Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced Monday new actions to protect reproductive rights as the federal government is poised to nominate an extreme conservative Supreme Court Justice who could roll back advancements in reproductive health care. Through regulations by the Department of Financial Services and Department of Health, New York State will ensure an insurer must cover over the counter emergency contraception in addition to all other contraceptive drugs, devices or other products for women approved by the Federal Food and Drug Administration and, as well as the dispensing of 12 months of contraceptive at one time, all without co-insurance, co-pays or deductibles.
The Governor Monday also called on the Senate to reconvene and vote on codifying the protections of Roe. v. Wade into State law. The Assembly has passed legislation to codify the protections of Roe v. Wade for the last six years, including during the 2018 Legislative Session. Today's actions builds on Governor Cuomo's 2018 Women's Agenda: Equal Rights, Equal Opportunity.
"In the face of this federal assault, New York is going to protect itself because this state has always been the progressive capital of the nation," Governor Cuomo said. "This is the time to fight back. This is the time to resist. This is the time to make your voice heard. This is the time where every New Yorker has to say, you're not taking women's right to reproductive rights away. We're going to protect ourselves because this is the state that has always stood up for what's right."