The New York State Legislature has passed the Public University Abortion Pill Mandate Bill.
Bill S.1213-B-Cleare/A.1395-C-Epstein, which was emphatically opposed by New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, will mandate that all State University of New York (SUNY) schools, City University of New York (CUNY) schools, and community colleges in New York provide abortifacients to students. Specifically, this legislation will require public colleges’ student health centers to make abortion pills available on campus; if any public college is not able to make abortion pills available on campus, that college will be required to provide information and referrals about where students may obtain such pills off-campus.
The State Assembly passed the bill on April 18, 2023 by a vote of 100-49. There was bipartisan opposition to the measure; all Assembly Republicans voted against it, and they were joined by two Democrats: Asms. Marianne Buttenschon (D-Marcy) and Simcha Eichenstein (D-Brooklyn). All other Assembly Democrats who were present voted in favor of the bill. In the State Senate, the legislation passed on April 19 by a 42-18 vote. Democratic Sen. Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn) voted against the bill; all Senate Republicans who were present voted against it except Sen. Robert Rolison (R-Poughkeepsie), who voted “yea.” Aside from Sen. Felder, all other Senate Democrats who were present voted for the bill. To facilitate the passage of the bill, State Senate leadership bypassed the chamber’s committee process. The bill was assigned to the Senate Higher Education Committee, but the Committee never acted upon the bill. Instead, the bill was removed from the Committee on April 17 and was passed by the full Senate two days later.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, an impassioned advocate of unfettered access to abortion, is expected to sign this destructive bill into law.