. “The proposed changes drafted by the Trump Administration’s Department of Health and Human Services are simply unacceptable and put women’s lives and rights in danger. New York State has a responsibility to step up and voice our outrage with these proposals, and I am proud to join my BPCLC colleagues in this fight.”

“These proposed rules are an outrageous expansion of the Trump Administration’s war on women’s health and the freedom of a woman to make her own decisions about her life and her body,” said State Senator Liz Krueger. “The rules not only violate existing laws to protect patients, they also contravene the ethical obligation of healthcare providers to offer the best care based on patients’ needs. If these rules take effect, the result will be more stigmatization, injury, and death for women seeking reproductive healthcare.”

“In 2018 the discriminatory rules proposed by the Trump Administration put our patient-centered healthcare system and women’s very lives in danger, making it abundantly clear that the fight for women’s freedom and full equality is far from over,” said Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee. “New York State has a long history of standing up for women’s rights and protecting individuals from discrimination. Today, I stand with my BPCLC colleagues in strong opposition to these outrageous proposals and vow to continue fighting for every woman’s fundamental right to make reproductive health care decisions that are best for her and her family.”

On January 26th, the Department of Health and Human services issued a proposed rule change that greatly expands the ability of individuals and entities to refuse care to patients based on their religious or moral beliefs. The rules allow for the denial of any part of a health care service, and offer an expansive definition of those who “assist in the performance” of those services, potentially including support staff, receptionists, or volunteers. In addition, under the proposed rules, providers refusing care are not required to offer any information or referrals related to obtaining care, and are not even required to inform patients that they are not being offered the full range of care. Further, the rules expand the definition of “health care entity” to include insurance plan sponsors and administrators, meaning employers could refuse to provide insurance to cover certain care, a clear violation of existing law.

The New York State Bipartisan Pro-Choice Legislative Caucus (BPCLC) was established in 2010, and includes members of both the State Senate and Assembly. The mission of the BPCLC is to protect reproductive rights across the state, and provide a voice for pro-choice state legislators in policy debates at both the state and national level. Specifically, the BPCLC works to protect access to quality reproductive health services, remove barriers to these services, ensure access to education about reproductive choices, and respond to any potential infringements to the legal right to reproductive healthcare in New York State.

BACKGROUND:
–National Women’s Law Center Fact Sheet: https://nwlc-ciw49tixgw5lbab.stackpathdns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Proposed-Rule-FS-2.pdf
–Communities Advocating Emergency Aids Relief Memo: http://www.caear.org/caear/pdf/CAEAR_HHSConscienceRulesChange.pdf
–Proposed Rule Text: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=HHS-OCR-2018-0002-0001