Governor Kathy Hochul and aligned advocacy organizations are supporting continued and expanded funding across several abortion-related programs in New York’s pending FY 2027 budget (April 1, 2026 - March 31, 2027). The abortion funding being sought collectively totals roughly $100 million, including approximately: $35 million to backfill lost federal Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood affiliates and related providers,  $30 million annually for the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Program,  $20 million to sustain medication abortion and later-stage care funding, and $15 million in continued capital and infrastructure support for providers under the Reproductive Health Care Improvement Program.  As reflected in the publicly released Executive Budget, these are still proposals - they are not yet listed as specific line items in the appropriation bills. They cannot be spent unless the Legislature votes to approve them in the final enacted budget, whether as direct appropriations or within broader health funding.  That means there is still time for lawmakers to stop them. On behalf of pregnant mothers and their unborn children, FCLNY urges every NY legislator to exercise careful fiscal oversight, scrutinize any attempt to incorporate these proposals into the final budget agreement, and VOTE NO to the FY 2027 NY Budget if it contains any funding for abortion-related services. FCLNY urges the Governor to reverse her position of support for $100 million in abortion related spending in NY's FY 2027 budget . New York recorded 70,562 abortions in 2023, the most recent year the NY Department of Health reports abortion data. This represents an abortion rate nearly 30% higher than the U.S. national average (18 vs.14 abortions per 1,000 women). Notably, 2023 also marked the highest percentage of pregnancies ending in abortion in the past five years, with 25% of pregnancies resolved by abortion. The longer-term data show that abortions in NY have declined substantially over the past decade, from 2014 through 2023, for which there exists published NY abortion statistics. Since 2014, the abortion rate per 1,000 women has dropped by nearly 22%. These figures demonstrate that New York is not facing an abortion “access crisis” that supports any expanded public funding. In fact the recent rise in the percentage of pregnancies ending in abortion, demonstrates the contrary. Let’s not reverse the decade-long progress made in NY for pregnant mothers and their unborn children.  Abortion harms women and girls. Studies show abortion increases  risks of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicide.  Pregnant mothers deserve better than a system that funds and presents the violence of abortion as a solution. Women have agency, strength, and the capacity to choose life. New York’s priority should be expanding resources for parents and birth mothers, not directing public funding toward ending unborn lives and harming women. If you're a registered voter in NY contact Governor Hochul to voice your opposition to any and all abortion related budgetary spending. NY needs resources allocated for life affirming solutions for pregnant mothers, rather than state-sponsored abortion. Contact Governor Hochul with Opposition Here: https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form NY registered voters please contact your NY legislators in the NY Senate and Assembly and ask them to VOTE NO to any and all abortion related budgetary spending. Contact your Senator Here: https://www.nysenate.gov/senators-committees Contact your Assemblymember Here: https://nyassembly.gov/mem/

2026 NYS Legislative Session Policy Recommendations Human Dignity | Public Safety | Family Stability | Responsible Policy Dear Member of the New York State Legislature: Feminists Choosing Life of New York, Inc. (FCLNY) is a statewide human rights organization committed to advancing whole-life feminist public policies that uphold the equal dignity of every human person and promote life-affirming, nonviolent responses to the challenges faced by individuals, families, and communities across New York. Our work focuses especially on those who are most vulnerable, including children in utero, individuals affected by poverty, illness, disability, or aging, persons impacted by violence or armed conflict, and others whose voices are often underrepresented in public policy discussions. In furtherance of this mission, and in service both to your constituents and to marginalized communities statewide, we respectfully submit the enclosed fifteen-measure 2026 legislative packet. This packet includes budget proposals as well as pending legislation that we believe carry significant implications for human dignity, public health, family stability, and responsible policy in New York State. The following pages identify seven (7) measures we respectfully urge you to oppose and eight (8) measures we respectfully urge you to support, enact, or, where appropriate, introduce, sponsor, or co-sponsor as companion legislation in your chamber. Our intent is to provide clear, research-grounded analysis that supports careful legislative consideration and thoughtful policy leadership. We are grateful for your service to the people of New York and for your careful review of these proposals. Respectfully submitted, Feminists Choosing Life of New York, Inc. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY VOTE NO NYS FY 2027 Executive Budget - Abortion Funding (Budget Requests) Free Abortion Access: Reimbursements - S135 / A2137 Abortion Pill Deregulation - S2533 / A1172A Abortion Pill Provider Anonymity - S8656A / A10083 State-Funded Abortion Outreach - S9036 State-Funded Abortion Provider Expansion - S1438A Capital Punishment Expansion -  A5165 / A5522 VOTE YES Born Alive Abortion Survivor Protection Act -  S577 Parental Notice: Minors and Abortion -  S1970 / A9090 Women’s Right to Know: Pre-Abortion Ultrasounds - A3694 Adoption Support Timeline Expansion - S5737 / A2425 Adoption Tax Credit - S4481 Preserving Family Bonds -  S5240A / A4940B The Non-Militarization Act - S8586 The Hospice and Palliative Care Access and Quality Act -  A4717 VOTE NO Measures Raising Concerns for Human Dignity, Safety or Accountability   NYS FY 2027 Executive Budget – Abortion Funding (Budget Requests) Governor Kathy Hochul and aligned advocacy organizations are supporting continued and expanded funding across several abortion-related programs in New York’s pending FY 2027 budget (April 1, 2026 - March 31, 2027). The abortion funding being sought collectively totals roughly $100 million, including approximately: $35 million to backfill lost federal Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood affiliates and related providers,  $30 million annually for the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Program,  $20 million to sustain medication abortion and later-stage care funding, and $15 million in continued capital and infrastructure support for providers under the Reproductive Health Care Improvement Program.  