Massachusetts Enacts Law Removing Abortion Restrictions Through All Nine Months

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed Bill H.5595, titled the “Prioritizing Patients’ Access to Care Act,” into law on August 10. The legislation removes previous state restrictions on abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy, allowing the procedure to be performed through all nine months based on the professional judgment of a single physician. The law also includes provisions for the use of taxpayer funds for these services.

The bill passed the state legislature with significant support, though it faced opposition from nine Democratic lawmakers who broke with their party to vote against the measure. State Representative Jeffrey Turco, one of the dissenting Democrats, publicly criticized the legislation as an extreme and dangerous expansion of abortion access. Proponents of the bill have characterized the measure as a necessary step to expand healthcare access for patients in the state.