New York’s Democratic-majority state legislature announced Tuesday that it has enacted a bill to safeguard doctors who prescribe and transport abortion pills to patients in states where the practice is illegal.
The state’s governor, Democrat Kathy Hochul, who has previously expressed support for such safeguards, has yet to sign the bill into law.
In a statement, the speaker of the New York State Assembly, Carl Heastie said, “It is our moral obligation to help women across the country with their bodily autonomy by protecting New York doctors from litigation efforts by anti-choice extremists”.
The legislation comes a year after the United States Supreme Court eliminated the legal right to abortion. The change gave politicians the ability to legislate on the problem at the state level, ushering in a flood of bans or harsh restrictions in over 20 states.
Under the new law, doctors in New York who give abortion pills or telemedicine consultations to women seeking abortions would be immune from prosecution in states with abortion restrictions.
The New York legislation may help doctor Linda Prine, who is known for establishing an emergency hotline that women can contact from anywhere in the United States for medical counseling on reproductive health.
According to Prine, the ruling of the Supreme Court has resulted in a huge increase in the number of calls.
Since the Supreme Court decision, Washington, Massachusetts, Colorado, and Vermont have enacted legislation to shield their doctors in abortion-related disputes.
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