2018 NYS Legislative Agenda: Promote comprehensive reproductive health policies
Promote comprehensive reproductive health policies
Reproductive Health. New York should enact legislation that will uphold the principles of individual liberty and privacy enunciated in Roe v. Wade, 410 US 113 (1973). Roe and its progeny recognize the importance of ensuring that women will be able to make reproductive decisions appropriate for their individual circumstances, in consultation with their doctors and without interference from the state. The City Bar will continue our support of legislation which recognizes a woman’s fundamental right to make decisions regarding her reproductive health, and makes a clear affirmative statement that all New Yorkers have the right to use, or refuse, contraceptives and that all New York women have the right to carry a pregnancy to term or to terminate a pregnancy.
Access to Contraception. The City Bar urges the Legislature to support legislation and policy initiatives to give oral contraceptives over-the-counter (“OTC”) status. Beyond the critical role that contraception plays in supporting women’s ability to participate equally in the social, political and economic life of our nation, there are sound scientific and medical bases for making oral contraceptives available without a prescription. The prescription requirement bars access to these medications for many women and puts those women at greater risk of unintended pregnancies and poor health outcomes.
