Funding Will Allow 20 Healthcare Networks and Nonprofit Organizations to Improve Security for Patients and Staff at 51 Locations Statewide
Each Facility Will Receive Up to $50,000 to Help Ensure Safe Access to Services
New York State Established the Grant Program Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced more than $1.68 million in grants through New York State’s Securing Reproductive Health Centers Program, which will allow 20 healthcare networks and nonprofit organizations to improve security for patients and staff at 51 locations they operate statewide. Each facility will receive up to $50,000 to help ensure safe access to reproductive health and abortion services. New York State established the grant program following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
“Women deserve to be able to make their own choices about their bodies, informed with reliable health care guidance,” Governor Hochul said. “These grants will help protect abortion access and ensure providers may continue to deliver critical services to those in need. As extremists in the courts and in other states continue their attack on our rights, New York will always fight to support providers and all patients who need care.”
“We refuse to roll back the clock on reproductive freedoms in New York,” said Lieutenant Governor Delgado. “With these grants, we can ensure healthcare networks and nonprofit organizations can continue to provide safe and accessible abortion services. This state will remain a safe haven for anyone seeking the full range of reproductive healthcare options they need and deserve.”
The Securing Reproductive Health Centers Program is one component of Governor Hochul’s comprehensive plan to further preserve, protect and strengthen reproductive rights and abortion access following the Dobbs decision, which overturned the protections that were established by Roe v. Wade and had existed for 50 years. Public, nonprofit and private providers were eligible to seek funding administered by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) to train security personnel and staff, and for projects including, but not limited to, perimeter lighting; alarm, public address; and lock-down systems; cameras, door hardening, locking and other access control improvements; and shatter-resistant windows and glass. The 20 grantees will receive a total of $1,686,786.66 for security enhancements and improvements at 51 facilities.
Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado said, “The Division of Criminal Justice Services is committed to a safe and just New York. With Governor Hochul's support, we are proud to help secure reproductive health centers and protect practitioners, staff, and people seeking care. We are grateful for these essential providers who are all too often on the front line of a national fight that should be long behind us. Thank you, Governor Hochul, for your unwavering leadership on public safety and women's rights."
New York State also has a comprehensive website that provide a single destination for information about abortion rights, providers, supports, and payment options, and a nation-leading $25 million dollar Abortion Provider Support Fund, administered by the state Department of Health (DOH), to expand capacity and ensure access for patients seeking abortion care in New York.
Department of Health Acting Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “We are doing everything we can to make sure abortion remains safe, legal, and accessible in New York State, despite what has happened in the federal courts. This investment by the Governor will help keep providers safe and secure as they work to meet the healthcare needs of individuals seeking to make their own decisions about their reproductive health and their future.”
State Senator Liz Krueger said, “The rights of Americans to make the most personal decisions about their own reproductive healthcare are under attack like never before, and that means those of us who stand for Americans’ freedom and bodily autonomy need to take action on multiple fronts to keep those rights secure. I thank Governor Hochul for getting this funding out the door to help protect providers, patients, and families in New York from the increasing violence of anti-abortion extremists.”
The Division of Criminal Justice Services provides critical support to all facets of the state's criminal justice system, including, but not limited to: training law enforcement and other criminal justice professionals; overseeing a law enforcement accreditation program; ensuring Breathalyzer and speed enforcement equipment used by local law enforcement operate correctly; managing criminal justice grant funding; analyzing statewide crime and program data; providing research support; overseeing county probation departments and alternatives to incarceration programs; and coordinating youth justice policy. Follow DCJS on Facebook and Twitter.