Message
With Roe v. Wade overturned, you have a duty to protect abortion access.
I am writing to ask you to support four bills that will keep women and others seeking care safe, while expanding access to reproductive care.
First, even in New York, many people can’t get an abortion because they can’t afford to pay for it. The Reproductive Freedom and Equity Fund (S.348-C Cleare/A.361-B JGR) would create a state program to invest in providers and abortion funds to make sure every New Yorker can get the reproductive health care they need.
Second, it is impossible to have an abortion without leaving a digital trail, like search histories, email exchanges, and more. The New York Health Information Privacy Act (S.158-D Krueger/A.4983-B Rosenthal) will give New Yorkers control over their electronic health data and help prevent it from getting into the wrong hands.
Third, medical providers typically have access to our entire medical history. This can put patients in danger if they have an abortion in New York and then travel or move to another state where abortion is illegal. The Electronic Health Records Privacy bill (S.7879 Fernandez) would allow patients to benefit from having an electronic health record, while preventing them from having their abortion information shared against their will.
Fourth, patients in regions throughout the state lack access to reproductive health care, but they might not know it. S.1003-A Hinchey/A.733-A Rozic, which just passed both chambers, will provide New Yorkers with the tools to determine whether their local hospital provides the care they need, and it will help identify communities where particular services are completely unavailable. This legislation lays the groundwork to expand access to care in health care deserts around the state. I am counting on Gov. Hochul to sign it.
I am grateful that Hospital Transparency passed both chambers and that the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Fund and the New York Health Information Privacy Act have already passed the Senate. Please do everything you can to make sure all of these bills become law.
You must seize the opportunity for New York to strengthen and expand reproductive rights, access, and protections.
