New York Bill Would Help Fund Travel For Abortions

Topline

New York lawmakers are aiming to make it easier for people both in and out of state to obtain abortions, as state Attorney General Letitia James and lawmakers announced Monday legislation establishing a dedicated program that would help an expected influx of people seeking abortions in the state if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.

Pro-abortion rights protestors in Reno, Nevada on May 7.

SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Key Facts

The bill would establish a Reproductive Freedom and Inequity Program within New York’s Department of Health, which will fund abortion providers and nonprofits so that they can increase access to care.

That includes enabling abortion providers to improve their infrastructure, and also providing grants to nonprofits for direct support to people seeking abortions, including travel and lodging costs for those traveling to New York from out of state.

The fund would also ensure those without insurance or whose insurance doesn’t cover abortion could afford the procedure.

The legislation would take effect 60 days after it’s signed into law.

Big Number

9%. That’s the share of abortions in New York in 2019 that were performed for people who live out of state, James said Monday, citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The legislation predicts that New York will be the nearest place to obtain a legal abortion for between 190,000 and 280,000 more women of reproductive age if Roe is overturned, beyond the number who are already closest to New York now.

What To Watch For

Other measures in New York that could preserve access to abortion in Roe’s absence. The state has already enshrined the right to an abortion in law, but James, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) and other top Democrats have also said they’d support enacting a constitutional amendment as well that would be harder to overturn. Lawmakers are also considering other bills that would establish legal protections when it comes to helping abortion patients or providers out of state.

Crucial Quote

“We know what happens when women are unable to control their own bodies and make their own choices and we will not go back to those dark times,” James said in a statement Monday. “New York must lead the fight to keep abortion safe and accessible for all who seek it.”

Key Background

The Supreme Court appears poised to overturn Roe in the coming weeks, according to a draft opinion obtained by Politico that strikes down the landmark 1973 opinion and declares it “egregiously wrong.” The draft opinion is from February and Chief Justice John Roberts has said it should not be taken as the court’s final word, though the Washington Post reports a majority of justices still backed overturning Roe as of last week. Approximately half of states are expected to ban abortion if Roe is overturned—some nearly immediately via “trigger bans” that are already in place—which has led New York and other Democratic-led states to call for increased access to the procedure as a result. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said the state will work to enshrine abortion rights in its constitution, for instance, while Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) signed into law legislation that expands the number of providers who can perform an abortion and shields residents from legal liability if they help people in states where abortion is outlawed to have the procedure.