Senator Montgomery Marches to Preserve Women's Access to Healthcare
January 23, 2017
Senator Montgomery joined thousands of her constituents at the Women’s March in New York City to stand up for progressive values and let it be known that she will work to preserve women’s access to both primary and reproductive healthcare. The Senator was so excited to see such diversity in the crowd with multiple generations, races, gender identities, sexual orientations and religions proudly expressing their support for these issues.
Access to healthcare plays a vital role in ensuring women have agency over their own bodies, especially young, working and poor women. Senator Montgomery has an unwavering dedication to organizations that provide these services at little to no cost such as Planned Parenthood. Healthcare centers that provide services regardless of an individual’s ability to pay have provided a safety net for communities in Brooklyn and throughout the state for decades. The Senator understands that for so many women, these clinics are their only options to receive services ranging from annual physicals and vaccines to contraception and family planning.
As an advocate for women’s health, Senator Montgomery is proud to be a Senate cosponsor of two bills that would preserve women’s access to reproductive health: the Reproductive Health Act (RHA) (S2796/ A1748) and the Comprehensive Contraception Coverage act which will be reintroduced in the Senate this session.
Introduced by Senator Liz Krueger, the RHA would update New York State law which currently treats abortion as a criminal offense equivalent to homicide or manslaughter but is overridden by Roe v Wade. The RHA would protect New Yorkers' rights if any Federal action is taken to restrict abortion access. To read more about the RHA, please visit: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2017/s2796/amendment/original
Introduced at the request of Attorney General Schneiderman, the Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act would require insurers in New York to provide copay-free coverage for all FDA-approved contraceptives including male contraceptives and emergency contraception would be covered over the counter.