Legislative Goals
The BPCLC works to advance pro-reproductive health rights legislation and to prevent legislation from being passed that would serve to restrict access to safe and legal abortion, contraception, and comprehensive sex education. During the 2019-2020 Legislative Session, the BPCLC is focused on the bills listed below. Click on the header of each current bill to view the bill's status, primary sponsor and co-sponsors, text, and legislative history.
Current Legislation
Telehealth Abortion Provider Protections (S.1066-A Mayer / A.1709 Reyes)
This legislation builds upon the package of laws the Legislature passed last year which protect abortion and reproductive services by explicitly addressing health services provided by licensed New York providers and physicians via telehealth. In doing so, it provides the strongest protections possible for New York providers serving patients in other states via telehealth by ensuring that New York will not cooperate with out-of-state interference, including demands for extradition.
Abortion Provider Protections against Money Judgements (S.1248 Krueger / A.4231 Paulin)
This legislation strengthens protections for abortion providers and other New Yorkers by exempting individuals from a money judgement arising from an action in another state for knowingly engaging in conduct that aids or abets the performance or inducement of an abortion.
Abortion Access Fund (A.1473 Reyes)
The purpose of this bill is to break down barriers and aid in access to reproductive health care by establishing the Abortion Access Fund. New York State taxpayers will be able to indicate on their personal income tax return whether they wish to contribute to the fund.
Reproductive Freedom and Equity Program (S.348-B Cleare / A.361-A Gonzalez-Rojas)
This bill establishes the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Program, a grant program that would help to increase access to abortion care. The grant program would provide three types of funding to New York abortion providers and non-profit organizations: 1) Capacity support and resources to abortion providers, 2) Uncompensated care, and 3) Grants to non-profit organizations that provide practical support to help with childcare, travel, hotel, and other costs.
Medication Abortion on Public College and University Campuses (S.1213 Cleare / A.1395-B Epstein)
This legislation would reduce financial and logistical barriers that public university students may have to accessing abortion services. This bill requires SUNY and CUNY to provide medication abortion services at all on-campus student health centers at colleges or universities within the SUNY and CUNY systems, or to contract with a third party to provide services.
Abortion Provider Training Fund (S.3060 Krueger / A.3279 Epstein)
This legislation establishes a fund to support the training of medical residents in clinical settings on abortion care. Grants would support the travel and lodging costs of residents as well as the expansion of residency programs to accommodate additional residents.
Ban on State-Funded or State-Sponsored Travel to States with Discriminatory Laws (S.2397 Jackson)
The purpose of this legislation is to encourage states to reconsider discriminatory reproductive health care policies. This bill would establish a ban on State-funded or State-sponsored travel to States that have discriminatory laws preventing access to reproductive health services including, but not limited to, limitations on access to abortion after 6 weeks of pregnancy.
Health Data Privacy Protections (S.158 Krueger / A.4983 Rosenthal)
This legislation would help to protect health data privacy by governing companies that collect and sell healthcare information, and by creating a legal framework for residents to reclaim and retain control of their healthcare information. This bill requires electronic apps or websites that are designed to provide a diagnosis or retain health information to obtain affirmative consent from the user to retain such information, as well as separate consent to sell such information to third parties. This bill also bans the practice of using geolocation at healthcare facilities to send targeted advertisements to users while they are at the health care facility or shortly afterwards.
New York Hospital Transparency Bill (A.733-A Rozic / S.1003-A Hinchey)
This bill ensures that individuals have access to information about whether the hospital, or hospitals, in their area provides the care they seek prior to admission. The purpose is to provide transparency to patients and the public as well as to identify health care deserts in regions of the state.
Require Health Equity Impact Assessments to Consider Impact to Reproductive Health Services and Maternal Health Care (A.3113-A Clark / S.3609-B Webb)
This bill would require that Health Equity Impact Assessments consider the availability and provision of reproductive health services and maternal health care, before the Department of Health can approve any proposed construction, establishment, mergers, acquisitions, closures, or reductions in hospital/health-related services.
Comprehensive Sexuality Education (A.4604 Gonzalez-Rojas)
This bill requires public and charter schools to provide comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) to students in grades kindergarten through twelve. CSE shall be age appropriate, medically accurate, and inclusive of all students. This bill provides for the NYSED Commissioner in consultation with the NYSDOH Commissioner to develop a sexuality education program, draft regulations, and make recommendations to the Regents. Boards of Education shall establish advisory groups to make recommendations regarding the curriculum, content, and evaluation of sexuality education. A process will be created for parents to opt their children out of sexuality education.
