The New York state Senate just approved new measures to improve reproductive care and maternal health outcomes to kick off Women's History Month.
The package of five bills includes protections during special enrollment periods by preventing fees from being imposed on pregnant individuals, establishing educational campaigns through the state Department of Health and creating a community doula directory for Medicaid recipients.
The legislation also addresses the stark disparities Black and brown communities face with access to health care.
The state Senate's push comes as a federal judge in Texas weighs whether to restrict access to one of the two drugs used to induce a medicated abortion -- in a ruling that could fundamentally limit safe abortion access to 40 million women nationwide.