HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 460        FILED ON: 1/13/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2070

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Ellen Story and David Paul Linsky

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to improve health care for young women.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Ellen Story

3rd Hampshire

1/13/2015

David Paul Linsky

5th Middlesex

1/26/2015

Ruth B. Balser

12th Middlesex

1/26/2015

Christine P. Barber

34th Middlesex

2/1/2015

Jennifer E. Benson

37th Middlesex

1/21/2015

William N. Brownsberger

Second Suffolk and Middlesex

1/28/2015

Gailanne M. Cariddi

1st Berkshire

1/15/2015

Marjorie C. Decker

25th Middlesex

1/26/2015

Sal N. DiDomenico

Middlesex and Suffolk

2/4/2015

Michelle M. DuBois

10th Plymouth

1/22/2015

Carolyn C. Dykema

8th Middlesex

1/28/2015

Lori A. Ehrlich

8th Essex

1/22/2015

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

1/30/2015

Sean Garballey

23rd Middlesex

1/30/2015

Anne M. Gobi

Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire and Middlesex

2/3/2015

Carlos Gonzalez

10th Hampden

2/2/2015

Kenneth I. Gordon

21st Middlesex

1/22/2015

Danielle W. Gregoire

4th Middlesex

1/29/2015

Jonathan Hecht

29th Middlesex

2/2/2015

Paul R. Heroux

2nd Bristol

1/22/2015

Kevin G. Honan

17th Suffolk

2/4/2015

Jay R. Kaufman

15th Middlesex

1/29/2015

Mary S. Keefe

15th Worcester

1/30/2015

John F. Keenan

Norfolk and Plymouth

1/29/2015

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

1/26/2015

Peter V. Kocot

1st Hampshire

1/28/2015

Stephen Kulik

1st Franklin

1/22/2015

Barbara A. L'Italien

Second Essex and Middlesex

1/30/2015

Jay D. Livingstone

8th Suffolk

2/4/2015

Joseph W. McGonagle, Jr.

28th Middlesex

1/28/2015

Sarah K. Peake

4th Barnstable

1/15/2015

Alice Hanlon Peisch

14th Norfolk

1/29/2015

Denise Provost

27th Middlesex

1/21/2015

David M. Rogers

24th Middlesex

1/26/2015

Byron Rushing

9th Suffolk

2/3/2015

Daniel J. Ryan

2nd Suffolk

1/30/2015

Tom Sannicandro

7th Middlesex

1/30/2015

John W. Scibak

2nd Hampshire

1/29/2015

Frank I. Smizik

15th Norfolk

2/2/2015

Jose F. Tosado

9th Hampden

2/2/2015

Aaron Vega

5th Hampden

1/28/2015

Chris Walsh

6th Middlesex

1/28/2015

Ann-Margaret Ferrante

5th Essex

1/16/2015


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 460        FILED ON: 1/13/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2070

By Representatives Story of Amherst and Linsky of Natick, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2070) of Ellen Story, David Paul Linsky and others relative to consent and counseling of pregnant women under sixteen years of age.  Public Health.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2092 OF 2013-2014.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

_______________

 

An Act to improve health care for young women.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

The second paragraph of section 12S of chapter 112 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth sentences and inserting in place thereof the following:-

If a pregnant woman is less than sixteen years of age and has not married, no physician may perform an abortion upon her unless the attending physician has received and made part of the medical record the written consent of the pregnant woman and: 

(1)the written consent of a parent, a legal guardian, a foster parent, or an adult family member twenty-five years of age or older; or   

(2)the authorization of a judge of the superior court department of the trial court; or   

(3)the written certification by an authorized individual that he has counseled the pregnant woman regarding alternative choices available to manage the pregnancy and the option of involving the woman's parents, guardians, or other adult family members in her decision-making. 

An authorized individual shall be either a medical professional registered under section two, nine F, seventy-four, or seventy-four A of this chapter, or a mental health professional licensed under section one hundred nineteen or one hundred thirty-one of this chapter.  The commissioner of public health shall prescribe a form for the authorized individual to use in certifying that he has provided counseling in accordance with this section.  A family member shall be one of the pregnant woman’s grandparents or their lineal descendants, including those by adoption, and spouses of any such persons. 

If a pregnant woman less than sixteen years of age has not married and she elects to seek the authorization of a judge of the superior court department of the trial court, the judge shall, upon petition or motion, and after an appropriate hearing, authorize a physician to perform the abortion if said judge determines that the pregnant woman is mature and capable of giving informed consent to the proposed abortion or, if said judge determines that she is not mature, that the performance of an abortion upon her would be in her best interests. A pregnant woman less than sixteen years of age may participate in proceedings in the superior court department of the trial court on her own behalf, and the court may appoint a guardian ad litem for her.