'Boss Bill' prevents employer's religious beliefs from infringing on women's health care decisions

[hrmjustin]

By Tiffany Brooks

With the Women's Equality Act stalled in the Senate Labor Committee, advocates want to ensure that the reproductive health rights secured by the Affordable Care Act aren't threatened in New York.

Sen. Liz Krueger, D-Manhattan, and Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee, D-Suffern, unveiled the "Boss Bill" (S.6578-a/A.8769) on Wednesday that would ban employers who claim religious freedom as the reason for not providing health insurance access to women's reproductive health care such as birth control.

"Now is the time for New York to make clear that a boss' personal beliefs do not trump a woman's health and access to the health care they need," said Krueger. "The fact that I take a job with somebody who may not share my views about family planning and reproductive health doesn't mean they get to tell me I can't use a certain kind of contraception, I can't access certain kinds of health care or they will fire me. That's completely unacceptable but currently protected under New York state Labor Law."

The legislation was drafted following news reports of lawsuits by employers looking to deny female employees birth control coverage, including the company Hobby Lobby, which is suing the federal government claiming the Affordable Care Act birth control mandate infringes on religious freedom.

http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-Top-Stories-c-2014-03-10-87123.113122-Boss-Bill-prevents-employers-religious-beliefs-from-infringing-on-womens-health-care-decisions.html

[sheshe2]

1. KnR

Yes!

[hrmjustin]

2. I hope it passes the senate.

[CrispyQ]

3. Love this:

The group Concerned Clergy for Choice applauded the legislators' move to protect women's reproductive rights, saying the proposed legislation protects the basic rights of women.

"Our faith urges us to protect the worker, just as the Bible teaches," said Rabbi Dennis Ross, director of Concerned Clergy for Choice. "When a woman's health insurance comes from the workplace, she earned that insurance, just like she earned her wages. The insurance belongs to her and the decision to use birth control belongs to her. Another person's religious restrictions have no place in her private, personal medical care."

[hrmjustin]

5. I hope this passes and gets passed in other states.

[sunnystarr]

12. That's so true

Most employers include the cost of health benefits when offering their salary contract. These benefits are part of the wage package. So in effect employers who want contraception benefits denied, are telling their employees that they have follow the religious beliefs set forth by the company. The company is dictating how their employees wages are spent. Sounds unconstitutional to me.

[EC]

4. Good.

If Republicans can pass laws not to enforce other laws and to make sure to punish anyone enforcing some gun laws...we can do this. Preemptive move in case the SC decides to side with Hobby Lobby

[hrmjustin]

6. I agree. I nope it passes the senate here.

[blkmusclmachine]

7. ,

,

[LittleGirl]

8. when I worked for the University of Notre Dame

I was diagnosed with Endometriosis and had to take a drug that would stop my periods (sorry TMI guys) and I had to get a doctor's note for the insurance to cover it. Then after that treatment was done, I had to take birth control pills to control my cycles after that and had to get another doctor's note for the insurance. I worked there from age 28-32. I hated that I had to do that.

If only the doctors had tested my thyroid they would have discovered what the REAL Freaking problem was.

[hrmjustin]

9. My sister had Endometriosis and had to take the pill. She also had to argue with the

insurance company.

[LittleGirl]

10. it should be illegal for insurance companies to demand this crap

from us. I am sick and tired of fighting them to cover basic services.

[hrmjustin]

11. I agree 100%.

[jtuck004]

13. There needs to be more of who this Hobby Lobby is. I mean pictures,

names, headings like "These people think religious freedom means the freedom to rule over you, proving there is more than one kind of slavery". The corp isn't trying to stick their hand into your underwear pants, these people are.

It would make this so much more interesting if I could associate a ruler's face, perhaps the robes and jewels they wear, maybe some details about their life and any arrest records, with the comments being made about them

Curious. If those people suddenly ceased to exist, would HL continue the same corporate practice?

[hrmjustin]

14. All 50 states need this kind of legislation. I hope they take it up.

[glinda]

19. Like this?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/12/business/12bibles.html?pagewanted=all

[hrmjustin]

15. kicking.

[Cha]

16. Excellent.. thank you, justin~

[hrmjustin]

17. Your welcome.

[Cha]

18. ..

[oshma]

20. I don't think it is TMI to go into details about why some women need birth control pills

I have had days where I could not go to to work because I was bleeding so badly.

"Flooding" is the term for uncontrollable menstrual flow, and the way to treat it is with birth control pills.

I guess we could start sending used feminine hygiene products to legislators and religious folk who don't think this use exists.

[hrmjustin]

21. I think the NYS Senate needs to hear it.