As reflected in the publicly released Executive Budget, these remain proposed appropriations and are not final law. Funding cannot be spent unless approved by the Legislature and included in the enacted budget, either as direct line items or within broader health and Medicaid appropriations. New York is not facing an abortion “access crisis” that supports any expanded public funding. In fact the recent rise in the percentage of pregnancies ending in abortion, demonstrates the contrary. Pregnant mothers deserve better than a system that funds and presents the violence of abortion as a solution. Women have agency, strength, and the capacity to choose life. New York’s priority should be expanding resources for parents and birth mothers, not directing public funding toward ending unborn lives and creating health risks for women and girls.  A vote against any budget containing abortion-related spending affirms New York’s commitment to women’s health, human life and human dignity. NOTE:  Since abortion first became legal nationwide in 1973, cumulative national estimates indicate that approximately 63-65 million abortions have occurred in the U.S., based on long-running abortion incidence tracking by leading research organizations. Roughly 8-10 million abortions have occurred in New York State since abortion became legal in the state, in 1970. New York recorded 70,562 abortions in 2023, the most recent year the NY Department of Health published abortion data. This represents an abortion rate nearly 30% higher than the U.S. national average (18 vs.14 abortions per 1,000 women). Notably, 2023 also marked the highest percentage of pregnancies ending in abortion in the past five years, with 25% of pregnancies ending by abortion. Evidence indicates that abortion is linked to elevated risks   of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicide for women and girls. Research shows that both surgical and medication (chemical) abortion carry documented medical risks for pregnant mothers that warrant careful medical oversight. FDA prescribing  information for mifepristone, used in medication abortion, identifies potential complications including heavy bleeding, infection, sepsis, incomplete abortion, and the possible need for emergency surgical intervention. Evidence reviews , including the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, also note that surgical abortion can involve risks such as hemorrhage, infection, uterine injury, retained tissue, and complications requiring hospitalization, with the likelihood of serious complications increasing with gestational age. Free Abortion Access: Reimbursements, S135 / A2137 NYS Senate - Passed Senate; delivered to the Assembly (Jan. 2026). NYS Assembly - Referred to the Assembly Committee on Health (Jan. 2026). The pending law would allow government funds to be used to cover travel-related expenses for women and girls seeking abortions, including transportation, lodging, meals, child care, and translation services. New York mandates insurance and Medicaid coverage for abortion, effectively subsidizing it, while providing far less financial support for women who want to carry their pregnancies to term. This bill raises significant policy concerns by effectively incentivizing abortion over other life-affirming options for pregnant women. A vote against these bills affirm that public resources should not financially incentivize abortion. Abortion Pill Deregulation, S2533 / A1172A NYS Senate - Referred to the Senate Committee on Higher Education (Jan. 2026). NYS Assembly - Referred to the Assembly Committee on Higher Education (Jan. 2026). These bills would significantly expand access to abortion pills in New York by allowing non-patient-specific standing orders that permit pharmacists and nurses to dispense abortion medication without a patient-specific prescriber evaluation. While New York already allows physicians to prescribe abortion pills through telehealth, S.2533/A11172A go further by replacing physician-specific prescribing with standing-order dispensing based on patient self-reporting. These bills also mandate insurance coverage of abortion drugs without cost-sharing.  S2533/A1172A strip away key medical safeguards, by reducing direct oversight and individualized clinical review, normalizing abortion as routine pharmacy care and expanding abortion access at the expense of protections for women, girls and their unborn children. A vote against S2533/A11172A affirms that expanding access to abortion should never come at the cost of individualized medical oversight and the fundamental responsibility to protect women’s health and human life. Abortion Pill Provider Anonymity,  S8656A / A10083 NYS Senate - Passed Senate, delivered to Assembly (Jan. 2026). NYS Assembly - Referred to the Assembly Committee on Higher Education (Jan. 2026). S8656A/A10083 would allow abortion-pill prescriptions in New York to be dispensed without identifying information, including the name and address of the prescribing provider appearing on prescription labels, further expanding New York’s abortion shield protections. While protecting patient privacy is important and already supported under existing law, this bill goes further by removing prescriber identification, reducing transparency and accountability in the dispensing of abortion drugs. Eliminating provider identification weakens basic medical safeguards, makes oversight and follow-up care more difficult, and prioritizes anonymous abortion access over clear medical accountability and protections for pregnant mothers and their children in utero.  A vote against S8656A/A10083 affirms that patient privacy should not undermine or compromise medical transparency, accountability, and the safeguards necessary to protect women’s health and human life. State-Funded Abortion Outreach,  S9036 NYS Senate - Referred to the Senate Committee on Health (Jan. 2026). NYS Assembly - No Assembly companion bill introduced. S.9036 would require the New York State Department of Health to develop and fund a statewide education and outreach program that actively promotes “reproductive health services,” including abortion, using government resources to expand abortion messaging and access across the state. This bill turns the state into an active promoter of abortion rather than a supporter of women facing difficult pregnancies, directing public resources toward normalizing abortion instead of advancing life-affirming alternatives, maternal support, and real assistance for mothers and families. By institutionalizing pro-abortion outreach through state government, S.9036 further marginalizes women and girls who need support to choose life and undermines protections for unborn children. New York has state programs promoting abortion, but no requirement to promote adoption or pregnancy support. A vote against S.9036 affirms that state resources should support women through balanced life-affirming education and real maternal support, not government-funded promotion of abortion. NOTE: There are currently no New York State laws or regulations requiring the New York State Department of Health, or any other New York State agency, to create, fund, or implement statewide education or outreach programs that promote adoption, inform prospective birth mothers about available support services, or highlight pregnancy resource centers (PRCs), which provide practical support to underserved pregnant women and girls.  