Sexual Health Care for Minors (S.762 Krueger/A.276 Paulin)
This bill ensures that minors under the age of eighteen will have access to a full range of sexual health care services, including vaccinations and other preventive care, diagnosis, and treatment without parental knowledge or consent, provided that the minor has the capacity to consent, and provides consent. This bill also updates state law to align with contemporary standards of medical practice by authorizing health care practitioners licensed under title eight of the Education Law, and acting within their scope of practice, to diagnose, treat, prescribe, and provide preventive care of sexually transmissible diseases, including administering immunizations.
Medicaid Coverage of Hospital Stays for Maternity Patients and Newborns (S.1241 Sanders / Cook – Bill No. Pending)
This legislation seeks to address maternal and infant health issues by requiring Medicaid to provide coverage for maternity patients and their newborns for hospital stays of at least 48 hours for natural delivery and 96 hours following caesarean section, as is currently provided by private insurers and HMO's. This bill ensures that those covered by Medicaid are not treated differently than those covered by private insurance. It establishes the same mandatory minimum periods of coverage under Medicaid that private insurers are bound to provide.
Increasing Hormonal Contraception Accessibility (S.1043 Stavisky / A.1060-A Paulin)
This bill would reduce the number of unintended pregnancies by increasing access to contraceptive drugs for women in New York State. Pharmacists who have completed the required training would be authorized to dispense a non-patient specific regimen of FDA- approved, self-administered hormonal contraceptives to individuals.
Public University Emergency Contraception Act (S5633 Parker - 2022 Bill No.)
This bill requires each college and university of the state university of New York and the city university of New York to provide emergency contraception upon request; provides for the commissioner to establish a statewide emergency contraception college education and awareness program and to distribute informational materials and posters relating to the safety and efficacy of emergency contraception.
Total Access to Menstrual Products (TAMP) Act (A.63 Rosenthal)
The purpose of this legislation is to require menstrual hygiene products, including tampons, sanitary napkins and panty liners, be made available for free in restrooms across the state.
Enacted Legislation
Equal Rights Amendment (S.108-A Krueger/A.1283 Seawright)
Passed the Senate and Assembly on July 1, 2022 and for the second required time on January 24, 2023.
This bill provides for equality of rights and protection against discrimination by updating the New York Bill of Rights to reflect the evolution of concepts of equal rights and protections from discrimination that have occurred over the last eighty years.
Limited Services Pregnancy Center Study Bill (S470 Hoylman/A5499 Glick)
Signed into law on June 13, 2022
This bill authorizes the Commissioner of Health to conduct a study and issue a report examining the unmet health and resource needs facing pregnant women in New York and the impact of limited services pregnancy centers on the ability of women to obtain accurate, non-coercive health care information and timely access to a comprehensive range of reproductive and sexual health care services in alignment with their health care needs and that supports personal decision making.
The Reproductive Equity Act (S7002 Brouk/A7573 González-Rojas)
Enacted through the 2022-2023 New York State budget
This bill requires that provision be made for pregnancy termination procedures in every individual or group policy or contract which provides coverage or indemnity for hospital, surgical, or medical care and which offers maternity care coverage.
Access to Menstrual Products in Homeless Shelters (S6572 Hinchey/A529-A Rosenthal)
Signed into law on December 22, 2021
This bill will provide feminine hygiene products at no cost to adults and children in homeless shelters throughout New York State.
Reproductive Health Act (S240 Krueger, Stewart-Cousins/A21 Glick)
Signed into law on January 22, 2019
The Reproductive Health Act would update New York’s abortion and contraception laws to recognize a woman’s fundamental right to access safe, legal abortion; ensure a woman’s right to have an abortion if her health is endangered; and treat the regulation of abortion as an issue of public health and medical practice rather than as a potential crime. Passing the Reproductive Health Act would guarantee that women’s reproductive health remains protected in New York, regardless of what happens at the federal level. State legislatures across the country have enacted over 450 bills that would ban or restrict abortion, some of which are a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade. All it takes is one of these challenges to reach the Supreme Court and Roe could be overturned. View Frequently Asked Questions about the Reproductive Health Act (RHA)
Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act (S659A Salazar/A585A Cahill)
Signed into law on April 12, 2019
Requires every applicable group or blanket policy to provide coverage for all FDA-approved contraceptive drugs, devices, and other products, including all FDA-approved over-the-counter contraceptive drugs, devices, and products as prescribed or as otherwise authorized under state or federal law; requires applicable group or blanket policies to cover emergency contraception, voluntary sterilization procedures, patient education and counseling on contraception, and follow-up services related to the drugs, devices, products, and procedures covered; provides for the coverage of dispensation of a 12 month supply of a contraceptive at one time; prohibits applicable group or blanket policies from imposing a deductible, coinsurance, copayment, or any other cost-sharing requirement on coverage provided.
The “Boss Bill” (S660 Metzger/A584 Jaffee)
Signed into law on November 8, 2019
Prohibits employers from discriminating against employees or employees’ dependents based on their reproductive health decision making, including but not limited to, the decision to use or access a particular drug, device or medical service without the employee's prior informed, affirmative written consent; prohibits employers from taking retaliatory action and requiring employees to sign a waiver or other document that would deny their rights to make their own reproductive health decisions; provides penalties.
