Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has signed a new law that removes specific restrictions on abortions performed later in pregnancy, replacing them with a standard based on a physician's professional judgment. The legislation, titled the Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act, was signed into law on Monday.
Previously, Massachusetts law restricted abortions at 24 weeks and later to cases involving the mother's life, physical or mental health, or severe fetal diagnoses. The new law removes these specific conditions, allowing abortions to be performed by a physician based on their professional judgment without explicit gestational limits or the requirement to establish particular maternal or fetal conditions.
During the signing ceremony, Governor Healey stated the law is intended to protect women. Critics, however, argue that the prior law already provided protections for women facing complex medical situations, and that the new legislation removes existing guardrails without offering new protections. The change shifts the legal standard from specific statutory conditions to the physician's professional discretion.
Supporters of abortion access contend that the decision should rest with the pregnant person and their doctor. Opponents, meanwhile, draw attention to the developmental stage of a fetus at 24 weeks, noting that babies at this stage are considered viable and have a chance of survival outside the womb with intensive medical care. They also point to public opinion polls that indicate a majority of Americans favor earlier restrictions on abortion.
This law places Massachusetts among a group of states that permit abortions later in pregnancy, with opponents characterizing such policies as outside the mainstream of public opinion and comparing them to regulations in some other countries. The debate surrounding late-term abortions often centers on the moral status of the fetus and the extent to which a person's life has intrinsic worth, regardless of external circumstances.