State Legislature Passes Bill Strengthening Protections for Reproductive Health and Gender Affirming Care

NEW YORK – Today, the New York State Legislature passed a bill to strengthen legal protections for reproductive and gender-affirming health care providers, patients, and supporters (S.4914-B/A.5480-C). The legislation would ensure that New York will not be complicit in investigations, prosecutions, professional discipline, or other efforts from hostile states to punish individuals who provide, receive, or facilitate access to reproductive health care and gender-affirming care. In response, the New York Civil Liberties Union released the following statement attributable to Policy Counsel Jenna Lauter: 

“At a time when the Trump administration and hostile states are targeting abortion and gender-affirming care providers, our legislature took an important step to protect providers who continue to offer care despite the threats, as well as their patients, those seeking care, and those supporting them.  

“Our state has long recognized that access to health care is an essential human right, and just last November, New Yorkers doubled down on this value by enshrining protections for both reproductive autonomy and gender identity in our state constitution.  

“New York should not be complicit in the shameless effort to shut down access to critical care. We urge Governor Hochul to sign this critical legislation this month for Pride and reaffirm New York’s place as a champion of abortion access and gender affirming care.” 

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