Statement from Senator Harckham on Passage of the Reproductive Health Act

(Mt. Kisco, NY) Senator Pete Harckham released the following statement today following passage in the NYS Senate of a package of women’s reproductive health and freedom bills including the Reproductive Health Act:

 “Today, we are taking the necessary steps to protect women’s reproductive freedom," said Senator Pete Harckham of the 40th Senate District. "Women have a right to safe and legal reproductive health choices, access to family planning services and protection from discrimination at work based on their family’s reproductive health decisions. These basic rights have been threatened in ways that we have not seen in generations and New York’s women deserve these protections."

Background

The Reproductive Health Act will update New York State law to bring it into line with the standard of Roe v Wade, protecting New York women’s rights if the federal government acts to restrict access to abortions.
 
The Comprehensive Contraceptive Coverage Act will require insurance plans to cover all FDA-approved forms of contraception, with exceptions for religious organizations.
 
The Boss Bill prohibits discrimination in the workplace based on an individual’s or a dependent’s reproductive health decision making.
 
The RHA’s passage comes after the measure had stalled for a decade in the Republican-led Senate. With the Democrats gaining control of the Senate after the November elections, they have begun to pass long sought after progressive legislation, including today’s package of reproductive rights legislation.

New York State Senate District 40 includes parts of Northern Westchester (Briarcliff Manor, Buchanan, Cortlandt, Croton-on-Hudson, Lewisboro, Mount Kisco, Mount Pleasant, New Castle, North Salem, Peekskill, Pleasantville, Pound Ridge, Sleepy Hollow, Somers, Yorktown) Putnam (Brewster, Carmel, Patterson, Southeast) and Dutchess (Beekman, Pawling).