State-Funded Abortion Provider Expansion, S1438A NYS Senate - Passed Senate; delivered to the Assembly (Jan. 2026). NYS Assembly - No Assembly companion bill introduced; S1438A referred to the Assembly Committee on Health (Jan. 2026). Senate Bill S1438A would establish a state-funded clinical training program intended to expand abortion service capacity in New York, including by increasing the number of trained abortion providers statewide. While framed as a clinical training initiative, the practical effect of the bill is the long-term expansion of abortion services, including both procedural and medication abortion. Notably, S1438A does not require any corresponding training in the identification, tracking, or reporting of abortion complications, including those associated with abortion pills, leaving significant gaps in safety oversight and public transparency within the program. The proposal likewise provides no comparable investment in life-affirming alternatives or maternal support services that assist women facing difficult pregnancies. Sound public policy should prioritize women’s safety, accountability, and balanced healthcare support rather than directing state resources toward expanding abortion capacity. At a time when lawmakers are asked to expand abortion policy, New York still lacks the basic complication data needed to ensure informed, evidence-based decision-making. A vote against S1438A affirms that state-funded healthcare policy should prioritize women’s safety, the well-being of children, including unborn children, and transparency rather than expanding abortion capacity.; especially without corresponding safeguards or accountability. NOTE:  Despite the seriousness of abortion as a medical intervention, New York has no law or regulation requiring the Department of Health, or any other state agency, to specifically track or publicly report abortion complications, leaving the state without a clear, transparent system to monitor outcomes or ensure accountability. New York law also does not require the state to report abortion data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As a result, any complications are only incidentally captured, if at all, through broad hospital and adverse-event reporting systems that were never designed to provide abortion-specific oversight. Capital Punishment Expansion, A5165 / A5522 NYS Senate - No Senate companion bills introduced. NYS Assembly - Referred to the Assembly Codes Committee (Jan. 2026). Assembly Bills A5165 and A5522 would reintroduce capital punishment in New York for certain first-degree murders involving police, peace, and correction officers, replacing the state’s current reliance on life-without-parole sentences with a system that permits the death penalty. From a humanitarian and human-rights perspective, New York should reject efforts to reinstate state-sanctioned execution and instead uphold punishment models that protect public safety without taking human life. Life imprisonment without parole already provides the maximum level of accountability and permanent incapacitation, while avoiding the irreversible moral, legal, and practical risks associated with capital punishment, including wrongful convictions, unequal application, prolonged trauma for victims’ families, and costly, decades-long litigation. A vote against A5165 and A5522 affirms a commitment to justice grounded in human dignity, nonviolence, and effective public safety.  NOTE:  New York effectively ended capital punishment in 2004, when the New York Court of Appeals ruled in People v. LaValle  that the state’s death-penalty statute was unconstitutional because its jury “deadlock instruction” created a substantial risk of coercing jurors toward a death sentence, violating the Due Process Clause of the New York Constitution. New York’s decision reflected a broader humanitarian and public-policy recognition that state-sanctioned execution carries irreversible risks, including coercive sentencing dynamics, wrongful convictions, and unequal application, while life imprisonment without parole fully protects public safety without taking human life. Although federal law still permits capital punishment for certain crimes under federal statute, New York has moved ahead of this framework by rejecting execution as a punishment and embracing a more modern, dignity-centered approach to justice grounded in nonviolence and constitutional safeguards. Since 2004,13 people have been executed by the U.S. federal government (Federal executions had previously stopped after 2003 and then resumed in 2020) and roughly 1,100 people have been sentenced to death in the U.S. VOTE YES Measures Advancing Human Dignity, Family Stability, and Responsible Policy Born Alive Abortion Survivor Protection Act, S577 NYS Senate , Referred to the Senate Committee on Health (Jan. 2026). NYS Assembly , No Assembly companion bill introduced. The Born Alive Abortion Survivors’ Protection Act affirms a simple and widely accepted principle: every child born alive deserves equal medical care and legal protection, regardless of the circumstances of birth. This proposed legislation requires health care practitioners to provide the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence to a child born alive during an abortion or attempted abortion as would be provided to any other newborn of the same gestational age, including immediate transport to a hospital for continued care. S577 does not alter abortion law itself; rather, it establishes clear standards to ensure that when a child is born alive, the child is treated as a patient entitled to life-preserving medical treatment and basic human dignity. By closing a critical gap in New York law, this bill promotes accountability, protects vulnerable newborns, and reinforces the core medical ethic that no child born alive should be denied care. A vote for S577 affirms that every child born alive is entitled to equal medical care, legal protection, and the basic dignity owed to every human life. NOTE : New York law currently provides no clear, explicit requirement that a child born alive during an abortion receive the same life-saving medical care as any other newborn. A peer-reviewed study  in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AJOG) did report that: Among 13,777 induced abortions between 15–29 weeks gestation in Québec hospitals, 1,541 (11.2%) resulted in live birth. Parental Notice: Minors and Abortion, S1970 / A909 0 NYS Senate , Referred to the Senate Committee on Women’s Issues (Jan. 2026). NYS Assembly , Referred to the Assembly Committee on Health (Jan. 2026). New York law has long recognized that minors often lack the maturity to make certain significant decisions without parental involvement, requiring parental consent or notification in a variety of contexts, including certain medical decisions in school settings and situations where minors cannot legally consent, such as sexual exploitation and trafficking. S1970/A9090 provide a modest and reasonable safeguard by requiring notice to at least one parent or legal guardian before an abortion is performed on an unemancipated minor, while preserving exceptions for medical emergencies and judicial bypass. This legislation supports the health and safety of vulnerable young women while affirming the important role of parents in guiding their children through life-altering medical decisions. A vote for S1970/A9090 affirms that vulnerable minors deserve the protection, guidance, and support of their parents when facing life-altering medical decisions, not isolation from those