BILL NUMBER: S348C
SPONSOR: CLEARE
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to enacting the
reproductive freedom and equity grant program
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Establish a grant program to provide funding to New York abortion
providers and non-profit organizations to increase access to abortion
care.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Establishes the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Grant Program within the
DOH; establishes definitions, scope and purpose.
Establishes the criteria under which the DOH Commissioner shall distrib-
ute funds from the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Grant Program. The
three main criteria are Increased access, funding uncompensated care and
addressing the practical support needs of individuals seeking care.
Sets certain consultation and confidentiality standards; contains sever-
ability cluse; effective date-immediate.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
With the Supreme Court overturning the right to abortion care, New York
must respond to the dramatically shifting .national landscape of
abortion access. The Reproductive Freedom Equity Fund would create a
mechanism to drive grant funds to improve abortion access in New York.
Under this program, the NYS Department of Health would issue grant fund-
ing for which abortion providers and non- profit organizations that
facilitate access to care are eligible to apply. Specifically, this
funding would support provider capacity building, fund uncompensated
care for those who lack coverage or for those whose coverage is not
usable and support the practical support needs for individuals facing
barriers to abortion care. The legislation will establish this program,
which will be funded through the budget process.
Since the SCOTUS decision, states have been restricting access to
abortion, banning abortion in some parts of the country. Between navi-
gating legal requirements and delays, affording the cost of care and
travel, and managing associated costs such as childcare, lodging, and
lost wages, abortion access in the U.S. is already in a perilous posi-
tion. Bans on abortion are clear displays of discrimination and system-
ic racism, with the impacts of these actions harming Black, Indigenous,
and other people of color, people with disabilities, people in rural
areas, young people, undocumented people, and people having difficulty
making ends meet.
It is imperative that this bill pass this session. As a result of the
court decision, for 190,000 - 280,000 women living out-of-state, New
York is their nearest location to an abortion provider. Abortion is
essential health care, a service that one in four women of reproductive
age will obtain in their lifetime. In 2019, New York affirmed the right
of an individual to access abortion care here in New York. However, we
know, a right is meaningless if one cannot exercise it. This legislation
is a necessary extension of the legislatures work to protect the right
to abortion here in New York.
As New Yorkers, we cannot remain silent as our country violates the
human rights of pregnant people. Other states are meeting this moment
and taking action by advancing policies and funding that will increase
access to care. Passing this bill is a necessary action to support indi-
viduals seeking abortion care as well as health care providers who do
not have the necessary resources to meet the current or future need for
care. New York must be a leader in the fight for abortion justice. By
supporting access to abortion, New York will be doing its part to ensure
Abortion is affordable and available for everyone who needs it..
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill in 2022; Passed Senate in 2023.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediate.