Senator Kevin Parker and Senate Dems Pass Historic Pro-Women Legislation

(Brooklyn, NY) Today, Senator Parker and the new Democratic Senate Majority passed a series of historic legislation that will protect and ensure a woman’s right to choose in New York State. Passed on the 46th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision and under the leadership of Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the Reproductive Health Act (RHA) will codify the federal ruling into New York State law while modernizing the state’s statutes to further protect women’s reproductive choices. The Senate also passed the Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act (CCCA) that will mandate insurance companies to cover FDA approved contraceptive drugs, devices and products. Additionally, the Boss Bill, sponsored by freshman State Senator Jen Metzger, prevents an employer's religious beliefs from infringing on a woman's health care decisions.

“I applaud my Democratic colleagues and Leader Stewart-Cousins for taking timely action to protect women at a time of great uncertainty in our nation. A woman’s right to control her body is a human and civil right, and once threatened, we embark upon a slippery slope to nowhere. That’s why I stand proudly today with my colleagues in the Senate Democratic Conference to not only protect Roe v. Wade, but to also ensure that women are not subject to restrictions or impediments when making choices about their reproductive health.”

The Senate and Assembly Majorities passed the following three (3) landmark bills early in the 2019-2020 legislative session to ensure that New York State leads in the fight to protect and expand women’s rights:

• Reproductive Health Act: This bill, S.240, introduced by Senator Krueger, will modernize New York’s nearly 50-year-old statutes regarding abortion and ensure that New York State law treats abortion as health care, not a criminal act. The Assembly has passed this version of the RHA in 2017 and 2018.
• Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act: This bill, S.659-A, introduced by Senator Julia Salazar, will require health insurance companies to include coverage of all FDA-approved contraceptive options, as well as contraceptive counseling, and services. The Assembly first passed this legislation in 2015.
• Boss Bill: This bill, S.660, introduced by Senator Jen Metzger, will ensure that employees or their dependents are able to make their own reproductive health care decisions without incurring adverse employment consequences. The Assembly has passed it each year since 2014.

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About Senator Kevin Parker:

Senator Kevin Parker represents Brooklyn’s ethnically diverse 21st Senate District comprised of sections of Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood, Ditmas Park, Kensington, Windsor Terrace, and Park Slope.  A lifelong Brooklyn resident, Senator Parker has the honor of serving his community as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Telecommunications, and on the Senate Standing Committees on Finance; Rules; Alcoholism & Substance Abuse; Insurance; and Banks.