On Friday, New York City Mayor Adams signed off on six new laws to bolster women’s access to abortions.
The newly signed laws, now collectively known as the NYC Abortion Rights Act, will require the city Health Department to provide abortion pills for free to patients seeking to terminate pregnancies; place restrictions on city cash going to the enforcement of abortion restrictions, and allow for civil lawsuits against entities interfering with reproductive health care.
“We’re not leaving our sisters behind,” Adams said.
“Safe, legal abortions are cornerstones of public health, and in New York City, they always will be.” We will always support those coming here to access these rights, “Adams added.
Earlier, the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade — which enshrined abortion as a right in America for nearly 50 years — sparked an immediate and massive backlash and has led to questions about how bans on the medical procedure will be enforced, especially in cases of rape and incest.
One of the laws Adams signed off on requires the Health Department to report the number of abortions and births each year — for New Yorkers and out-of-towners — to better assess clinicians’ ability to provide adequate reproductive care. That law also dictates that any challenges identified be answered with recommendations for improvement.
According to reports, the two other laws require the city to inform the public about the legal protections available for getting an abortion and to target similar outreach at so-called crisis pregnancy centers, which seek to talk women out of getting abortions.
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