most responsible for their care. NOTE : Under current New York abortion policy, minors may obtain abortions without any parental notice or consent, including 2nd and 3rd trimester abortions, and for reasons unrelated to the physical health of the pregnant mother or her unborn child. New York also fails to require annual, abortion-specific Department of Health inspections, leaving a notable gap in routine, procedure-focused oversight. Women’s Right to Know: Pre-Abortion Ultrasounds, A3694 NYS Senate , No Senate companion bill introduced. NYS Assembly , Referred to the Assembly Committee on Health (Jan. 2026). A3694 strengthens genuine informed consent by ensuring that women considering abortion receive an obstetric ultrasound and the opportunity to view and understand the medical information about their pregnancy before making a life-altering decision. In every other area of medicine, patients are entitled to complete and meaningful information before consenting to a procedure, and abortion should be no exception. By requiring providers to explain what is shown on the ultrasound and offer patients the chance to see the images, this legislation promotes transparency, patient autonomy, and ethical medical practice. Women and girls can decline to view the ultrasound. This commonsense measure supports informed decision-making, respects both women and unborn children, and aligns New York with numerous other states that recognize the importance of full medical disclosure prior to abortion. A vote for A3694 affirms that women deserve complete, medically accurate information and safety-focused care before making life-altering decisions.   NOTE : Most abortions performed in the U.S. and in New York are medication abortions.  Requiring an ultrasound reflects widely recognized medical best practices, including guidance from major medical institutions such as the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic,  which use ultrasound to confirm gestational age and rule out ectopic pregnancy. This is especially critical because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends abortion pills only through 10 weeks’ gestation. Ingesting abortion pills later in pregnancy or in the presence of an ectopic pregnancy can result in serious, potentially life-threatening complications for women and girls. Adoption Support Timeline Expansion, S5737 / A2425 NYS Senate , Referred to the Senate Committee on Children and Families (Jan. 2026). NYS Assembly , Referred to the Assembly Committee on Social Services (Jan. 2026). Under New York law (Social Services Law §374(6)), adoptive parents may pay reasonable and actual pregnancy-related expenses for a birth mother,  including  housing, maternity clothing, clothing for the child, transportation, medical and hospital costs related to pregnancy and birth, and legal fees  connected to the adoption. S5737/A2425 extend the period during which adoptive parents may assist with such pregnancy-related expenses, to 180 days before birth (instead of 60), and 45 days after birth (instead of 30). This recognizes a straightforward reality: financial pressures often intensify long before birth and can heavily influence whether vulnerable women feel they have real choices. By allowing adoptive families to assist with reasonable and actual pregnancy-related expenses for a longer period, this proposed law helps stabilize expectant mothers earlier in pregnancy, reduces economic pressure, and strengthens adoption as a realistic option for women who may otherwise feel they have few alternatives. Adoption affirms both the dignity of the child and the well-being of the mother, and expanding lawful assistance promotes stability, informed decision-making, and healthier outcomes that benefit families and society alike. Importantly, this support should be understood as advancing ethical adoption practices that protect women and children, and not as an endorsement of surrogacy arrangements, which raise separate and serious concerns about the commercialization and potential exploitation of women’s bodies. A vote for S5737/A2425 affirms that New York will stand with women before crisis becomes coercion, expanding ethical adoption support, reducing economic pressure, and ensuring that financial hardship never dictates life-altering decisions. NOTE : Research consistently shows that abortion in the United States is disproportionately concentrated among economically vulnerable women, many of whom are low-income and facing significant financial stress during unplanned pregnancies. New York’s Medicaid-funded abortion framework likewise reflects the reality that many women confronting unintended pregnancies are experiencing economic hardship. These women are, in practical terms, also potential birth mothers, and public policy should ensure that financial hardship does not limit life-affirming choices.  Adoption Tax Credit, S4481 NYS Senate - Referred to the Senate Committee on Budget and Revenue (Jan. 2026). NYS Assembly - No Assembly companion bill introduced. Senate Bill S4481 offers New York families a practical, compassionate solution to a real and measurable barrier to adoption by creating a refundable adoption tax credit of up to $10,000 for qualified adoption expenses (reasonable and necessary legal and court-related costs) directly required to complete a child’s adoption. Adoption provides children with permanent, stable families, yet the significant upfront expenses often place it out of reach for many working New Yorkers. By reducing these financial barriers, S4481 strengthens families, expands pathways to permanency for children, and aligns New York’s tax policy with its commitment to supporting family formation and child well-being.  A vote for S4481 affirms that when families are ready to adopt, government should clear the path, and not let cost decide whether a child finds a permanent home. NOTE : Federal Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) data show that approximately 3,610 children in New York were waiting to be adopted, most of whom are school-aged children, adolescents, sibling groups, or children with special needs who often face longer and more complex paths to permanent families. This reflects broader national trends, where more than 70,000 children in foster care were awaiting adoption in recent reporting years, underscoring that the central adoption challenge is achieving stable, lasting homes for children already under state responsibility. However, adoption from foster care frequently includes government assistance that offsets legal and court-related costs. Research shows that infant relinquishment for adoption has declined dramatically over time, with only about 1% of infants born to never-married women relinquished for adoption in recent decades. For some pregnant women, the foster-care pathway can present practical and procedural barriers compared with making a voluntary private adoption plan. Unlike foster-care adoption, private adoption is a proactive, voluntary decision made by a woman to create an adoption plan before birth. Private domestic (non-foster care) adoptions occur at comparatively lower volumes than foster-care adoptions. Together, these data reinforce a clear policy imperative: New York must reduce barriers and strengthen support for families willing to adopt children.  