New York Senate Majority Expands Protections for Reproductive Freedom, Women’s Health and Privacy

(BINGHAMTON, N.Y.) Today, Senator Webb and the Senate Democratic Majority advanced legislation to strengthen abortion rights and ensure access to reproductive healthcare for all New Yorkers. This action builds on the resounding message delivered by New York voters this past November, when they overwhelmingly passed Proposition 1, the Equal Rights Amendment. By enshrining abortion rights into the State Constitution, New Yorkers have taken a significant step to protect these fundamental rights for future generations. In response to ongoing uncertainty and potential federal threats to health rights and privacy under the Trump Administration, the Senate Democratic Majority is taking decisive action to safeguard these protections and uphold New York's leadership in reproductive freedom. 

This package features legislation that focuses on further safeguarding reproductive rights and New Yorkers’ reproductive health rights and privacy by requiring companies that collect and sell healthcare information to receive affirmative consent by users to sell such information to third parties; allowing an alternative labeling option for prescribers of medication abortion prescription drugs; and prohibiting the use of “restricted substances” in menstrual products. 

In addition, this package includes legislation to establish educational and awareness programs related to women’s health including The New York State Abortion Clinical Training Program Act, The Public University Emergency Contraception Education Act and a Hormone Treatment Therapy for Menopause campaign through the NYS Department of Health (DOH) Healthcare and Wellness Education and Outreach Program. Lastly, the package includes Senator Webb’s legislation to expand access to abortion care by allowing pharmacists to administer contraceptive injections and requiring state contracts to include a clause that contractors' health insurance plans include supplemental breast cancer screenings. 

 Said Senator Lea Webb, Chair of the Senate Womens’ Issues Committee, “I am extremely proud of the work we are doing in New York to protect women’s reproductive rights and ensure equitable access to women’s health care. Women deserve the highest quality care for their health at every stage of their lives, including access to period products, timely prenatal care, safe birthing experiences, comprehensive postpartum care, and access to healthcare professionals educated in the appropriate care for all stages of menopause. We know that these issues disproportionately impact people of color and rural communities, which often experience negative health outcomes. I thank the Senate Majority Leader for bringing forward this important package of legislation. This is another significant investment in New York’s fight for reproductive rights and an important step towards more equitable health care for women across our state.”  

The legislation passed by the Senate Democratic Majority includes:

● Amends The Reproductive Freedom and Equity Grant Program: This bill, S.135, sponsored by Senator Cordell Cleare, amends the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Grant program to provide practical support including reimbursement for travel, meals, and lodging to individuals accessing abortion care. 

● Prohibits ‘restricted substances’ in menstrual products: This bill, S.1548, sponsored by Senator Nathalia Fernandez, prohibits “restricted substances,” to be determined by the Department of Health (DOH), from being used in menstrual products.  

● The New York State Abortion Clinical Training Program Act: This bill, S.1438 , sponsored by Senator Krueger, would establish a clinical training program through the Department of Health (DOH) for the purpose of training healthcare practitioners in the performance of abortion procedures and related reproductive healthcare services. 

● Protection of Health Information: This bill, S.929, sponsored by Senator Krueger, would regulate how companies collect and sell healthcare information, establish data privacy standards for entities that collect personal data related to individuals’ health and provide additional rights and protections to users related to consent and deletion of private health information. 

● Permitting alternative labeling for medication abortion prescription drugs: This bill, S.36A, sponsored by Senator Shelley Mayer, would permit prescription labels for medication abortion prescription drugs (mifepristone, misoprostol and their generic alternatives) to include the name of the prescribing health care practice instead of the name of the prescriber at the prescriber's request. 

● The Public University Emergency Contraception Education Act: This bill, S.1683, sponsored by Senator Kevin Parker, would require public universities to develop, produce and distribute materials related to emergency contraception. 

● Raising Awareness to Hormone Therapy Treatments for Menopause: This bill, S.1720, sponsored by Senator Roxanne J. Persaud, would inform the public about hormone treatment therapy for treating the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause symptoms through the DOH’s Health Care and Wellness Education and Outreach Program. 

● Authorizing pharmacists to administer contraceptive use injections: This bill, S.1703, sponsored by Senator Lea Webb, permits pharmacists to administer injections for contraceptive use as prescribed by a licensed provider acting within the scope of their practice. 

● Supplemental breast cancer screening coverage contractual clause: This bill, S.1773, sponsored by Senator Lea Webb, requires state contracts for goods and services to include a clause that contractors may not offer health insurance plans that do not include coverage for supplemental breast cancer screenings.

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