The paid prenatal leave benefits are in addition to New York State Paid Family Leave, existing employer-provided leave and existing sick leave benefits, ensuring workers can receive the health care needed to address all pregnancy related care to create healthy outcomes without jeopardizing their employment or finances. The law applies to all private employers in New York State, with no minimum employee threshold, and is applicable to both full-time and part-time employees.

New York State Health Commissioner James McDonald said, “Governor Hochul’s unwavering commitment to protecting pregnant workers in New York is critical to ensuring access to quality care throughout their pregnancy. Giving pregnant people paid leave for pregnancy-related care will protect their health, the health and safety of their unborn children and improve health outcomes.”

Without paid leave, many women are forced to choose between getting medical care or earning a paycheck. In New York, rates of infant mortality are highest among those who had no prenatal care or did not begin accessing prenatal care until the third trimester. Yet too many women are not able to receive this medical care because they cannot take unpaid leave; one recent study found that nearly 40 percent of women who did not get prenatal medical care reported this was due to a lack of paid leave or unaffordable care.

Studies show that prenatal health care is highly correlated with improved health outcomes for mothers and infants; and that pregnant women who have access to regular prenatal medical visits are less likely to die in childbirth, and their newborns are more likely to be healthy. Compared with infants born to mothers who received prenatal care, infants whose mothers did not receive prenatal care were three times more likely to have a low birth weight, less than 5.5 pounds, and five times more likely to die in infancy. Additionally, women who do not receive prenatal care are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than those who do receive care.

Pregnant women of color, especially Black women, face disproportionately higher rates of pregnancy complications and maternal mortality nationally. Black women are overrepresented among pregnancy related deaths, accounting for 14.3 percent of all births in New York in 2018 but more than half, 51 percent, of maternal deaths. Black women are five times more likely to die from pregnancy than white women and are also more likely to experience complications, and the preeclampsia rate is 60 percent higher in Black women than in white women.

New York State Office of Child and Family Services Commissioner DeMia Harris-Madden said,“This innovative and meaningful legislation is another example of the Governor’s commitment to addressing maternal and infant health. Introducing this premiere paid prenatal medical leave is a deliberate action to protect women and babies while promoting equitable workforce advancements. With more than 80 percent of pregnancy-related deaths being preventable, increased access to consistent prenatal care without a penalty of lost wages will lead to positive health outcomes to include a reduction in pregnancy and birth complications.”

New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn said, “New York’s new Paid Prenatal Leave law will improve health outcomes for women by helping ensure that all pregnant workers in New York have the support and resources they need to access vital pregnancy-related health care. We are grateful to Governor Hochul for prioritizing maternal and infant health and well-being and for her steadfast commitment to supporting women and families in New York State.”