Massachusetts lawmakers have approved legislation allowing physicians greater discretion to perform abortions after the 24th week of pregnancy, sending the bill to Governor Maura Healey for her signature.
“This legislation is about ensuring that in Massachusetts, reproductive health care decisions are made exclusively by the patient and her doctor — unencumbered by a legal framework that, in practice, isn’t always capable of accounting for the complexity and uncertainty inherent to pregnancy-related health care,” House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano, a Democrat representing Quincy, said in a statement after the bill passed the House of Representatives.
“These reforms will ensure that Massachusetts remains steadfast in our commitment to protecting a woman’s right to choose,” he added.
Under current Massachusetts law, abortion is permitted for any reason until 24 weeks of pregnancy. After that point, it is permitted only if a physician determines it is necessary to protect the life or physical or mental health of the mother, or in cases involving a fatal fetal diagnosis or severe fetal anomaly.
The new legislation, entitled the Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act, passed the Massachusetts House of Representatives on July 22 and the Senate on July 31. According to a statement issued after its passage, the measure removes those statutory restrictions, instead allowing “licensed physicians to rely on their best medical judgment when caring for patients”.
Following the bill’s passage in the House, the Massachusetts Catholic Conference issued a statement signed by four of the state’s bishops.
“As Catholic bishops, we have a moral responsibility to present and uphold Catholic teaching and the sacred God-given dignity of every human life from conception to natural death,” the July 29 statement said.
“The proposed elimination of any legal restraint on late-term abortion is, in our judgement, a radical measure which is gravely immoral,” the bishops added.
Massachusetts recognises a legal right to abortion under its constitution, a position that has also been affirmed by the state’s Supreme Judicial Court.
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, described the legislation as extreme and called for federal action on abortion policy.
“Massachusetts already allows abortion in the first 24 weeks, but that isn’t enough for Democrats whose party holds the position of no limits on abortion whatsoever. If Gov. Healey signs this bill into law, Massachusetts will join 10 states and Washington, D.C. with an all-trimester abortion policy where babies are killed after the point they can survive outside of the womb,” she said.
“These extreme laws that only 10% of Americans support are enabled by the ‘states-only’ philosophy on abortion. The GOP must abandon the failed ‘leave it to the states’ position and move the country toward a national protection for unborn children across this nation,” she added.
Having passed both chambers of the Massachusetts legislature, the bill now awaits Governor Healey’s signature. Healey, who identifies as Catholic, has consistently supported abortion rights.
