New York, NY, Tuesday, January 13, 2026 – As the New York State 2026 Legislative Session begins, the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (“WBASNY”) thanks the Legislature and Governor Kathy Hochul for their leadership in passing and signing into law important legislation that WBASNY supports.
The legislation A.1502 (Rosenthal)/S.1548 (Fernandez) amends the General Business Law to prohibit the use of certain restricted and toxic substances in menstrual products. Research has shown that feminine hygiene products contain toxic substances that can cause serious adverse health effects, including damaging the cardiovascular, nervous, and endocrine systems. The presence of toxic substances, including toxic metals, may ultimately put women at higher risk for illnesses associated with metal toxicity despite meeting federal safety standards. WBASNY commends New York’s leaders for taking additional steps, above the minimum requirements, to protect women’s health across the State.
The legislation A.2311-A (Zaccaro)/S.1807-A (Fernandez) removes the imposition of a fee for the issuance of a certificate of stillbirth or pregnancy loss. No parent desires to receive such a certificate, yet it serves as a vital acknowledgment of their child’s life and a testament to their grief. This document is more than just a piece of paper; it is a meaningful symbol of remembrance. There should be no financial burden or barrier – no matter how small – to acquire this document. WBASNY applauds the thoughtfulness and compassion in amending the public health law.
The legislation A.8297 (Lunsford)/S.8374 (Persaud) creates and implements a pilot program to provide state-funded alternative dispute resolution (“ADR”) for child support matters. This legislation will help facilitate more efficient resolution of child support matters through dispute resolution rather than court resources. Additionally, the use of non-court approaches to resolve disputes, especially for the many litigants in child support cases who are self-represented, helps ensure that justice is delivered promptly with fewer court appearances.
With the understanding that this is a pilot program, WBASNY is interested in being part of the solution by participating with the team analyzing the program. WBASNY members practicing in this area have observed that the success of ADR programs depends significantly on mediators’ training, experience, and commitment. Therefore, WBASNY encourages input from practitioners in this field, not only on the regulations governing the pilot but also on the training and selection of mediators. The program’s effectiveness relies on the shared dedication to achieving fair and equitable outcomes, and WBASNY’s membership brings a longstanding history of expertise in this area of law.
The “Jack Reid Law: Protect All Students Act” A.5403-A (Solages)/S.4544-B (Hoylman-Sigal) broadens protections against bullying to include every student in the State of New York. While bullying and harassment remain persistent issues, New York took meaningful steps to address these problems in public schools in 2010 with the passage of the Dignity for All Students Act. The 2010 law only covered students in public schools, and until now, students attending nonpublic schools were not guaranteed the same safeguards. Every child deserves a safe and supportive educational environment where they are free to be themselves. With the passage of this law, New York effectively closes this gap, ensuring that all students—regardless of the type of school they attend—are protected from bullying and harassment.
WBASNY has a long and honored history of advocating for women and children through its commitment to equality and fair treatment. These new laws extend compassion to families, add additional health protections for New Yorkers, further promote fair treatment for all, and create greater access to justice. WBASNY is grateful to all who had a role in creating these new laws and is hopeful of building upon these successes in the new legislative session.
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The Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY) is the professional membership organization of choice for more than 4,100 attorneys throughout New York State and the largest statewide women’s bar association in the country. For 45 years, WBASNY has been a singularly important resource for women lawyers, providing professional networking, continuing legal education programming, leadership training, and advocacy for the rights of women, children, and families. Through involvement with WBASNY’s 20 regional chapters and its 50 committees, WBASNY’s members collaborate with one another on a variety of issues and perform public and community service, in furtherance of its mission to promote the advancement of the status of women in society and women in the legal profession; to promote the fair and equal administration of justice; and to act as a unified voice for its members with respect to issues of statewide, national and international significance to women generally and women attorneys in particular. WBASNY holds United Nations NGO status with the U.N.’s Department of Public Information, and Special Consultative status in association with the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). WBASNY is also a founding member of the National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations.