Pro-abortion Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a slew of bills on Monday to protect access to abortion ahead of a possible overturn of Roe v. Wade.
The bills, which were supported by Hocul, were passed through the state legislative chambers where Democrats have the majority.
Politico outlined that the bills will strengthen protections for New York residents and women from out-of-state who are seeking an abortion. In addition, some of the bills will protect people seeking “gender-affirming” health care, which includes hormone therapy treatments and sex reassignment surgery. One bill would “study” pregnancy centers that do not provide abortions.
The new measures bolster protections for both residents and out-of-state women seeking abortions with an omnibus measure that would block New York courts from issuing subpoenas in connection with out-of-state abortion proceedings; prohibit extradition of abortion providers unless they are alleged to have fled from the demanding state and provide legal protections for New York abortion providers.
The other bills would protect the rights of individuals seeking abortion or gender-affirming care in New York; prohibit disciplinary measures against health practitioners for providing legal reproductive health services to patients who reside in states where abortion is illegal; bar medical malpractice insurance companies from taking any adverse action against a reproductive health care provider who performs legal reproductive health care; and increase confidentiality for abortion providers and patients.
Hochul also said she was signing a bill that would study the effects of limited service pregnancy centers.
States like New York, California, Colorado and Maryland are working to expand abortion access in the event of a Roe overturn. Last month, a leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court abortion case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was leaked and published by Politico. The draft opinion showed the justices poised to overturn Roe, which legalized abortion in all 50 states in 1973.
Kristen Curran, director of government relations for the New York State Catholic Conference told Politico that the bills promote “abortion tourism” and present abortion as the only option for women in a crisis pregnancy.
“This package of bills seeks to encourage abortion tourism, rather than helping women and children who may be in need,” “As a state that claims to value autonomy and choice, New York should stop presenting abortion as the best and only option for struggling women, and harassing any pro-life pregnancy center that may help women keep their babies. This abortion-or-nothing narrative only demeans women.”