Senator Montgomery Issues Call to Action to Protect Access to Healthcare for Women in New York State - Support the Reproductive Health Act (S2796/A1748) & the Comprehensive Contraceptive Coverage Act (S3668/A1378)

Dear advocates,

I am writing to ask for your full support in preserving women’s access to both primary and reproductive healthcare in New York State. This includes letting the leadership in the Senate and the Governor know that you support legislation such as the Reproductive Health Act (S2796/A1748) & Comprehensive Contraceptive Coverage Act (S3668/A1378), both of which easily passed the Assembly. Please consider writing a memo of support for these bills to the Majority Leader, Senator Flanagan; the Democratic Conference Leader Senator Stewart-Cousins; the IDC Leader Senator Klein and Governor Cuomo.

The Reproductive Health Act would update New York State law to codify Roe v. Wade and ensure that a woman’s reproductive health, including the right to a medically safe abortion is protected even if efforts are made to undermine it at the national level.

The Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act requires insurance companies to cover all FDA-approved contraception without a co-payment. CCCA would also allow women access to 12 months of continuous contraception coverage providing consistency in care and a greater sense of ease, especially for women in rural areas.

We are in a dangerous place where our access to primary healthcare, reproductive health services and the ability to govern our own bodies is under attack on the federal level. There is a concerted effort to undue decades of work on this issue. A repeal of the Affordable Health Care Act looks more likely with every passing day and there have already been several Executive Orders issued to undermine women’s access to healthcare. These kinds of decisions affect all women regardless of age, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or geography.

We have a month left in our legislative calendar to act on these bills. I urge you all to reach out to the Governor and the Senate leadership to say we will not accept this in our state! It is critical for New York to take immediate action to pass the Reproductive Health Act and Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act. Attached, please find my letters to the Governor and legislative leaders requesting their support for these two important bills.

For more information, please contact my staff, Shakti Robbins-Cubas at 718-643-6140 or cubas@nysenate.gov