Statement on the Enactment of the Reproductive Health Act

The New York City Bar Association has long supported  the freedom of women to make private health care decisions and reproductive choices and we applaud the New York State Assembly, Senate and Governor Cuomo for enacting the Reproductive Health Act (RHA).  The RHA properly recognizes a woman’s right to the full range of reproductive health options afforded by Roe v. Wade and will state, for the first time in New York State statutory law, that “comprehensive reproductive health care, including contraception and abortion, is a fundamental component of a woman’s health, privacy and equality.” 

“By enacting the Reproductive Health Act, New York has once again stepped up as a leader committed to protecting and affirming women’s ability to effectuate their own reproductive health care decisions,” said City Bar President Roger Juan Maldonado. “Promoting comprehensive reproductive health policies has been a consistent plank of the City Bar’s legislative agenda because allowing women to make the decisions that are right for themselves and their families enables their equal participation in our political and educational institutions as well as the paid workforce. We commend the Legislature and Governor for prioritizing the health and well-being of women in New York.”

About the Association
The mission of the New York City Bar Association, which was founded in 1870 and has 24,000 members, is to equip and mobilize the legal profession to practice with excellence, promote reform of the law, and uphold the rule of law and access to justice in support of a fair society and the public interest in our community, our nation, and throughout the world. www.nycbar.org