Telehealth Abortion Provider Protections (S.1066-A Mayer / A.1709 Reyes)
This legislation builds upon the package of laws the Legislature passed last year which protect abortion and reproductive services by explicitly addressing health services provided by licensed New York providers and physicians via telehealth. In doing so, it provides the strongest protections possible for New York providers serving patients in other states via telehealth by ensuring that New York will not cooperate with out-of-state interference, including demands for extradition.
Abortion Provider Protections against Money Judgements (S.1248 Krueger / A.4231 Paulin)
This legislation strengthens protections for abortion providers and other New Yorkers by exempting individuals from a money judgement arising from an action in another state for knowingly engaging in conduct that aids or abets the performance or inducement of an abortion.
Abortion Access Fund (A.1473 Reyes)
The purpose of this bill is to break down barriers and aid in access to reproductive health care by establishing the Abortion Access Fund. New York State taxpayers will be able to indicate on their personal income tax return whether they wish to contribute to the fund.
Reproductive Freedom and Equity Program (S.348-B Cleare / A.361-A Gonzalez-Rojas)
This bill establishes the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Program, a grant program that would help to increase access to abortion care. The grant program would provide three types of funding to New York abortion providers and non-profit organizations: 1) Capacity support and resources to abortion providers, 2) Uncompensated care, and 3) Grants to non-profit organizations that provide practical support to help with childcare, travel, hotel, and other costs.
Medication Abortion on Public College and University Campuses (S.1213 Cleare / A.1395-B Epstein)
This legislation would reduce financial and logistical barriers that public university students may have to accessing abortion services. This bill requires SUNY and CUNY to provide medication abortion services at all on-campus student health centers at colleges or universities within the SUNY and CUNY systems, or to contract with a third party to provide services.
Abortion Provider Training Fund (S.3060 Krueger / A.3279 Epstein)
This legislation establishes a fund to support the training of medical residents in clinical settings on abortion care. Grants would support the travel and lodging costs of residents as well as the expansion of residency programs to accommodate additional residents.
Ban on State-Funded or State-Sponsored Travel to States with Discriminatory Laws (S.2397 Jackson)
The purpose of this legislation is to encourage states to reconsider discriminatory reproductive health care policies. This bill would establish a ban on State-funded or State-sponsored travel to States that have discriminatory laws preventing access to reproductive health services including, but not limited to, limitations on access to abortion after 6 weeks of pregnancy.
Health Data Privacy Protections (S.158 Krueger / A.4983 Rosenthal)
This legislation would help to protect health data privacy by governing companies that collect and sell healthcare information, and by creating a legal framework for residents to reclaim and retain control of their healthcare information. This bill requires electronic apps or websites that are designed to provide a diagnosis or retain health information to obtain affirmative consent from the user to retain such information, as well as separate consent to sell such information to third parties. This bill also bans the practice of using geolocation at healthcare facilities to send targeted advertisements to users while they are at the health care facility or shortly afterwards.
New York Hospital Transparency Bill (A.733-A Rozic / S.1003-A Hinchey)
This bill ensures that individuals have access to information about whether the hospital, or hospitals, in their area provides the care they seek prior to admission. The purpose is to provide transparency to patients and the public as well as to identify health care deserts in regions of the state.
Require Health Equity Impact Assessments to Consider Impact to Reproductive Health Services and Maternal Health Care (A.3113-A Clark / S.3609-B Webb)
This bill would require that Health Equity Impact Assessments consider the availability and provision of reproductive health services and maternal health care, before the Department of Health can approve any proposed construction, establishment, mergers, acquisitions, closures, or reductions in hospital/health-related services.
Comprehensive Sexuality Education (A.4604 Gonzalez-Rojas)
This bill requires public and charter schools to provide comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) to students in grades kindergarten through twelve. CSE shall be age appropriate, medically accurate, and inclusive of all students. This bill provides for the NYSED Commissioner in consultation with the NYSDOH Commissioner to develop a sexuality education program, draft regulations, and make recommendations to the Regents. Boards of Education shall establish advisory groups to make recommendations regarding the curriculum, content, and evaluation of sexuality education. A process will be created for parents to opt their children out of sexuality education.
Sexual Health Care for Minors (S.762 Krueger/A.276 Paulin)
This bill ensures that minors under the age of eighteen will have access to a full range of sexual health care services, including vaccinations and other preventive care, diagnosis, and treatment without parental knowledge or consent, provided that the minor has the capacity to consent, and provides consent. This bill also updates state law to align with contemporary standards of medical practice by authorizing health care practitioners licensed under title eight of the Education Law, and acting within their scope of practice, to diagnose, treat, prescribe, and provide preventive care of sexually transmissible diseases, including administering immunizations.
