New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF-Sag Harbor) announced that he helped pass two key bills to protect and strengthen women’s reproductive rights. The measures prohibit discrimination against employees based on reproductive choices and other health care decisions and codify a woman’s right to an abortion in New York State (A.1142-A, A.6221).

“Women can never be truly equal until they have complete control over their bodies and their health care decisions without the government or their boss stomping on their constitutional rights,” Thiele said.

Under one piece of legislation that was passed, employers would be prohibited from interfering with their workers’ birth control choices (A.1142-A). Additionally, employers would be barred from accessing private medical information about their employees without the employee’s written consent.

The chain store Hobby Lobby recently challenged the federal requirement to cover birth control methods through health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act, and in the process, some loopholes came to light concerning employees’ right to privacy. The Assembly’s measure does not change any requirements or provisions regarding health insurance, but simply protects an employee’s freedom to make health decisions without fear of retaliation, Thiele noted.

A second bill passed by the Assembly codifies the federal protections of Roe v. Wade into New York State law (A.6221).

“The United States Supreme Court made it clear in 1973 that women have the constitutional right to choose whether or not to continue a pregnancy,” Assemblyman Thiele said. “While some have tried to enact onerous restrictions on abortion services in many states, we will not let that happen in New York. The Assembly’s legislation brings New York State law in line with the constitutional protection that ensures a woman’s right to choose remains just that – her choice.”