Albany – Today, the New York State Assembly passed stand-alone abortion expansion legislation (A.6221 - Glick/S.4432 - Stewart-Cousins), a bill which would require the state to "not deny a woman's right to obtain abortion," and codifies the alignment of State law with existing federal law in Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973). Assembly Member Bichotte delivered the following remarks affirming her vote:

"Today, with the leadership of Speaker Carl Heastie and Assemblymember Deborah Glick, my colleagues and I stood proudly on the right side of history today as we voted to protect women's right to choose," said Assembly Member Bichotte. "Women deserve to make our own decisions about our own bodies and our own health and this bill affirms that right. It's time for the State Senate to take action for women's equality and pass this bill."

The Bill amends Section 1, Article 41 of the public health law to maintain that the state shall not deny a woman's right to obtain an abortion as established by the Supreme Court in the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973. The legislation ensures a woman's right to choose abortion within 24 weeks of conception or when necessary to protect a woman's life or health. Previous law failed to specifically guarantee a woman's right to abortion when her life was not at risk.

To view Assemblymember Bichotte's video statement please click here.