(NewsNation) — Massachusetts will allow abortion up to delivery after Gov. Maura Healey signed legislation Monday extending abortion protections.
The new law applies to women experiencing serious pregnancy complications so they “can receive medically appropriate care from their medical providers they know and trust,” according to a press release.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, some state legislatures pushed abortion bans.
Abortion advocates say the new Massachusetts legislation strengthens patient protections and expands access to reproductive health care. In contrast, anti-abortionists say this is not a win.
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What does Massachusetts’ new abortion law say?
The Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act will grant health care workers more discretion in determining whether to perform an abortion later in pregnancy. It also protects them from facing legal penalties under the state’s previous restrictions.
The law is intended for families facing medical complications later in a pregnancy. It allows families to abort their babies in the state rather than traveling out of state.
“At a time when many states are banning abortion and endangering the lives of pregnant people, Massachusetts lawmakers are strengthening reproductive rights and access to compassionate care,” said Dominique Lee, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts.
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Massachusetts is now the 10th state to allow abortion up to birth. The law is scheduled to take effect in 90 days.
What does Massachusetts new abortion law change?
Previously, women could get abortions in Massachusetts up to 24 weeks, but physicians were required to determine whether a patient’s circumstances met a certain list of statutory exceptions before providing abortion care later in pregnancy.
The new law “allows physicians to exercise their professional medical judgment in accordance with accepted standards of care,” the governor’s office said.
The legislation also removes reporting and facility requirements “that providers said created unnecessary barriers to care.”
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“I’ve heard heartbreaking stories from women and families who were preparing to welcome a healthy baby into their family, only to receive devastating news later in their pregnancy,” Healey said. “In Massachusetts, we believe health care decisions should be made between women and their doctors.”
In some cases, families would travel far away and pay out of pocket for abortions.
But not all are on board with late-term abortions.
“It should shock the conscience that tens of thousands of unborn Americans are barbarically dismembered limb by limb and torn apart every single year,” SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said. “Sadly, that number will only increase with Gov. Healey’s approval of the Abortion Up Until Birth Bill. The GOP must abandon the ‘leave it to the states’ position – a stance that permits egregious late-term abortion laws like this one – and advance national protections for unborn children.”
Alaska, Colorado, District of Columbia, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon and Vermont, and now Massachusetts, permit abortions up to delivery.
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