Assemblymember Jaffee has been fighting for solutions on issues that often have a direct impact on the lives of Rockland women, youth and families including high quality, affordable child care and early childhood education, reproductive rights, pay equity, workforce training for women, early detection of breast cancer, protective treatment for victims of sexual assault, pushing for federal re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act as well as passing extensive anti-domestic violence legislation, strengthening treatment for women struggling with substance abuse, alleviating homelessness among women veterans, and increasing awareness of issues affecting women at every age.

Fighting Discrimination: From wage discrimination to unfair insurance practices, Jaffee will always be there making sure that everyone has an equal opportunity.

Equal Pay: Ellen Jaffee, an outspoken advocate for pay equity, has sponsored legislation to help close the gender wage gap Jaffee’s law created a work force training program in the Department of Labor that includes up-to-date information about careers that offer a higher salary and compensation as well as counseling, skills development and training to ensure that women who visit state workforce training centers will be informed of higher-paying jobs traditionally held by men that they too qualify for and that they may have been steered away from in the past.

Boss Bill Jaffee’s bill would close a glaring loop hole in New York’s workplace anti-discrimination laws by banning employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of their reproductive health decisions.

Women’s Health Whether it’s advocating for reproductive rights or making sure women know about cancer risks, Assemblymember Jaffee has been advocating for better health outcomes her entire career.

Women’s Equality: In 2103, Governor Cuomo proposed a 10-point Women’s Equality Agenda. Many of these pieces of legislation had previously passed in the Assembly. In the fall of 2015 nine separate bills were signed by the Governor into law. These laws will now help provide a path to women’s full equality by: securing equal pay and fair access to housing; combating employment discrimination, sexual harassment, domestic violence and human trafficking; protecting women’s health. As a member of the New York State Bi-Partisan Pro-Choice Legislative Caucus Jaffee knows the so called “10th point” of WEA was essential to the package. New York State’s outdated law protecting women’s reproductive rights was written before the landmark 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade and does not comply with federal law. The proposed reproductive health component in the 10- point package would have brought New York State law up to date with federal law and allow a woman and her doctor to make personal health decisions when necessary to protect her life or health. Jaffee continues to fight for this right for all NY women as guaranteed by our US constitution. 

Breast Density Dense breast tissue can hide cancers on a mammogram and may increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. With bi-partisan support and signed by the Governor this legislation not only seeks to provide a woman with this medical finding and encourages a follow-up conversation with her doctor about supplemental screening, it also has become a model legislation for other states. Providing further information on dense breasts, both houses passed Jaffee’s new bill this year.