Governor Kathy Hochul announces funding for abortion providers

Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a $35 million investment to directly support abortion providers in anticipation of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.

Hochul directed the Department of Health to create a $25 million Abortion Provider Support Fund for abortion providers in order to both expand capacity and ensure access for patients seeking abortion care in New York.

The Department of Health will release an expedited application for both grant and reimbursement requests from providers, and will begin distributing funds to providers by the time a final Supreme Court decision would be released.

The Governor also directed the Division of Criminal Justice Services to administer $10 million in funding for safety and security capital grants for abortion providers and reproductive health centers to further secure their facilities and ensure the safety of patients and staff.

A request for proposals to allow organizations to apply is also expected to be issued by the time a final Supreme Court decision would be released. Application of this new funding will be modeled after Governor Hochul’s Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes program, which provides grants to strengthen safety and security measures at buildings owned or operated by non-profit organizations at risk of hate crimes or attacks because of their ideology, beliefs, or missions.

Governor Kathy Hochul speaking at LGBT Community Center 2022 Dinner

Governor Kathy Hochul has announced major advancements in equity initiatives for the LGBTQ+ community as part of the enacted 2023 State Budget.

The Budget includes $13.5 million for the Department of Health to support the LGBTQ+ community and more than doubles annual LGBTQ+ Health and Human Services funding. It also requires all state agencies that collect information about a person’s gender to provide an option for people to mark their gender as ‘X’ on state forms and include that information in data collection. The budget also enables transgender New Yorkers to change their names or gender designations on marriage certificates without leaving their dead names on them.

Hochul said, “The past two years have been hard for us all, but especially hard for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers who have always been forced to deal with levels of isolation due to homophobia and transphobia. That’s why it’s so important that our newly enacted budget presses forward in the fight for equality with historic levels of state funding and initiatives for LGBTQ+ equity.”

The 2023 Budget includes $13.5 million for the Department of Health – an increase of $8 million over the prior fiscal year – to support the LGBTQ+ community and network of providers, with direct health services, cultural competency education and training, organizational capacity building and transgender wellness initiatives.

The Budget also invests $12.5 million — an increase of $3.7 million over the prior fiscal year — to support the Division of Human Rights‘ efforts in protecting New Yorkers, including the LGBTQ+ community, from unlawful discrimination based on who they are. The Division of Human Rights uses investigation, prosecution, and education to enforce and promote the Human Rights Law, which prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, age, race, national origin, disability, and other specified classes.

The State Budget also directs $25 million for Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes (SCAHC) grants. Additionally, benefits will be expanded for victims of hate crimes, who will now be able to obtain up to $2,500 in reimbursement – an increase of $2,000 from past years.

The Division of Human Rights will create a Hate and Bias Prevention Unit, first announced in Governor Hochul’s State of the State Address, to provide a coordinated, rapid, and community-focused response to hate and bias incidents. The unit’s general charge will include leading efforts around public education and outreach, serving as an early warning detection system in local communities, and rapidly mobilizing to areas and communities in which a bias incident or incidents have occurred.