A 1372: Enacts the "public university emergency contraception education act" requiring the commissioner of public health to establish a statewide emergency contraceptive college education and awareness program to promote public awareness in colleges and universities and to disseminate informational materials related to emergency contraception.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1372 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY January 9, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. DINOWITZ, BURDICK, HEVESI, TAPIA, LEVENBERG, SIMON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to enacting the "public university emergency contraception education act" The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature finds 2 that access to emergency contraception is a basic measure that can 3 prevent college students from having an unwanted pregnancy. The federal 4 Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of emergency contra- 5 ception as safe and effective in the prevention of pregnancy. Emergency 6 contraception has been found to have no effect on an established preg- 7 nancy. Medical research strongly indicates that the sooner emergency 8 contraception is administered, the better the chance of preventing an 9 unwanted pregnancy. Therefore, the legislature deems it essential that 10 each college and university of the state university of New York and the 11 city university of New York provide information on emergency contracep- 12 tion to its students and makes it available to any student who seeks it 13 whenever practicable and in accordance with applicable law and profes- 14 sional standards of practice. 15 § 2. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as the 16 "public university emergency contraception education act". 17 § 3. Subdivision 1 of section 207 of the public health law is amended 18 by adding a new paragraph (t) to read as follows: 19 (t) A statewide emergency contraception college education and aware- 20 ness program. For the purpose of this paragraph, "emergency contracep- 21 tion" shall mean one or more prescription drugs, used separately or in 22 combination, in a dosage and manner for preventing pregnancy when used 23 after intercourse, found safe and effective for that use by the United 24 States Food and Drug Administration, and dispensed for that purpose in 25 accordance with applicable law and professional standards of practice. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD02070-01-5 
 A. 1372 2 1 The department shall develop, produce and distribute to every college 2 and university of the state university of New York and the city univer- 3 sity of New York informational materials and posters relating to the 4 safety and efficacy of emergency contraception, to be conspicuously 5 displayed at appropriate locations around each campus and distributed to 6 students in a manner to be determined by each college and university. 7 The materials and posters shall explain the nature of emergency contra- 8 ception, including that it is deemed safe and effective in preventing 9 pregnancy by the federal Food and Drug Administration, and cannot and 10 does not cause abortions. 11 In implementing the provisions of this paragraph the department shall 12 consult with representatives of reproductive health care providers, 13 students and appropriate university officials. 14 § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after 15 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend- 16 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen- 17 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and 18 completed on or before such date.