Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal today announced the passage of a bill that would allow taxpayers, through a check-off on state tax forms, to join the battle against women’s cancers by establishing The Women’s Cancers Education and Prevention Fund.

"With this bill, New Yorkers would be able to voluntarily help finance education and prevention programs about a range of cancers that affect our mothers and sisters, wives and daughters," said Silver. "Hopefully, the contributions gained from this check-off will educate women throughout New York and help them to live longer and healthier lives."

"The public campaign to educate women about breast cancer continues to be an enormous success. We need the same kind of attention focused on lesser known but equally as serious diseases such as ovarian, cervical, endometrial and uterine cancers," said Rosenthal. "The key to saving women’s lives from these cancers is education. Dollars obtained from this check-off will fund efforts to increase awareness of women’s cancers, encourage screenings, and alert women to life-saving treatments."

The Assembly legislation (A.5689-A) would permit tax filers to voluntarily contribute to The Women’s Cancers Education and Prevention Fund through a check-off on the state’s personal and corporate income tax forms. Under the bill, the Health Department would direct all proceeds received from the check-off to organizations committed to the prevention and education of women’s cancers.