The bills ban the shackling of pregnant inmates and allow expecting New Yorkers to purchase health insurance at any point during their pregnancy.

The bills ban the shackling of pregnant inmates and allow expecting New Yorkers to purchase health insurance at any point during their pregnancy.

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed two bills Wednesday that provide protections for pregnant women in the Empire State.

One of the bills, signed Wednesday, is a first for the nation. It allows expectant New Yorkers to purchase health insurance at any point during their pregnancy, without having to wait for an open enrollment period.

“New York is the first state in the nation to classify pregnancy as a ‘qualifying event’ for health insurance enrollment,” Andrea Miller, president of NARAL Pro-Choice New York, said in a press statement. “This legislation will expand access to maternity care, including prenatal visits, labor, and delivery, and improve the health of women and children throughout our state. Thanks to the legislature and Governor Cuomo, New York’s proud legacy of leading the nation in advancing women’s health continues.”

The other bill, signed Tuesday, bans the practice of shackling pregnant women who are being transported or who are within eight weeks of expected delivery, except in extraordinary circumstances. This bill expands upon a 2009 bill that outlawed shackling during childbirth.

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