New York, NY – Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF-Manhattan) announced that her two bills that will protect New York State's reproductive healthcare providers have been signed into law by Governor Hochul. The bills, which were signed as part of a broad five-bill legislative package, will help to guarantee that New York remains a safe haven state for women across the country seeking abortion and other reproductive healthcare services. Rosenthal’s bills, A.9687-B and A.9718-B, will protect New York-licensed healthcare practitioners against professional misconduct charges as well as adverse medical malpractice actions for performing abortions on women coming here from other states.

“Across the country, a woman’s right to safe and legal abortion is under attack,” said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF-Manhattan), Chair of the Committee on Social Services. “States like Oklahoma, Texas and Idaho have all recently passed laws to block access to safe abortions and deprive women of the right to make their own healthcare decisions. Now, we’re waiting with bated breath for the Supreme Court to announce its decision that will most likely overturn 50 years of well-settled precedent and place countless women in danger as they will have to overcome significant obstacles to access reproductive healthcare. In anticipation of that ruling, the Legislature and Governor in New York State are pushing back and doing everything in our power to safeguard abortion access. Under my new laws, New York’s healthcare providers can continue to provide abortion and reproductive healthcare services to all women, including those traveling here from out of state, without fear of consequence.”

The bills signed into law today will guarantee that New York-licensed practitioners can provide critical reproductive healthcare services without fear of losing their license or having it suspended or face premium increases or coverage denials related to their medical malpractice insurance as a result of providing reproductive healthcare services within their scope of practice.

Assemblymember Rosenthal’s bills were sponsored by State Senators Kaplan and Hinchey.

In addition to these bills, the package also included A9818-A to ensure that the addresses of reproductive health care providers and anyone who is employed by or volunteers with reproductive health care facility, along with their immediate family members, is confidential; A.10094-A, which creates a private right of action against anyone who interferes with the exercise of another’s New York State constitutionally protected right, such as the right to obtain an abortion and related reproductive health care; and A10372-A, which would protect reproductive health care providers against extradition, arrest and other legal proceedings originating in other states relating to the provision of reproductive health care that is legal in New York State.