Preserving Family Bonds, S5240A / A4940B NYS Senate - Referred to the Senate Committee on Children and Families (Jan. 2026). NYS Assembly - Referred to the Assembly Committee on Judiciary (Jan. 2026). This legislation is needed to address a clear gap in New York law: while courts may approve post-adoption contact when parental rights are voluntarily surrendered, they currently lack explicit authority to order post-termination visitation when parental rights are involuntarily terminated, even when continued contact would serve a child’s best interests. A4940B provides family courts with a carefully limited, safeguard-driven framework to allow safe, appropriate contact only when it is affirmatively found to be in the child’s best interest, including child consent requirements, exclusions for severe abuse, and protections ensuring adoption finalization is not delayed or undermined. By allowing judges to preserve beneficial connections while maintaining permanency and safety, this legislation advances a humane, child-centered approach that supports emotional well-being, stability, and lifelong resilience for children in New York’s child-welfare system. A vote for S5240A/A4940B affirms a most basic principle: children deserve permanence, but they also deserve the chance to safely retain the relationships that help them heal, grow, and understand who they are. NOTE : Modern child-welfare research  and federal guidance recognize that adoption should often expand, rather than erase, a child’s sense of family and identity. Many children available for adoption have already formed meaningful bonds with their biological parents and relatives, and abrupt, permanent severance of those ties can contribute to grief, loss, anxiety, depression, identity confusion, and long-term emotional insecurity, particularly as children mature and seek to understand their personal histories. The Non-Militarization Act, S8586 NYS Senate - Referred to Senate Committee on Rules (Jan. 2026). NYS Assembly - No Assembly companion bill introduced. Senate Bill S8586 reflects a clear principle that civilian policing should remain distinct from military conflict and the tools designed for warfare. By prohibiting state and local law enforcement agencies from accepting federal military surplus equipment, this legislation advances a public-safety model centered on de-escalation, community trust, and proportional civilian law enforcement rather than combat-oriented approaches. The federal 1033 Program was created for wartime and drug-war conditions, yet its expansion has increasingly transferred military equipment into local communities, raising concerns among researchers, policymakers, and the public about the normalization of militarized policing and its potential to escalate rather than reduce violence. S8586 does not impede lawful policing or officer safety; instead, it reinforces the distinction between military operations and domestic public safety, affirming that New York’s approach to security should prioritize prevention, accountability, and the protection of civil society over the adoption of equipment and tactics shaped by violent military conflict. A vote for S8586 affirms that public policy should reject the normalization of military violence in civilian life and prioritize strategies that protect human dignity, reduce harm, and prevent the conditions that too often place civilians, especially children, in the path of lethal violence. NOTE:   Over the last century, armed military conflict has caused the deaths of tens of millions of people worldwide, with historical estimates commonly placing direct deaths related to modern armed conflicts well above 100 million, while researchers increasingly emphasize that the true human toll is far higher when indirect deaths from disease, hunger, displacement, and collapse of health systems in war zones are included. Children have consistently borne a disproportionate share of this burden: United Nations monitoring shows that since systematic tracking began in 2005, more than 120,000 children have been verified as killed or maimed in conflict, with hundreds of thousands of additional grave violations recorded, and humanitarian agencies report that children now represent roughly 30% of the global population, yet account for nearly half of internally displaced persons fleeing violence. Modern conflict research further shows that civilian casualties, including children as “collateral damage,” increasingly outnumber combatant deaths in many contemporary wars, reflecting the shift toward urban warfare and explosive weapons in populated areas, where loss of life extends beyond the battlefield to families who die from disrupted medical care, malnutrition, and unsafe living conditions. Taken together, the evidence demonstrates that violent military conflict produces multi-generational humanitarian harm, with children and civilians paying the highest price even when they are not parties to the fighting. The Hospice and Palliative Care Access and Quality Act, A4717 NYS Senate - No Senate companion bill introduced. NYS Assembly - Referred to Assembly Committee on Health (Jan. 2026) A4717 benefits seriously ill New Yorkers who wish to live their remaining time with comfort, dignity, and support, without hastening death, by strengthening access to hospice and palliative care services that focus on pain relief, symptom management, emotional and spiritual support, and family-centered care. By establishing a dedicated Office of Hospice and Palliative Care Access and Quality within the Department of Health, the bill helps remove barriers that currently prevent many patients from receiving timely referrals to hospice or palliative care, improves coordination between providers and regulators, and increases public awareness about care options that prioritize comfort and quality of life rather than curative or life-ending interventions. For patients who decline medical aid in dying, stronger hospice and palliative care systems mean better pain control, fewer unnecessary hospitalizations, improved caregiver support, and greater ability to remain at home or in familiar settings during the final stages of life. In this way, the legislation expands meaningful end-of-life choices by ensuring that choosing comfort-focused, non-hastening care is a realistic, accessible, and well-supported option for families across New York. A vote for A4717 affirms that every New Yorker facing serious illness, including those who do not wish to pursue medical aid in dying, deserves meaningful access to high-quality hospice and palliative care that prioritizes comfort, dignity, and tender, comprehensive  support at the end of life. NOTE : Evidence from jurisdictions where medical aid in dying (MAID) is legal shows that requests are often influenced not only by physical illness but by social and psychological vulnerability, raising concerns for people with disabilities, those facing economic hardship, and individuals who fear becoming a burden. Official Canadian data  reports that many MAID recipients cite perceived burden on others, loss of dignity, isolation, or loss of independence — factors reflecting social vulnerability as much as medical suffering. Disability-rights advocates have warned that inadequate supports and poverty can create indirect pressure that undermines truly free choice. These findings highlight the need for end-of-life policy that strengthens hospice and palliative care, expands social and disability supports, and ensures decisions are not driven by isolation, hardship, or lack of meaningful alternatives. CLOSING STATEMENT Thank you for your thoughtful review of these policy recommendations and for your service to the people of New York State. The measures outlined in this packet reflect a consistent commitment to human dignity, responsible governance, public safety, and  evidence-informed public policy.  We respectfully urge careful consideration of each proposal and stand ready to serve as a resource as you evaluate legislation affecting vulnerable individuals, families, and communities across our state. We appreciate your leadership. We ask that you advance policies that strengthen New York and uphold the dignity of every human life. FEMINISTS CHOOSING LIFE OF NEW YORK, INC. Office Headquarters, 1545 East Avenue, Suite 1, Rochester, NY 14610 P:(585) 730-7808 E: INFO@FCLNY.ORG   WEBSITE: FCLNY.ORG

