HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3995        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

David F. DeCoste and Jeffrey Rosario Turco

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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 relative to ensuring resources and support for pregnant and parenting families.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3995        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 217

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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An Act relative to ensuring resources and support for pregnant and parenting families.

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

SECTION 1: Chapter 111 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following section:- Section 51B ½. (a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings: “Pregnancy and Parenting Resources”, services provided by any organization, such as a non-profit pregnancy support center, community centers, homeless shelters, churches, or pregnancy medical centers, that: (1) supports expectant mothers in promoting pregnancy equality; and (2) offers resources and services to mothers, fathers, and families, including but not limited to, relationship counseling, ultrasounds, options counseling and support, prenatal and pregnancy education, pregnancy testing, diapers, baby clothes, or material supports. ”Government Resources”, any government or non-government website, advertisement on billboards, buses, trains, garbage cans, television commercials, and social media platforms, that either encourage or dissuade pregnant women from seeking pregnancy and parenting resources. (b) All state agencies shall provide accurate and unbiased information about pregnancy and parenting resources available to families, including, but not limited to, food assistance and breastfeeding support, parenting support and educational assistance, home-based services, financial assistance for childcare, tangible items to assist with parenting, counseling, and other essential needed resources. (c) Official governmental resources shall provide information about available resources and facilities or non-profits that provide pregnancy and parenting resources. Official governmental resources shall not be used to discourage women from seeking pregnancy and parenting resources, food assistance & breastfeeding support, parenting support and educational assistance, home-based services, financial assistance for childcare, tangible items to assist with parenting, and counseling, among others. (d) All state agencies shall cease any efforts to dissuade women from accessing support from government or non-governmental entities or non-profits that provide resources to pregnant or parenting families. Any state agency, including the department of public health, that deals with the well-being of pregnant shall equally promote all facilities serving the needs of pregnant mothers, including, but not limited to, licensed medical facilities and pregnancy resource centers. All state laws or department regulations in conflict with this bill shall be unenforceable under state law.

Nothing within this bill shall be construed to prevent any non-profit pregnancy support center, community center, homeless shelter, church, or pregnancy medical center from filing injunctions in the appropriate venue to enforce any section of this bill. SECTION 2. Subsections (a) – (c) shall take effect 90 days after the passage of this act. SECTION 3. Subsection (d) of this section shall take effect immediately upon passage of this act.