Relates to the dispensing of certain prescriptions

• Democratic15

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Shelley Mayer says this is needed

Since the Supreme Court's disastrous decision to revoke the constitu- tional right to an abortion in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organ- ization in June 2022, states around the country have moved to restrict access to abortion. As of November 2024, nineteen states ban abortion under twelve weeks. Thirteen of those states have functionally a full ban; another four ban abortion after 6 weeks, when few women even know they are pregnant.' Over half of women between the ages of 18-49 live in a state with some restrictions on abortion care.2 Medication abortion has become a lifeline for many individuals seeking abortions in hostile states. In 2023, New York passed a telehealth shield law (Chapter 138 of the laws of 2023) to provide broad protection to doctors based in New York serving patients in those states via tele- health. These protections include shielding New York health care practi- tioners against states that may try to impose civil or criminal sanc- tions upon them and protection from professional disciplinary action or adverse action from medical malpractice insurers. Thanks to New York's shield law, providers based in New York are able to send thousands of abortion pills to patients based in hostile states each month, helping women who may not otherwise be able to access abortion care. According to research by the Society for Family Planning, in the first six months of 2025, 2796- of abortions nationally were provided via telehealth. In states where abortion is banned, telehealth makes up nearly 100% of abortions. (A small number are provided under exceptions to some state laws). As of June 2025, the Society for Family Planning estimates that 55% of telehealth abortions are being provided from states with shield laws like New York's.3 In response to escalating threats to telehealth providers, in 2025 New York strengthened its telehealth shield law, including by allowing phar- macies and prescribers filling prescriptions to use the name of the prescribing doctor's practice rather than their name on the prescription label (Chapter 7 of the laws of 2025). Unfortunately, attacks on provid- ers serving women through telehealth have only increased since then. This legislation provides further protections for providers and patients taking advantage of telehealth care. It would allow prescribers to request that a pharmacy exclude their name and the name and address of the patient and pharmacy when filling a prescription for medication abortion. Similarly, doctors dispensing medication abortion would be allowed to exclude their and their patient's name and address from the prescription label. Pharmacies and doctors would be required to keep records of their prescriptions for five years which would be subject to the existing protections of New York's shield law. Similar protections were adopted by California in September of 2025 (Chapter 136 of California's laws of 2025).

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.