Governor Kathy Hochul on May 10th announced a nation-leading $35 million investment to directly support abortion providers in anticipation of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.
Governor Hochul directed the Department of Health to create a $25 million Abortion Provider Support Fund for abortion providers in order to both expand capacity and ensure access for patients seeking abortion care in New York. The Governor also announced $10 million for reproductive health care centers to access security grants through the Division of Criminal Justice Services to help ensure the safety of the providers performing this vital care.
“New York has always been at the forefront of the fight for abortion rights, and as the first female Governor of New York, I will not let us go backwards,” Governor Hochul said. “I will never stop fighting to make New York a safe harbor for all who need care and a blueprint for other states to follow. To truly guarantee that everyone who needs an abortion can get one in New York State, we must ensure that providers have the resources, capacity, and protections they need. This landmark funding will get resources into the hands of clinics who need our help — safeguarding access to abortion in our state and setting an example for the rest of the nation to follow.”
Governor Hochul directed the Department of Health to allocate $25 million to create the State’s first abortion provider fund and the nation’s largest such fund. The Department of Health will release an expedited application for both grant and reimbursement requests from providers and will begin distributing funds to providers by the time a final Supreme Court decision would be released.
Governor Hochul also directed the Division of Criminal Justice Services to administer $10 million in funding for safety and security capital grants for abortion providers and reproductive health centers to further secure their facilities and ensure the safety of patients and staff.
