Massachusetts Removes Abortion Limits: Healey Signs Bill Allowing Procedure Up to Birth

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed legislation on Monday, August 10, eliminating the state’s 24-week abortion limit. The Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act allows physicians to perform abortions at any stage of pregnancy based on professional judgment, making Massachusetts the 10th state without a gestational age limit. The law takes effect in 90 days and removes requirements that late-term abortions occur in hospitals.

What the new law changes

The law replaces Massachusetts’ previous four-part framework that allowed abortions after 24 weeks only in life-threatening situations or severe fetal abnormalities. Under the new rule, an abortion may be performed by a physician based upon professional judgment. The law also eliminates the requirement that late-term abortions be performed in hospital settings, allowing licensed physicians to provide them in other eligible health care centers. Medical review processes can no longer override the treating physician’s judgment or the patient’s decision.

Why Healey pushed the bill through quickly

The House passed the bill on July 22 by a vote of 119-33, with all voting Republicans opposed. The Senate followed on July 31, the last day of its formal session. Healey cited the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade and noted that one in three women in America now live in a state with an abortion ban. She said the law ensures families facing medical complications late in pregnancy can receive care in Massachusetts rather than traveling out of state.

Massachusetts joins nine other states without limits

Massachusetts now joins Alaska, Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and the District of Columbia in removing gestational age limits on abortion. According to state data, Massachusetts recorded 99 abortions at 24 weeks or later in 2024, compared to 84 in 2023. Healey said the law allows new patients to get the care they need in Massachusetts without traveling elsewhere.

Opposition from religious and Republican lawmakers

The Catholic bishops of Massachusetts called the law a radical measure that is gravely immoral. Nine Democratic representatives also voted against the bill: Brian Ashe, Lisa Field, Michael Finn, Dennis Gallagher, Russell Holmes, Christopher Markey, Francisco Paulino, Alan Silvia, and Jeffrey Turco. Healey, a Catholic and longtime abortion rights advocate, pledged that regardless of federal actions, Massachusetts will continue ensuring women and families have access to the health care they need.

Final Thoughts

Massachusetts now permits abortion at any stage of pregnancy based on physician judgment, joining nine other states and D.C. without gestational limits. The law takes effect in 90 days and reflects a sharp divergence from states with near-total bans following the 2022 Supreme Court ruling.

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