Senate passes package of bills on telehealth shield, provider training, consumer privacy, menstrual product safety and other measures

The New York State Senate on Jan. 20, 2025 approved a slate of bills from the supplemental calendar (calendar numbers 99–107), advancing measures across health care, education and consumer protection.

Key enactments included a measure to strengthen New York’s telehealth shield for providers sending medication abortion by mail, authorizations expanding who can receive clinical training for reproductive services, privacy protections for personal health data, and new safety rules for menstrual products. Many bills were accompanied on the floor by sponsor explanations; all were reported from the Rules Committee and were passed on roll-call votes with recorded tallies.

Votes at a glance - Calendar 99 — Senate Print 36-A (sponsor: Senator Mayer). Description read as enactment of education law on the supplemental calendar; Senate recorded a roll-call (ayes 40, nays 19) and the bill passed. On the floor a senator described strengthening New York’s telehealth shield for providers prescribing medication abortion and provisions allowing a practice name to appear on drug labels for mifepristone and misoprostol to provide additional provider protection. Outcome: passed (Ayes: 40; Nays: 19).

- Calendar 100 — Senate Print 135 (sponsor: Senator Clear). Enactment of public health law; section read that the bill takes effect immediately. Vote recorded as Ayes 40, Nays 19. Outcome: passed.

- Calendar 101 — Senate Print 929 (sponsor: Senator Krueger). Enactment of the general business law addressing consumer privacy for certain health-related data. Senator Liz Krueger explained the bill’s intent to extend protections beyond HIPAA-covered settings to data collected by private companies and to require opt-in consent for sharing sensitive health information collected outside traditional medical settings. The roll-call was Ayes 49, Nays 10. Outcome: passed.

- Calendar 102 — Senate Print 1438 (sponsor: Senator Krueger). Enactment of public health law to create up to four community training centers to expand clinician training for reproductive health services. Krueger said the centers would address “reproductive health deserts” by training family physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants in addition to OB/GYN residents. The roll-call tally was Ayes 40, Nays 19. Outcome: passed.

- Calendar 103 — Senate Print 1548 (sponsor: Senator Fernandez). Enactment of the general business law to regulate chemicals in menstrual products. Senator Roxanne J. Fernandez (sponsor) described the bill as limiting PFAS, mercury, formaldehyde and lead in menstrual products and noted an average lifetime use figure cited on the floor; recorded ayes: 59. Outcome: passed.

- Calendar 104 — Senate Print 1683 (sponsor: Senator Parker). Enactment of the public health law; vote recorded Ayes 43, Nays 16. Outcome: passed.

- Calendar 105 — Senate Print 1703 (sponsor: Senator Webb). Enactment of education law addressing coverage via contracts (sponsor remarks referenced personal family experience and gaps in coverage). Roll-call recorded Ayes 49, Nays 10. Outcome: passed.

- Calendar 106 — Senate Print 1720 (sponsor: Senator Fassett). Enactment of public health law; bill passed (Ayes 59). Outcome: passed.

- Calendar 107 — Senate Print 1773 (sponsor: Senator Webb). Enactment of the state finance law; recorded Ayes 59. Outcome: passed.

What sponsors said on the floor Several sponsors framed their bills in public-interest terms. Senator Liz Krueger described two bills she sponsored as responses to gaps in privacy and medical training: one to protect health-related consumer data collected outside HIPAA-regulated settings and another to establish community training centers to expand access to reproductive-care providers. Senator Fernandez urged passage of chemical-safety standards for menstrual products, citing public-health concerns and a lifetime-use statistic for menstrual products. Other senators who spoke thanked leadership, tied bills to constituent experiences and urged colleagues to vote yes.

Procedure and next steps All bills had been reported out of the Rules Committee and were taken up on the supplemental calendar. Section readings for several bills specified varying effective dates (immediate, 60 days, 90 days, or one year after becoming law) as recorded on the floor; those specific effective dates are noted below under clarifying details. Passed bills now proceed to the enrollment/engrossing and then to the governor for signature or veto per the usual legislative process.

Votes and roll-call details provided on the floor included lists of senators who voted in the negative for several measures; the official journal and certified roll-call sheets will provide full, final vote records.