New York will invest $35 million to support abortion providers in anticipation of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, Governor Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday.
The Democrat directed the Department of Health to create a $25 million Abortion Provider Support Fund to expand capacity and ensure access for patients seeking abortion services in New York. She also announced $10 million for reproductive health care facilities to access safety grants through the Division of Criminal Justice Services to help ensure the safety of providers who provide this care.
“New York has always been at the forefront of the fight for abortion rights, and as New York’s first female governor, I will not let us back down,” said Governor Hochul. “I will never stop fighting to make New York a safe port for all who need care and a model for other states to follow. To truly ensure that everyone who needs an abortion can get one in New York State, we must making sure providers have the resources, capacity, and protections they need This historic funding will put resources in the hands of clinics that need our help, safeguarding abortion access in our state and setting an example for the rest to follow of the nation.”
Abortion Provider Support Fund
Governor Hochul directed the Department of Health to allocate $25 million to create the State’s first abortion provider fund and the largest such fund in the country. The Department of Health will post an expedited application for provider grant applications and reimbursements, and will begin distributing funds to providers when a final Supreme Court decision is released.
Security Grants for Reproductive Health Centers
Governor Hochul also directed the Division of Criminal Justice Services to administer $10 million in safety capital and protection grant funds to abortion providers and reproductive health centers to further secure their facilities and ensure the safety of abortion providers. patients and staff. A request for proposals is expected to be issued to allow organizations to submit applications before a final Supreme Court decision is published. The application of this new funding will be modeled after Governor Hochul’s Securing Communities from Hate Crimes program, which provides grants to strengthen security measures in buildings owned or operated by nonprofits at risk. of hate attacks or crimes due to their ideology, beliefs or missions.
Earlier this year, the Health Department finalized regulations aligning New York law with clinical standards to remove barriers to providing services, including abortion via telemedicine, and last week sent guidance to providers about their legal right to provide abortion services. The governor also convened an Abortion Access Task Force, meeting regularly with patients, providers and advocates to guide state policy and respond to needs on the ground, and enshrined in law a requirement for health plans to cover services free abortion. participation in the State Budget.
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