NY governor signs bill expanding access to contraceptives

By MAYSOON KHAN
Associated Press/Report for America

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New Yorkers next year won’t have to go through their doctors to get prescription contraceptives under a bill that Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed into law. The bill signed Tuesday is part of her administration’s broader efforts to expand reproductive rights in the state. Under the law, which will take effect in November 2024, trained pharmacists will be able to distribute self-administered hormonal contraceptives including oral birth control pills, vaginal rings, and the patch to New Yorkers, even if patients don’t have a prescription from their doctor. Hochul said the legislation is “part of a long journey to find more ways to protect the rights of women in the state of New York.”