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Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation on Monday allowing healthcare workers administering abortion treatment to use their practice’s name instead of their own in an effort to protect New York healthcare providers.

Hochul cited attacks on abortion and reproductive rights as the motivation for the legislation in a Monday release. The law intends to safeguard doctors who hold a New York-based license when prescribing abortion medications, particularly in states where access to abortions is restricted or banned.

In states like Indiana, abortions are only allowed if the life of the patient is in jeopardy. The penalty for providing an abortion outside of those strict exceptions is a fifth degree felony, jail time and loss of medical license, resulting in many healthcare professionals refusing to treat women in severe conditions in fear of losing their jobs or being arrested.

“We are doubling down on our commitment to safeguard access to reproductive health care and defend those on the frontlines of this battle,” Hochul said.

While Trump didn’t call for a national abortion ban during his 2024 presidential campaign nor in his first two weeks in office, the president issued an executive order on Jan. 25 preventing federal funds from being used for reproductive healthcare and has been unclear on his abortion stances throughout his years as a public figure.

In his first term as president starting in 2016, Trump appointed three United States Supreme Court justices who supported the overturning of Roe v. Wade, protecting the right to an abortion in 1973. The justices he appointed helped overturn the decision in 2022.

Nineteen states have enacted laws imposing restrictions on abortion access that weren’t allowed before the overturning of Roe v. Wade, according to the release. More than half of women aged 18 to 49 live in states with some form of abortion restrictions, while 13 states have implemented a complete ban, the release stated.

Gov. Hochul reiterated New York’s commitment to protecting healthcare professionals and patients, calling the state a safe haven for reproductive care for non-New Yorkers as well as state residents.

The newly passed law joins a list of Hochul efforts to protect reproductive care. In 2023, the governor enacted a telehealth shield law that provides legal protection for reproductive health service providers who provide legally protected health activities. Under the shield law, providers are protected from extradition, arrest, legal proceedings and criminal penalties in other states relating to such services.

In 2022, Hochul also created the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Grant Fund in an effort to increase abortion access in New York by providing funding to abortion providers and non-profit organizations that provide access to abortion care.

The legislation was codified in Hochul’s 2025 fiscal year budget, and the governor will distribute $25 million in funding for the program this year.

Published on February 4, 2025 at 1:15 am

Contact Henry: hdaley@syr.edu