Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF, WE - Sag Harbor) announced that he sponsors legislation that passed the Assembly to protect women’s reproductive rights as the fight for full women’s equality continues. The measures affirm a woman’s right to choose in New York State, require insurers to continue covering contraception at no cost to the consumer and prohibit discrimination against employees based on reproductive health choices (A.1748, A.9957, A.566-A).

“Women, and their doctors, are the only ones in a position to decide what is best for themselves, their bodies and their families,” Assemblyman Thiele said.

A woman’s constitutional right to choose was affirmed 45 years ago when the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade. The Assembly legislation codifies the federal protections of Roe v. Wade into New York State law by affirming a woman’s right to choose. The bill, which the Assemblyman co-sponsored, would authorize duly licensed health care practitioners to terminate a pregnancy within 24 weeks, when there is an absence of fetal viability or when the woman’s life or health are endangered (A.1748). By passing this legislation yet again, the Assembly is preemptively fighting back against the alarming possibility of Roe being overturned. This legislation emphasizes that the goal of public health policy should be access to quality health care, not to place restrictions and undue burdens on patients and providers. Restricting safe abortions is not only unconstitutional it often forces women to resort to dangerous methods to end a pregnancy.1

Another measure passed by the Assembly and co-sponsored by Thiele, the Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act (CCCA), would codify the requirement under the Affordable Care Act that health insurers provide cost-free coverage of all FDA-approved contraceptives when they are prescribed by a health care provider (A.9957). This legislation clarifies that health insurers are prohibited from charging a deductible, coinsurance or co-pays for contraception and are barred from imposing any restrictions or delays with respect to such coverage. Assemblyman Thiele noted that birth control is not only used to prevent pregnancies but also to treat a wide range of health issues and medical conditions, making it all the more necessary that women have full and equal access to it. Further, access to affordable contraception has been shown to decrease the number of unplanned pregnancies, improve women’s health and financial security and lower rates of maternal and infant mortality.2

Additionally, legislation was passed prohibiting employers from discriminating against employees based on their reproductive health choices and other health care decisions. It also bars employers from accessing private medical information about their employees without the employee’s prior informed, written consent (A.566-A).

Currently, the New York State Constitution protects against discrimination based on race, color, creed or religion. To further protect women and help make full women’s equality a reality, the Assembly also passed an amendment that the assemblyman co-sponsored to the state constitution to guarantee equal protection to persons on the basis of sex (A.7990-A).

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1. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2709326

2. plannedparenthoodaction.org/issues/birth-control/facts-birth-control-coverage-women