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).