New York Ensures Public University Students Have Access to Medication Abortion

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation that will allow pharmacists to dispense contraception over the counter and ensure that all public colleges and universities in the SUNY and CUNY systems offer access to medication abortion.

The legislation authorizing pharmacists to dispense birth control over the counter will increase access to this routine medication, particularly in rural parts of the State where a pharmacy may be more accessible than a doctor’s office. The bill also includes appropriate safeguards to protect patient health.

“As anti-choice extremists and judges continue to roll back abortion rights across the country, we are fighting back here in New York,” Governor Hochul said. “I am proud to sign these landmark pieces of legislation that protect and expand access to abortion and reproductive health care. Under my watch, I will continue to ensure that New York remains a safe harbor for those in need of care.”

The legislation requiring that every SUNY and CUNY campus provide access to abortion medication to their student body will ensure that public university students have meaningful access to medication abortion prescription drugs in the places where they live, work, and spend their free time. Medication abortion prescription drugs are highly safe and effective and have been an important component of abortion care for decades. Additionally, removing abortion access barriers on campuses may reduce the load on external clinics throughout New York.

These new laws are part of Governor Hochul’s commitment to protecting reproductive health care in New York. In 2022, she committed $35 million in statewide funding to providers in order to strengthen New York’s reproductive health care system.

New York Attorney General Letitia James said, “It is your body, and here in New York, it will always be your choice. While extremists across the nation continue their unrelenting assault on our most basic human rights, I am proud that in our great state we are working hard every day to protect reproductive freedom, including expanding access to birth control and ensuring that medication abortion is available to students on every SUNY and CUNY campus. Thank you to Governor Hochul and the State Legislature for their leadership on this critical issue. Together, we will continue to fight to ensure all New Yorkers are able to make their own decisions about their own bodies.”