New York strengthens abortion provider protections legislation

New York has passed a new law to better protect abortion providers from legal actions taken by other states. Governor Kathy Hochul signed the bill, known as S.4587/A.5285, which strengthens the state's existing shield law. The new law allows medical providers to use only the address of their health care practice on prescription labels. This means their personal names will not be displayed. Governor Hochul stated that New York stands against those who threaten women's healthcare and the safety of medical professionals. Pharmacies are also required to follow prescribers' requests to remove their names from prescriptions. Assemblymember Karines Reyes, who helped sponsor the bill, praised the new protections. She emphasized the importance of safeguarding the privacy of both patients and providers in reproductive and abortion care.