Dear Editor,
As the 2016 Legislative Session closes, Planned Parenthood Mid-Hudson Valley applauds advances to the everyday struggles women experience with the passing of the Paid Family Leave Act, the Tampon Tax Bill, that recognized menstruation shouldn’t come with a monthly tax, and significant expansions to Breast Cancer Detection funding. Sadly, only the Assembly passed legislation central to reproductive health, rights and justice with the passing of the Comprehensive Contraceptive Coverage Act.
The Comprehensive Contraceptive Coverage Act aimed to break down barriers to affordable and accessible birth control by: ensuring health insurance coverage for a broad range of contraceptive methods so that women could obtain the birth control that is right for them–without costly restrictions or copays; providing timely and affordable access to over-the-counter emergency contraception; and allowing for up to a year’s supply of birth control at one time. The passing of the Comprehensive Contraceptive Coverage Act is especially critical since New York ranks in the top three states in the nation for unintended pregnancy!
The Senate Majority also failed to advance The Boss Bill-which would have ensured protections for employees in our state from retaliation, based on their personal health care decisions and The Reproductive Services Act- which would have aligned New York State’s abortion law with federal law to ensure the health care we’ve had since the 1970’s remains in place.
The New York State Assembly continues to make great strides in advancing support for preventive reproductive health care. We applaud Senator John Bonacic for taking a leadership role to support the Comprehensive Contraceptive Coverage Act and will continue our efforts to advocate on behalf of our patients and all the women in the mid-Hudson Valley who seek safe, affordable and accessible reproductive health care services each and every day.
Ruth-Ellen Blodgett,
President & CEO Planned Parenthood Mid-Hudson Valley
![](https://hudsonvalleypress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/FDR-Web.jpg")
![](https://hudsonvalleypress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Walden_Savings_Bank1.gif")
![](https://hudsonvalleypress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/NYS-Rt17.png")
