NY lawmakers moving to pass bills to expand abortion rights protections 

ALBANY — New York lawmakers are putting the finishing touches on a package of bills to expand protections for people seeking and providing abortions — acting ahead of a possible overturning of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision.

The bills include measures to shield providers from prosecution, allow patients to shield their addresses and permit lawsuits for unlawful interference.

The State Senate passed six abortion-related bills on Tuesday; the Assembly had approved four by Wednesday and planned to act on the final two Thursday, the final scheduled day of the 2022 legislative session, after which most lawmakers head to their home districts to run for reelection.

A separate move to enshrine abortion rights in a state constitutional amendment bogged down because it was tied to a proposal involving other issues and won’t gain approval this week, officials said. But it might be taken up later this year.

Key lawmakers said the abortion legislation was sparked by a leaked draft opinion indicating the U.S. Supreme Court might soon overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established abortion rights. The court has affirmed the authenticity of the draft while stressing it was not a final decision — which could come as soon as this month.

Whereas the development has sparked some states to adopt laws severely restricting abortion rights, New York is moving in the other direction to “ensure that New York remains a beacon for women’s right to choose,” said Senate Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.

“The leaked Supreme Court opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade sent shock waves through the nation,” said Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers). “Taking away the right to safe and legal abortion care will harm women’s health and regulate women to second-class citizens with no right to bodily autonomy.”

One bill would forbid New York from extraditing someone to another state for an abortion-related prosecution or cooperating in a civil lawsuit except in limited circumstances. Sen. Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan) said it would protect doctors who might provide abortion services to someone from out-of-state.

Another bill would affirm the rights of a person to travel to New York to seek abortion services. In some cases, the state could pay for travel, lodging and other related expenses. If another state sought civil or criminal charges in such an instance, the person could sue under New York law for unlawful interference with her right to reproductive health care.

Other bills would block malpractice insurers from taking action against a health care provider for simply providing abortion services and permit abortion providers and patients to participate in an existing state program that lets  domestic-abuse survivors shield their addresses from abusers — an initiative New Jersey and California previously enacted.

With a better than two-thirds majority in each house, Democrats easily have approved all of the abortion bills so far along party lines.

But Republicans have objected to an initiative by Gov. Kathy Hochul to provide $35 million to expand services and security in anticipation of women traveling from other states to New York for abortion services.

Sen. Phil Boyle (R-Bay Shore) on Tuesday sought to attach an amendment to one of the bills to prohibit the use of taxpayers’ dollars to fund abortions for out-of-state residents. Boyle and other Republicans said Democrats were overreaching.

“You do a poll in your district, the vast majority will be probably going to be pro-choice,” Boyle said during debate on the Senate floor. “But then ask them: ‘Do you want to use your taxpayer money to pay for abortions for women who travel to New York state if Roe v. Wade is overturned to receive those abortions?’ I guarantee you, it’s a lot the other way.”

With Michael Gormley

By Yancey Roy

yancey.roy@newsday.com@yanceyroy