Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed sweeping protections for abortion providers into law Monday and doubled down on making the state an abortion “safe haven.”
The law allows providers to have their names removed from abortion pill prescription labels and instead print the name of their practice in order to protect them from red state laws that would penalize or criminalize doctors who perform abortions, including by telehealth abortion pill prescriptions. The law comes after a New York doctor was indicted by a Louisiana grand jury in January for prescribing abortion pills to a minor in the southern state, which led to serious complications for the patient, according to the Associated Press.
“Reproductive freedom will always be protected in the State of New York — and I’ll never back down from this fight,” Hochul said in a statement announcing the bill’s signing. “I’m taking action to strengthen protections for health care professionals and their patients, ensuring New York is a safe haven for anyone providing or receiving reproductive care. At a time when fundamental rights are under attack across the country, we are doubling down on our commitment to safeguard access to reproductive health care and defend those on the frontlines of this battle.”
With several states instituting expansive pro-life laws after the fall of Roe v. Wade, telehealth has become an increasingly common outlet for women attempting to sidestep abortion bans. The number of abortions nationwide has increased in recent years largely due to the accessibility of the abortion pill, which accounted for more than 60% of abortions in 2023, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
“This legislation safeguards health care practitioners in New York from states that may attempt to impose criminal penalties on them and offers protection from professional disciplinary actions or adverse decisions from medical malpractice insurers,” Hochul’s announcement read. “Thanks to New York’s shield law, providers in the State can provide medication used to treat abortion to patients in hostile states, assisting women who might otherwise struggle to access abortion care. Research from the Society for Family Planning indicates that one in five abortions conducted in December 2023 were via telehealth, with an estimated 48 percent of these procedures performed by doctors in states with shield laws like New York’s.”
One medical interest group representing thousands of members recently called for the Trump administration to put the abortion pill under the microscope due to concerns over the drug’s safety after several women suffered serious health complications and even death. The medical professionals allege necessary precautions were ignored in order to rush the approval process for the pill.
New York law allows abortions to be performed up until viability — week 24 of pregnancy — and allows for several exceptions beyond this cutoff. Hochul also mandated in 2023 that abortion pills be made available on all public university campuses in the state.
Hochul’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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