Governor Eliot Spitzer introduced the Reproductive Health and Privacy Protection Act in 2007, just days after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a dangerous ruling in Carhart v. Gonzalez. For the first time since Roe v. Wade was decided 35 years ago, the Court upheld an abortion restriction that eroded the protection of a woman's health.

In the face of increasing attacks on reproductive rights, New York’s abortion laws need to be strengthened to reflect current medical practice and to protect women’s health and safety.

The Reproductive Health and Privacy Protection Act is needed because:

- We must protect women in the face of aggressive federal attacks on their health and rights.

- If the federal government continues to chip away at reproductive rights, New York’s law will be insufficient to protect a woman’s health. 

- We need to strengthen state law to firmly establish the protection of a woman’s health.

- We must protect an individual’s right to make private reproductive health care decisions without government intrusion.

- We must ensure that any attempts to regulate abortion services at the state level do not compromise women’s health and safety.

- Laws related to the regulation of abortion services need to be located in the public health code.

- We have the chance to strengthen our laws and continue New York’s proud tradition of supporting women’s reproductive health and rights.