Massachusetts House lawmakers on Wednesday approved a bill that would significantly ease restrictions on late-term abortions, sending the measure to the state Senate for consideration. The legislation, designated H.5595, passed by a vote of 119-33, House Speaker Ronald Mariano (D) announced.
If enacted, the bill would permit abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy as long as a doctor approves the procedure. Current state law allows late-term abortions only to protect the life or health of the pregnant person or in cases of severe fetal abnormalities. Supporters argue the existing restrictions force patients to travel out of state for care, often at great personal and financial cost.
State Rep. Christine Barber (D), a key sponsor, told the Boston Globe that the bill was prompted by cases where Massachusetts residents had to leave their support networks and pay out of pocket for medically necessary procedures. “You should be able to get care that your doctors are recommending here in Massachusetts,” Barber said.
Barber highlighted the case of Kate Dineen, who traveled 500 miles to a Maryland clinic in 2022 while 33 weeks pregnant after her baby suffered a stroke in utero. Dineen paid about $10,000 out of pocket for the procedure, the Globe reported.
Co-sponsor Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa (D) emphasized that Massachusetts has one of the best healthcare systems in the country, yet patients face barriers to care. “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,” she said in a statement.
The anti-abortion group Massachusetts Citizens for Life criticized the bill’s passage but acknowledged its sponsors had “good intentions.” Group president Myrna Maloney Flynn argued the measure would allow a single doctor to “subjectively decide that any unborn infant can be killed in or outside of a hospital.” Flynn contended that while women with pregnancy complications deserve support, this bill primarily boosts “abortion industry profits and taxpayer-funded late-term procedures.”
Major healthcare organizations in the Bay State, including the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, Mass General Brigham, UMass Memorial Health, Tufts Medicine, and Beth Israel Lahey Health, have backed the legislation. In a letter to Mariano, they urged passage, saying it would “empower physicians to use their professional judgment and clinical expertise to make decisions in the best interest of their patients.”
The bill now heads to the Senate, which must act before the legislative session ends on July 31. Governor Maura Healey (D), a supporter of reproductive rights, has not yet indicated whether she will sign the measure into law. The vote comes amid broader national debates over abortion access, with some states tightening restrictions and others expanding them, as seen in recent legal battles over federal funding conditions.
For more on related political developments, see our coverage of how Democratic states are suing the Trump administration over FEMA grant conditions tied to elections and immigration, and the ongoing House debate over an Iran war powers resolution. Massachusetts voters may also weigh in on other policy changes, such as a potential repeal of the state’s marijuana law, which could go to the ballot after a legal challenge failed.
