1. Become a District Captain. Organize your neighbors to take action. Download the PDF for full description.

2. Sign up for action alerts. Stay on top of all the breaking news in New York State legislation by joining our Choice Action Network.

3. Write a letter to your elected officials. Tell them why you support the RHA and ask them to do the same.

4. Write a letter to the editor. Convince readers in your area of the need to pass the RHA. See our guide for tips.

5. Sign our petition. Sign the petition to urge your assemblymembers and senators to support the RHA and forward it to 10 of your friends. You can also download, print out, and send in the petition here.

6. Get your organization to sign on. Work at an organization that supports women's health and rights? Sign your organization onto the list of groups that support passing the RHA. For a complete list of supporting organizations, see below or here.

7. Become a super activist. Download the Activist Toolkit, and find more ways to advocate for women's health and rights.

1. New Yorkers overwhelmingly support a woman's right to decide when and whether to have a child. In fact, three-quarters of New York voters support the Reproductive Health Act - even after hearing arguments against the bill.*

2. New York's law is outdated and inadequate. After almost 40 years, times have changed but our state law still regulates abortion in the criminal code and lacks protections if a women's health is endangered.

3. New York is not secure in relying on the federal protections provided by Roe. State legislatures across the country have enacted over 450 bills that would ban or restrict abortion, some of which are a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade. All it takes is one of these challenges to reach the Supreme Court, and Roe could be overturned.

4. Seven states have already passed laws like the Reproductive Health Act. New York needs to reclaim our rightful place as a pro-choice leader by passing the bill.

 

5. The majority of voters would vote for a candidate who supports this bill.* It's time for the New York State Legislature to listen to constituent voices and support the Reproductive Health Act.

 

*NARAL Pro-Choice New York commissioned Global Strategy Group to conduct a survey of registered voters in New York State. The margin of error on the overall sample is +/-3.5%.

 

Ilene Jaroslaw

 

"When I became pregnant with my third child, everything looked good in early tests. About 17 weeks into my pregnancy, however, a sonogram showed that part of my baby's brain was missing and she or he would not survive. Because of previous health complications, an abortion was the only option to protect my health and my fertility. I think it's important to talk about this because while abortion should be a personal decision, politicians try to interfere. I can't imagine what my family and I would have gone through if abortion weren't safe and legal."

 

 
Marion Banzhaf

"When I got pregnant my freshman year of college, it was 1971. I knew I wasn’t ready to have a child, but I was in Florida where abortion was not yet legal, and it was also illegal to print any information about abortion. Since Roe was not yet the law of the land, one of the only places where you could get a legal abortion was New York. New York was at the forefront of protecting women’s rights when I needed help. Our state needs to once again take the lead when it comes to ensuring reproductive justice."

 

Morgan Cousins

 

"I was surprised when I found out I was pregnant. It was a humbling moment that challenged everything I thought I knew about who I am. After talking with close friends and family, I decided that who I am could also include being a mother. My decision to continue my pregnancy was not easy to make. I knew that any decision would change my life. The fact is, my decision is more meaningful because I had the choice. It is simply a human right to choose what your path in life should look like. I couldn't imagine living in a world where I had no choice at all." 

 

Maureen Paul, Doctor

"When I am caring for a woman, I need to be able to use my best medical judgment to treat her, not have my hands tied. As a doctor, I took a solemn oath to protect the health and safety of my patients. But the federal government has placed increasing restrictions on a woman's right to have an abortion - even if her health is in danger. New York State needs to act now to protect women, and doctors, by making sure a woman is able to have an abortion if her health is endangered at any point in pregnancy."   

 

 

Reverend Carlton Veazey, Clergy Member

"As a matter of faith, we support the right of all women to have the full range of information about and access to all their reproductive health options and the ability to make these very personal decisions based on their own ethical or religious beliefs, free from government interference. Women's health advocates, religious leaders, and people of faith need to stand together to protect a woman's right to services and allow her to follow her own conscience."

 

 

 

Janice Tenant, Voter

 

"Too many states are placing restrictions on reproductive rights; I'm proud that New York is going in the opposite direction and standing up for women's health. As a New Yorker, I support the Reproductive Health Act. I strongly believe that each woman has the right to make for herself the private and personal decisions about when and whether to have a child."