Medicaid Coverage of Hospital Stays for Maternity Patients and Newborns (S.1241 Sanders / Cook – Bill No. Pending)
This legislation seeks to address maternal and infant health issues by requiring Medicaid to provide coverage for maternity patients and their newborns for hospital stays of at least 48 hours for natural delivery and 96 hours following caesarean section, as is currently provided by private insurers and HMO's. This bill ensures that those covered by Medicaid are not treated differently than those covered by private insurance. It establishes the same mandatory minimum periods of coverage under Medicaid that private insurers are bound to provide.
Increasing Hormonal Contraception Accessibility (S.1043 Stavisky / A.1060-A Paulin)
This bill would reduce the number of unintended pregnancies by increasing access to contraceptive drugs for women in New York State. Pharmacists who have completed the required training would be authorized to dispense a non-patient specific regimen of FDA- approved, self-administered hormonal contraceptives to individuals.
Public University Emergency Contraception Act (S5633 Parker - 2022 Bill No.)
This bill requires each college and university of the state university of New York and the city university of New York to provide emergency contraception upon request; provides for the commissioner to establish a statewide emergency contraception college education and awareness program and to distribute informational materials and posters relating to the safety and efficacy of emergency contraception.
Total Access to Menstrual Products (TAMP) Act (A.63 Rosenthal)
The purpose of this legislation is to require menstrual hygiene products, including tampons, sanitary napkins and panty liners, be made available for free in restrooms across the state.
Enacted Legislation
Equal Rights Amendment (S.108-A Krueger/A.1283 Seawright)
Passed the Senate and Assembly on July 1, 2022 and for the second required time on January 24, 2023.
This bill provides for equality of rights and protection against discrimination by updating the New York Bill of Rights to reflect the evolution of concepts of equal rights and protections from discrimination that have occurred over the last eighty years.
Limited Services Pregnancy Center Study Bill (S470 Hoylman/A5499 Glick)
Signed into law on June 13, 2022
This bill authorizes the Commissioner of Health to conduct a study and issue a report examining the unmet health and resource needs facing pregnant women in New York and the impact of limited services pregnancy centers on the ability of women to obtain accurate, non-coercive health care information and timely access to a comprehensive range of reproductive and sexual health care services in alignment with their health care needs and that supports personal decision making.
The Reproductive Equity Act (S7002 Brouk/A7573 González-Rojas)
Enacted through the 2022-2023 New York State budget
This bill requires that provision be made for pregnancy termination procedures in every individual or group policy or contract which provides coverage or indemnity for hospital, surgical, or medical care and which offers maternity care coverage.
Access to Menstrual Products in Homeless Shelters (S6572 Hinchey/A529-A Rosenthal)
Signed into law on December 22, 2021
This bill will provide feminine hygiene products at no cost to adults and children in homeless shelters throughout New York State.
Reproductive Health Act (S240 Krueger, Stewart-Cousins/A21 Glick)
Signed into law on January 22, 2019
The Reproductive Health Act would update New York’s abortion and contraception laws to recognize a woman’s fundamental right to access safe, legal abortion; ensure a woman’s right to have an abortion if her health is endangered; and treat the regulation of abortion as an issue of public health and medical practice rather than as a potential crime. Passing the Reproductive Health Act would guarantee that women’s reproductive health remains protected in New York, regardless of what happens at the federal level. State legislatures across the country have enacted over 450 bills that would ban or restrict abortion, some of which are a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade. All it takes is one of these challenges to reach the Supreme Court and Roe could be overturned. View Frequently Asked Questions about the Reproductive Health Act (RHA)
Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act (S659A Salazar/A585A Cahill)
Signed into law on April 12, 2019
Requires every applicable group or blanket policy to provide coverage for all FDA-approved contraceptive drugs, devices, and other products, including all FDA-approved over-the-counter contraceptive drugs, devices, and products as prescribed or as otherwise authorized under state or federal law; requires applicable group or blanket policies to cover emergency contraception, voluntary sterilization procedures, patient education and counseling on contraception, and follow-up services related to the drugs, devices, products, and procedures covered; provides for the coverage of dispensation of a 12 month supply of a contraceptive at one time; prohibits applicable group or blanket policies from imposing a deductible, coinsurance, copayment, or any other cost-sharing requirement on coverage provided.
The “Boss Bill” (S660 Metzger/A584 Jaffee)
Signed into law on November 8, 2019
Prohibits employers from discriminating against employees or employees’ dependents based on their reproductive health decision making, including but not limited to, the decision to use or access a particular drug, device or medical service without the employee's prior informed, affirmative written consent; prohibits employers from taking retaliatory action and requiring employees to sign a waiver or other document that would deny their rights to make their own reproductive health decisions; provides penalties.