State Senator Shelley Mayer, 2nd right, at bill signing with Governor Kathy Hochul
Legislation (S.1066B/A.1709B) Ensures New York Providers Can Prescribe Medication Abortion and Deliver Reproductive Health Care Through Telehealth Services to Patients in States Where Abortion Services are Outlawed or Restricted
Governor Kathy Hochul today signed legislation (S.1066B/A.1709B) into law to strengthen access to reproductive health care and protect patients and doctors who require abortion care through telehealth services. This legislation expands the current law to ensure doctors, medical providers, and facilitators in the state are able to provide telehealth services to patients outside of New York without fear of litigation in states where abortion services are outlawed or restricted.
“We are witnessing a shameful regression of women’s rights in this country as abortion access is restricted in states across the nation,” Governor Hochul said. “In New York, we remain committed to ensuring abortion remains safe, accessible, and legal. This legislation will help more women access medication abortion and reproductive care by ensuring our health care providers can deliver telehealth services to out-of-state patients without fear of legal or professional repercussions. With this bill, New York is continuing to fight back against restrictive abortion laws and help more people access the care they need.”
Legislation (S.1066B/A.1709B) will help ensure more women can access reproductive health care and abortion services by prohibiting state law enforcement from cooperating with cases prosecuting doctors in New York who use telehealth services to prescribe medication abortion or deliver any reproductive health care to people in states with restrictive abortion laws. It also ensures that providers who comply with their practice are not subject to professional discipline from medical malpractice insurance companies for delivering these reproductive telehealth services to out-of-state-patients. This legislation expands the current law that Governor Hochul signed in June 2022 to protect New York health care providers of abortions when an out-of-state patient is physically present in New York.
In New York, we remain committed to ensuring abortion remains safe, accessible, and legal,” said Gov. Hochul.
Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, “New York will not stand idly by while women’s rights are chipped away around us. Our state is a longstanding safe harbor for those seeking refuge and the Shield Act provides necessary protection to doctors who are providing critical reproductive health care to women across our country. I’d like to thank Senator Shelley Mayer for sponsoring this legislation in our chamber, and ensuring New York is doing all it can to fight against these horrific rollbacks on abortion rights. As we reach the one year mark of Roe being overturned, I’d also like to thank Governor Hochul for taking swift action to sign this bill into law ensuring these protections.”
This legislation was sponsored by Westchester State Senator Shelley Mayer. “Proud and grateful that my bill with Assemblymember Karines Reyes has been signed into law by Governor Hochul. This is another historic moment in New York State’s nation-leading role protecting the right to reproductive health services, including abortion. By signing this bill today, Governor Hochul again leads the nation on this issue. This law authorizes licensed New York health care providers, in accordance with New York law, to provide telehealth services and prescribe medication abortion to women living outside New York State. I extend my gratitude to the providers, advocates, legal experts and legislative colleagues, especially my partner Assemblymember Karines Reyes, Speaker Carl Heastie and my courageous Senate Majority Leader, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who worked to craft a national model for this effort. We are fighting back, not backing down, for the rights that were stolen from us in the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Thank you to everyone who made this historic day possible.”
