The Massachusetts Senate passed a measure Friday (July 31) that, if signed by Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, will allow abortions up until birth for any reason. The Senate fast-tracked the bill to avoid the full committee process so the full body could vote on it before the formal session ended that afternoon.
Current state law allows abortion for the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. After that, abortion is allowed only if a physician believes it is necessary to save the mother’s life or her physical or mental health, or if the baby has a lethal fetal anomaly or would not be able to survive outside the womb.
The new bill removes those restrictions and simply says that after 24 weeks “an abortion may be performed by a physician based upon the professional judgment of the physician.” It also removes a stipulation that abortions must be performed in a “duly authorized hospital,” and it strikes a requirement that abortion facilities must submit a yearly report on its procedures and processes for performing abortions.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by and originally published by Decision Magazine.
