Press Room

The Massachusetts House of Representatives today passed a bill updating state law governing abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy, ensuring that physicians can provide medically necessary abortion care based on their professional medical judgment.

Dozens of patients annually are forced to travel out of state to obtain abortion care later in pregnancy because of existing legal restrictions, according to Reproductive Equity Now. This legislation helps ensure that patients can receive medical care in Massachusetts from their providers.

“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,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “These reforms will ensure that Massachusetts remains steadfast in our commitment to protecting a woman’s right to choose. I want to thank Chair Michlewitz, Chair Day, Chair Barber, and Representative Sabadosa for working to uplift the voices of women who have endured unimaginable hardships during their pregnancies, as well as all my colleagues in the House for ensuring that Massachusetts remains a national leader in protecting access to reproductive health care.”

“As women’s rights face continued attacks from both the Federal government and other states, we here in the Commonwealth will continue to do to protect these rights. By centering these conversations between an individual and a physician, we will ensure every patient gets the care they need without unnecessary obstacles,” said Representative Aaron Michlewitz (D-Boston), Chair of the House Committee on Ways & Means. “We will not hesitate to act to protect reproductive rights and to ensure that our providers and patients are protected from being prevented from offering this critical form of healthcare. I want to thank Speaker Mariano, and all my other House colleagues for their continued support and commitment to this critical issue.”

“Our residents are the healthiest and Massachusetts is the number one state in the nation for healthcare because we continue to prioritize the professional medical judgment of our physicians and the health of our patients,” said Representative Michael S. Day (D-Stoneham), Chair of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary. “This bill reaffirms our commitment that Massachusetts allows our doctors to treat their patients by relying on their trained, professional judgment without fear, and it ensures that any patient can access the care they need without having to overcome potentially harmful restrictions not related to their health.”

“Throughout relentless attacks on reproductive rights, the Massachusetts House has prioritized the fundamental rights and health care of its residents,” said Representative Christine P. Barber (D-Somerville), sponsor of the bill. “This bill continues that work – it ensures access to care by empowering physicians to use their professional judgment to make decisions in the best interest of their patients. Pregnancy is complex, and this bill eliminates barriers and guarantees medical expertise as the standard of care. It comes down to a simple, but powerful conviction: decisions about abortion care must remain between a patient and their provider. No one else. With today’s vote, the House shows our commitment to protecting the rights of our residents of the Commonwealth.”

"The goal of passing this legislation is simple. Medical decisions should be made by a patient and their doctor,” said Representative Lindsay N. Sabadosa (D-Northampton), sponsor of the bill. “Massachusetts has one of the best health care systems in the country, and patients should be able to rely on their providers to deliver medically appropriate care without restrictions that can fail to account for the complexity of individual medical circumstances. By removing those barriers, we can ensure that no one has to leave Massachusetts to receive the care they need."

The bill passed today removes existing requirements that limit abortions at 24 weeks of pregnancy or later to specific medical circumstances, allowing licensed physicians to rely on their best medical judgment when caring for patients. Under current law, those circumstances must adhere to only four specific categories, which do not account for the full spectrum of medical conditions encountered by women and their doctors: protecting the patient's life or physical or mental health, or cases involving a lethal fetal anomaly or a grave fetal diagnosis.

Building on protections first enacted into law in 2022 and expanded in 2025, the bill prohibits third-party medical review processes from overriding medical treatment decisions made jointly by a patient, or their health care proxy, and their treating physician. The bill also permits treating physicians to perform these procedures in health care treatment centers in addition to hospitals, meeting the patients where they are seeking health care treatment.

The legislation passed the House of Representatives 119-33 and now goes to the Senate for consideration.