Democratic Gov. Maura Healey signed the Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act on Monday, removing Massachusetts' gestational limits on abortion and making the state the 10th in the nation to permit the procedure up to birth.
The legislation grants health care workers greater discretion in determining whether to perform abortions later in pregnancy without facing legal penalties under the state's previous restrictions. State law had previously prohibited most abortions after 24 weeks, with narrow exceptions for cases involving maternal health complications or fatal fetal diagnoses.
"We believe that health care decisions should be made between women and families and their doctors, not politicians," Healey said at the bill signing ceremony. "Abortion will remain safe. It will remain legal, and it will remain accessible here in Massachusetts."
The bill is scheduled to take effect 90 days after the signing. Massachusetts now joins Alaska, Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, and Vermont—along with Washington, D.C.—in eliminating gestational age limits on abortion.
What the Right Is Saying
Opponents of late-term abortion expansion argue that removing gestational limits goes beyond protecting maternal health and eliminates important protections for viable unborn children. Conservative groups contend that such legislation represents an extreme position unsupported by most Americans.
Critics note that 24-week viability standards reflected medical consensus about fetal development and provided a framework balancing women's health concerns with potential fetal life. They argue that laws permitting abortion through all nine months effectively eliminate any legal recognition of the unborn at later gestational stages.
Republican legislators in Massachusetts have previously proposed amendments seeking to restore some gestational limits, arguing that such decisions should include consideration of fetal pain capability and viability outside the womb. National Republican officials have called for federal legislation establishing baseline protections, though such measures face an uncertain path in Congress.
What the Left Is Saying
Healey framed the legislation as a protective measure for families facing difficult medical circumstances late in pregnancy. She argued that removing gestational restrictions ensures Massachusetts residents do not have to travel out of state when confronted with maternal health complications or fatal fetal diagnoses.
"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," Healey said. "I stand with women."
Abortion rights advocates celebrated the signing as a safeguard against potential federal restrictions. The governor emphasized her commitment to maintaining abortion access regardless of actions by President Donald Trump or Republicans in Congress.
"It is up to the states to lead," Healey stated. "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."
What the Numbers Show
Massachusetts becomes the 10th jurisdiction—9 states plus Washington, D.C.—to allow abortion without gestational time limits following the Supreme Court's 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which returned abortion regulation authority to individual states.
The previous Massachusetts law permitted abortions after 24 weeks only in cases of lethal fetal anomaly or when the pregnant person's physical health was at risk. The new law expands provider discretion for later-term procedures without requiring documentation of specific medical justifications.
Nationally, approximately one percent of all abortions occur after 21 weeks of gestation, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Late-term abortion procedures in cases of maternal health emergencies or severe fetal diagnoses represent a small subset of these cases.
The Bottom Line
The Massachusetts legislation represents a significant expansion of abortion access in a state already considered among the most permissive in the nation for reproductive rights. Healey described the law as a "shield" against potential national restrictions under the Trump administration and conservative majorities in Congress.
With 10 states now operating without gestational limits on abortion, the policy divergence between conservative and progressive states has intensified following the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision that returned abortion regulation to state legislatures. Legal challenges to state-level restrictions are expected to continue, while federal action on abortion remains uncertain given political divisions in Congress.