Massachusetts Governor Signs Sweeping Bill Allowing Abortions Up To Birth

Massachusetts governor Maura Healey,  has signed legislation removing the state’s previous 24-week gestational limit on abortion, allowing physicians greater discretion to perform abortions later in pregnancy under specified circumstances.

Healey signed the Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act on Monday, making Massachusetts the 10th US state to remove gestational age limits on abortion, joining Alaska, Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon and Vermont. The District of Columbia has also eliminated such limits.

The new law, which takes effect in 90 days, gives healthcare providers greater protection when providing abortion care later in pregnancy and removes potential legal penalties under the state’s previous restrictions.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Healey said the legislation was designed to ensure that women and families facing serious medical complications during pregnancy could access care within Massachusetts instead of travelling to other states.

She cited circumstances including severe complications affecting a mother’s health and diagnoses indicating that a fetus would not survive.

“We believe that health care decisions should be made between women and families and their doctors, not politicians,” Healey said.

“Abortion will remain safe. It will remain legal, and it will remain accessible here in Massachusetts. That’s my commitment to you.”

The governor also described the legislation as a safeguard against potential federal efforts to restrict abortion access following the US Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

“It is up to the states to lead,” Healey said. “And as governor, I promise that no matter what Donald Trump or Republicans in Congress or the Supreme Court does, we’re going to continue to make sure that women and families have access to the health care that they need, right here in Massachusetts.”

Healey also accused opponents of the law of failing to prioritise women’s health, saying the legislation was intended to “stand with women.”

“The bottom line for people in Massachusetts, if you care about women’s health, if you care about making sure that women are able to access the health care that they need in consultation with their doctors, should be clear,” she said. “I stand with women. My opponents do not.”

The legislation has, however, drawn strong criticism from abortion opponents.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America, condemned the law as “egregious,” arguing that it would increase access to abortions later in pregnancy.

“It should shock the conscience that tens of thousands of unborn Americans are barbarically dismembered limb by limb and torn apart every single year,” Dannenfelser said.

She called on Republicans to move beyond allowing individual states to determine abortion policy and instead pursue federal protections for unborn children.

“Without a minimum national standard, the United States remains 1 of only 8 countries worldwide that allows abortion at any point in pregnancy,” Dannenfelser said.

According to SBA Pro-Life America, the other countries it identifies as permitting abortion at any point in pregnancy are Australia, Canada, China, Guinea-Bissau, Mexico, South Korea and Vietnam.

The Massachusetts law marks another significant development in the continuing US debate over abortion rights, with states increasingly adopting sharply different policies since the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion in 2022.