JULY 22, 2023
Representative Mike Connolly joined his Cambridge and Somerville colleagues in the the Massachusetts House of Representatives today to pass a "An Act Prioritizing Patient Access to Care," which expands access to abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy, ensuring that physicians can provide medically necessary abortion care based on their professional medical judgment. The original bill, H.2370, was co-sponsored by Rep. Connolly and filed by Reps. Barber of Somerville and Sabadosa of Northampton.
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 reaffirms Massachusetts' unwavering commitment to protecting reproductive freedom by ensuring that decisions about pregnancy and abortion care are made solely between a patient and their physician," Representative Mike Connolly said. "As reproductive rights continue to face attacks across the country, Massachusetts will continue to protect access to essential health care, empower physicians to exercise their professional judgment without fear, and ensure that every patient can receive the medically appropriate care they need.”
The bill passed today removes existing requirements that limit abortions at 24 weeks of pregnancy or later to specific medical circumstances or exceptions, 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 the Roe Act of 2020, and the Shield Law protections first enacted in 2022 in the wake of the Dobbs decision and expanded again in 2025, this 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, where a vote is expected as early as next week.