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 7, 2026 Contact: info@fclny.org, FCLNY.ORG Feminists Condemn NY Governor’s Signing of Medical Aid in Dying Act (MAID) State-Sanctioned Suicide Is Anti-Women, Anti-Human Rights, and a Betrayal of the Vulnerable Feminists Choosing Life of New York (FCLNY), a statewide human rights organization committed to a consistent ethic of life, expresses profound dismay and moral outrage at the Governor’s signing of New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act on February 6. "MAID does not represent compassion, progress, or respect for human dignity. It represents the abandonment of New Yorkers—especially women, people with disabilities, the poor, and those struggling with illness, isolation, or despair—at the moment they most need care, protection, and hope," claims FCLNY's executive director, Michele Sterlace-Accorsi. FCLNY opposes all forms of state-sanctioned lethal violence, including abortion and assisted suicide. "The legalization of physician-assisted suicide is not a neutral policy choice; it is a profound shift in how the state understands the value of human life," adds Sterlace-Accorsi. "When government authorizes suicide as a medical “treatment,” it sends a chilling message: some lives are no longer worth the investment of care, compassion, and resources." Medical Aid in Dying Is Anti-Women Amy Crossed, FCLNY Board Director, states: "Assisted suicide laws disproportionately impact women. Studies show that in jurisdictions where Medical Aid in Dying is legal, women are more likely than men to use these laws. This is not surprising. Women are more likely to live longer, to be widowed, to experience poverty in old age, to shoulder caregiving burdens, and to internalize feelings of being a “burden” on others. When the state offers death instead of support, women are subtly—but powerfully—pushed toward choosing it." "Women deserve better than a prescription for death. They deserve affordable, effective, and compassionate hospice and palliative care. They deserve mental health support, pain management, social connection, and the assurance that their lives retain dignity and meaning even in illness, disability, or dependency, " says Cecelia Lester, FCLNY's Board President. Assisted Suicide Increases Overall Suicide Rates "Evidence from states and countries where assisted suicide is legal shows a troubling pattern: legalization is associated with significant increases in overall suicide rates, " highlights Sterlace-Accorsi. "Rather than preventing desperate deaths, state-sanctioned suicide normalizes self-destruction as a solution to suffering. This cultural shift endangers everyone—but especially vulnerable individuals already at risk of suicide, including people with disabilities, those experiencing depression, and even children and adolescents who absorb the message that some lives are expendable," posits Lester. Extreme Autonomy at the Expense of the Vulnerable According to Sterlace-Accorsi: "The Medical Aid in Dying Act embodies an extreme and distorted vision of autonomy—one that elevates individual choice above social responsibility and communal care. True freedom does not exist in a vacuum. Choices are shaped by economic pressure, inadequate healthcare, fear of dependency, and social isolation. For the poor, the disabled, and the marginalized, “choice” can quickly become coercion. A society that offers death instead of care has failed its most basic human rights obligations." State-Sanctioned Suicide Degrades Us All FCLNY believes that government-approved suicide devalues life itself. It tells people who are suffering that their continued existence is negotiable, conditional, and costly. The group says that: "True compassion never involves helping someone die because caring for them is inconvenient or expensive. True compassion means refusing to abandon anyone—especially those who most need support, love, and hope." "New York should be leading the nation in expanding access to high-quality hospice care, palliative medicine, disability services, and mental health support—not in authorizing doctors to help patients end their lives," claims the organization. According to Lester, "Feminists Choosing Life of New York will continue to stand for women, for the vulnerable, and for the radical, unwavering belief that every human life has inherent dignity and worth." "New Yorkers deserve better than MAID. Compassion must never be confused with killing," she adds. XXX

PRO - WOMAN PRO - LIFE Feminists Choosing Life of New York (FCLNY) is a state-wide human rights coalition that embraces and promotes whole life feminism and the consistent life ethic. FCLNY's public advocacy draws connections between the root causes of violence, inequality and the social forces that dehumanize. DONATE NOW FCLNY Supports the Consistent Life Ethic We oppose publicly sanctioned lethal violence including violent military action, abortion, assisted suicide and capital punishment, and educate on the impacts and root causes including poverty, domestic violence, sex trafficking, and racism . FCLNY advocates for peaceful solutions. We accomplish our goals through SEVEN bold initiatives: • Community Encounters • Scholarly Events • Film Involvement • Media Outreach • Grassroots Campaigns • Projects that Empower • Legislative Advocacy FCLNY's TV Ads! Play Video Play Video 00:15 Play Video Play Video 00:15 Local NBC WGRZ Broadcast TV-NY Local NBC WGRZ Broadcast TV-NY FCLNY is reaching millions by radio and podcast! Read Scripts on Grassroots Campaigns Page National Public Radio 00:00 / 00:15 WTBQ 00:00 / 00:30 iHeart Radio - Syracuse 00:00 / 00:16 WOLF FM 00:00 / 00:31 Station of The Cross 00:00 / 00:31 iHeart Radio - Poughkeepsie 00:00 / 00:30 iHeartRadio- Albany 00:00 / 00:16 Station of the Cross 00:00 / 00:30 WHUD 00:00 / 00:31 The BEAR 00:00 / 00:31 iHeart Radio - Albany 2 00:00 / 00:31 The Bear 00:00 / 00:29 Station of the Cross - 00:00 / 00:31 FCLNY'S BROCHURE DOWNLOAD 1/6 For Printed Copies Message us info@fclny.org UPCOMING EVENTS 2026! Oct 24th Syracuse Catholic Women's Conference Syracuse, NY EVENTS! REGISTRATION Nov 10th FCLNY's 9th Annual Celebration Gala New York, NY October 14th Physician Assisted Suicide Presentation Buffalo, NY Sept 1st - 3rd Human Trafficking Training St. Petes, FL

LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY FCLNY organizes and participates in both direct and grassroots lobbying on targeted policy issues as well as coordinated media outreach. FCLNY is non-partisan, but works with diverse ideological and/or religious organizations that align with our goals. New York State Medical Aid in Dying Act NY Enacted MAID Feb., 6, 2026 Bills passed and signed, A09515, S8835 MAID goes into effect, Aug., 5, 2026 Update on the Status of Medication Abortion in the U.S. and NYS In FDA vs. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine (2024), "The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled to preserve access to the abortion pill mifepristone, a pill used in the most common way to end a pregnancy." "Thousands of women in states with abortion bans and restrictions are receiving abortion pills in the mail from states that have laws protecting prescribers," including New York. It is currently legal for medical providers and certified retail pharmacies to mail abortion pills to women and girls with a prescription via tele-health in NY. Under the current rules surrounding chemical abortion, pregnant women and girls can "take the medication to induce an abortion through 10 weeks of pregnancy," and without a pre-abortion ultrasound. Read High Court's Opinion Here! The RHA Degrades Women and Dehumanizes Children. New York enacted the Reproductive Health Act (RHA) in January, 2019. This law allows for the killing of viable unborn children, including healthy children in utero, for any reason within 24 weeks of pregnancy. Modern medical science is clear that unborn children can be viable (capable of survival outside the womb) as early as 21 weeks gestation. The RHA permits killing viable unborn children, including healthy children in utero, during the later-second and third trimester of pregnancy for reasons unrelated to a mother's physical health. In NY, approximately 1,600 unborn children are aborted each year at 20+ weeks gestation. Studies show most later-term abortions are 'elective,' performed on healthy pregnant women and healthy unborn children. The RHA did away with NY's longstanding fetal homicide law. Because of the RHA it is no longer a separate crime in NY for abusers to kill viable unborn children, including wanted unborn children, in attacks on their mothers. The RHA allows for an undefined group of health care practitioners to perform abortions, including surgical, second and third trimester abortions. Studies show that even mid-level health care providers that perform abortions have higher rates of “incomplete abortion,” uterine “perforation” and “hemorrhage” than physicians performing abortions. The RHA eradicated NY Public Health Law (PHL) 4164, without enacting any form of replacement. In NY, later-second and third trimester abortions can occur in facilities other than hospitals, ambulatory centers or physicians' offices. According to studies, including, Risk Factors for Legal Induced Abortion-Related Mortality in the United States, the "risk of death" for "women obtaining legally induced abortions" "increase[s] exponentially by 38% for each additional week of gestation.” Further, eliminating PHL 4164 allows for infants who survive abortion to die without adequate "medical care" or without a second physician present to care for that infant. According to the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention children are sometimes born alive during later-term induced abortions. See FCLNY's RHA Report. International World Beyond War Declaration of Peace FCLNY Organizational Signer We seek positive and sustainable peace, founded on justice “We understand that wars and militarism make us less safe rather than protect us, that they kill, injure and traumatize adults, children and infants, severely damage the natural environment, erode civil liberties, and drain our economies, siphoning resources from life-affirming activities. We commit to engage in and support nonviolent efforts to end all war and preparations for war and to create a sustainable and just peace.” Please read and consider signing with us as an individual or organization. Sign as Individual Sign as Organization Joint Appeal for Nuclear Abolition Day FCLNY Organizational Signer Nuclear weapons pose an existential threat to humanity and the planet. Joint Appeal for the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons September 26, 2026 The United Nations, which was established more than 80 years ago, affirmed nuclear disarmament as a top priority in its very first resolution, A/Res/1(1) . In 2013, frustrated at the lack of progress, the UNGA declared September 26 as the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons (A/Res/68/32 ). This international day serves to enhance public awareness and education about the threat posed to humanity by nuclear weapons and the necessity for their total elimination. Annually on September 26, the UN also holds a high-level meeting of world leaders to discuss “urgent and effective measures” to achieve global nuclear disarmament. The designation of this date is not arbitrary: one of many times humanity has come perilously close to nuclear war was September 26, 1983, at the height of the Cold War. A nuclear war was narrowly averted when Colonel Stanislav Petrov, Duty Officer at a Russian nuclear early warning facility, broke protocol by not affirming to senior command an apparent incoming ballistic missile attack from the United States (later confirmed as a false alarm). Two years later, the countries at the brink jointly declared that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.” This commitment has been reaffirmed in intervening years, including in a statement by the P-5 states in 2022 and in the Pact for the Future adopted by consensus at the UN Summit of the Future (September 2024). However, today the risk of nuclear war by accident, miscalculation, crisis escalation, or malicious intent, is higher than ever with the Doomsday Clock ticking closer to midnight than in 1983. The use of nuclear weapons by any of the nine nuclear-armed States or their nuclear allies would have catastrophic human, economic, and environmental consequences. The use of just a small fraction of the 12,300 nuclear weapons in the world’s stockpiles could end life as we know it. In addition, the $100 billion USD spent annually on nuclear weapons is sorely needed to support peacemaking, environmental protection, and other urgent needs of humanity and the planet , as expressed through the Sustainable Development Goals. The world’s highest court, the International Court of Justice, affirmed that the threat and use of nuclear weapons is generally illegal and that there is a universal obligation for states to negotiate in good faith to achieve comprehensive nuclear disarmament. States currently relying on nuclear weapons for their security have an obligation to replace these policies with approaches based on international law and common security, as outlined in the UN Charter. The Pact for the Future includes commitments to prevent nuclear war and achieve the global elimination of nuclear weapons. UN Member States should use the opportunity of the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons and UN High Level Plenary Meeting on September 26 to announce concrete plans to achieve these goals. We, the undersigned, there-fore call on leaders, legislators, and officials at