Supporters say hospitals are denying care the law already allows
The bill now heads to Healey, a Democrat who has signed previous legislation strengthening abortion protections in the state. It is expected to affect a small number of cases, according to its supporters.
Under existing Massachusetts law, abortion is legal during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. After that point, a procedure is allowed only if a physician using best medical judgment determines it is necessary to preserve the life or physical or mental health of the woman, because of a lethal fetal anomaly or diagnosis, or because the fetus is unlikely to survive outside the uterus.
Supporters of the new measure said that standard, as applied by hospitals, has led some facilities to deny procedures the law permits. The bill would place the final decision with physicians rather than with hospital administrators or institutional policies.
State Rep. Christine Barber cited a case in which a fetus had a stroke and was determined to be unlikely to survive. Barber said the patient was turned away for a late-pregnancy abortion despite meeting the legal criteria, according to the Associated Press.
The legislation reflects a broader pattern of states adjusting abortion policy in the years following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Democratic-led states have moved to expand or protect access while Republican-led states have enacted further restrictions. Massachusetts has positioned itself among the states strengthening reproductive protections, with Healey previously signing laws aimed at safeguarding abortion access.