New York lawmakers today are likely to pass historic changes to the state law that guaranteed abortion rights for women in 1970, three years before the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade.

The new Democratic-controlled state Senate and Assembly will vote on the legislation on the 46th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling that states can’t ban abortion.

The Reproductive Health Act, blocked by Republicans in the state Senate for a decade, would bring New York’s abortion laws in line with rights guaranteed under Roe v. Wade.

If signed into law, women in New York would have the right to an abortion in the third trimester if a fetus is no longer viable, or if a woman’s life or health is at risk. Abortion also would be regulated in New York under public health law, instead of penal law.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo promised during his 2018 campaign to sign the bill in the first 30 days of the legislative session.

The governor also vowed to push for an amendment to the New York Constitution that enshrines the principles of Roe v. Wade, making it more difficult to change in the future. Voters would have to approve the amendment.

The New York State Catholic Conference, including Syracuse Bishop Robert Cunningham, opposes the legislation. The state’s Catholic leaders say the changes in law will lead to an increase in the number of late-term abortions across the state.

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