all levels of governance (local/municipal, states, countries, and regional bodies) to: Affirm that the threat or use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible; Advance tangible measures by nuclear-armed and allied States to implement this obligation, including standing down nuclear forces and adopting policies never to initiate a nuclear war; Pledge to achieve the global elimination of nuclear weapons no later than the UN’s centennial anniversary in 2045, and immediately undertake actions, including through multilateral negotiations, to implement this pledge; Cut nuclear weapons budgets, and end public and private investments in the nuclear weapons industry; and Redirect these funds to strengthen the United Nations, advance peacekeeping and conflict resolution, accelerate steps to protect the climate, and meet human and economic needs as required under Article 26 of the UN Charter. No time is better than 2026 - the 81st anniversary of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the establishment of the United Nations – to undertake these actions to achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world to protect current and future generations. Endorse the Joint Appeal Building a Post-Roe Future FCLNY Organizational Co-S igner It’s time for the pro-life movement to embrace bold, new pro-family policies. We are Pro Life conservatives, moderates, and liberals united in our conviction that every human life has value- including the lives of both the unborn child and that child's mother. Read & Sign Petition International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons FCLNY Organizational Co-Signer No time is better than 2026, the 81st anniversaries of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the establishment of the United Nations, to undertake these actions to achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world to protect current and future generations. Read & Sign Petition Building a Post-Roe Future FCLNY Organizational Co-S igner Building a Post-Roe Future FCLNY Organizational Co-S igner

SCHOLARLY EVENTS FCLNY organizes, hosts, moderates or attends panel discussions, debates, symposiums, conferences, lectures, book and film clubs, informal dialogue circles (Salons), book signings, art exhibits and seminars, in addition to serving as amici curiae on briefs before Courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. GET INVOLVED FCLNY Book & Film Club FCLNY Book & Film Club History: Dignity of Dependence Leah Libresco Sargeant Mom Genes by Abigail Tucker The Case Against The Abortion Pill, First Things By Rachel Roth Aldhizer Losing Our Dignity by Charles Camosy Blonde Directed by Andrew Dominic Feminism Against Progress by Mary Harrington Pity for Evil by Monica Klem and Madeleine McDowell Peace Begins in the Womb, by Marilyn Kopp Oppenheimer Directed by Christopher Nolan Battleground: The Fight for the Future of Abortion in America, produced by Cynthia Lowen The Case Against the Sexual Revolution: A New Guide to Sex in the 21st Century, by Louise Perry Rehumanize: A Vision to Secure Human Rights for All, by Amiee Murphy At Play in the Lion's Den: A Biography of Daniel Berrigan, by Jim Forest The Family Roe: An American Story, by Joshua Prager Wholistic Feminism: Healing the Identity Crisis Caused by the Women's Movement, by Leah A. Jacobson The Rights of Women: Reclaiming a Lost Vision, by Erika Bachochi Not Equal: Civil Rights Gone Wrong, by Ryan Bomberger Join FCLNY's B&F Club Facebook Group! Book & Film Club Highlights! Thank you to all who attended FCLNY's March 2025 Book and FiIm Club discussing Charles Camosy's book: Losing our Dignity: How Secularized Medicine is Undermining Fundamental Human Equality. Professor Camosy makes it clear how secularized medicine and mainstream culture discounts the humanity of so many, recognizing the value of only SOME humans, while dismissing the worth of others, ignoring- whole sale- the inherent value every human being possesses. As pro-life feminists, FCLNY recognizes the intrinsic value and dignity of every member of the human family, from conception to natural death. No one person or group of people has the right to label and condemn 'unworthy' people to death. The most basic human right is the right to live free from violent destruction. Informal Dialogue Circles Where topics related to the consistent life ethic are discussed, Including abortion, war, and capital punishment, from divergent perspectives. Confidentially Sign Up for a Salon HERE Feminists Choosing Life of New York PANEL DISCUSSIONS Good Counsel Pro-Life Symposium Live Streamed- April 5th, Yonkers, NY FCLNY talks about the most pressing need of mothers in crises and what we can all do to help. St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry 1st Annual Life Issues Series Check out a couple snippets below from the event! Feat. pro-life activists including FCLNY's Executive Director Roberts Wesleyan University Students for Life Feat. FCLNY's Board President & Executive Director Check out a snippet below from the event! Feminists Choosing Life of New York WEBINARS Canceling Female Fertility LIVE Winter Webinar Featuring SUNY Professors Alisa Chase and Sarah Hamersma The Science Behind The Abortion Debate LIVE Summer Webinar Featuring Secular Pro-Life's Monica Snyder The Abortion Debate Video Praise for "The Science Behind the Abortion Debate" "This is so good I am not able to take notes fast enough!" “[The] event truly captivated my interest and my heartfelt gratitude goes to you for organizing such an engaging platform.” “Really enjoyed the event yesterday!” Reframing Agency: Feminist Perspec tives Reframing Agency, Part 1 Audio Reframing Agency, Part 2 Audio Reframing Agency, Part 2 Video An Unsafe Space: A Symposium on Contemporary Feminism An Unsafe Space: Episode I SEE CLIP OF DR. SHRAGE! Pro-Choice Feminist Scholar An Unsafe Space: Episode II SEE CLIP OF DR. MOSCHELLA! Pro-Life Feminist Scholar A bit of feedback on the FCLNY and Global Centurion Lecture Series: "Thank you for the Human Trafficking Seminar- Very Informative." "The seminar on human trafficking... was excellent." "Thanks for it." Lecture series includes Q & A, provides a general outline of the nature and scope of human trafficking in the U.S. Briefly addresses Federal and NY laws that apply to sex trafficking, and the health consequences of sex trafficking on females, and how policy and practices can better address human trafficking. Lecture explores the phenomenon of sex trafficking within the contours of modern feminism and human rights. Trafficking and Women’s and Children’s Health: Intervention, Recovery and Prevention Center For Family & Human Rights UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT DOBBS V. JACKSON WOMEN'S HEALTH ORGANIZATION 597 U.S. _ (2022) AMICUS BRIEF OF 240 WOMEN SCHOLARS AND PROFESSIONALS, AND PROLIFE FEMINIST ORGANIZATIONS IN SUPPORT OF PETITIONERS FILED BRIEF ALLEGHENY REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CENTER V. PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, 249 A.3d 598, (2021), AMICUS BRIEF, NEW WAVE FEMINISTS AND FEMINISTS CHOOSING LIFE OF NEW YORK FILED BRIEF Aimee Murphy's Book Signing! Rehumanize: A Vision to Secure Human Rights for All Rochester, NY Erika Bachiochi's Book Signing The Rights of Women: Reclaiming a Lost Vision Order Erika's Book Here