> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.newbostonpost.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Massachusetts House Passes Bill Allowing Abortions Past 24 Weeks For Any Reason - URL: https://www.newbostonpost.com/massachusetts-house-passes-bill-allowing-abortions-past-24-weeks-for-any-reason/ - Published: 2026-07-22T21:44:42.000Z - Updated: 2026-07-22T22:12:49.000Z - Description: The Massachusetts House voted 119-33 to allow abortions after 24 weeks for any reason an abortionist approves under their professional judgment. - Author: State House News Service - Tags: News, Politics, State Government, #lead, #morning-bell, morning-bell, #1, Massachusetts Alison Kuznitz and Ella Adams State House News Service Reps passed a bill Wednesday by a vote of 119-33 that eliminates the existing four-pronged framework enabling abortions for pregnancies at or beyond 24 weeks in life-threatening situations for the patient or fetus, instead putting into statute that "an abortion may be performed by a physician based upon the professional judgment of the physician." The bill aims "to remove language that has inadvertently erected legal barriers between a doctor and a patient at a time when the need for soundest medical judgment is most acute," Rep. Mike Day said on the floor, adding that the House is removing the four-pronged framework "because we've learned that those exceptions limited the best medical judgment of our doctors." Day said that in passing the bill, reps chose to "remove politics and third-party interference from one of the most serious healthcare conversations a patient can have with her doctor." Near the end of the session, Rep. Alice Peisch of Wellesley rose to argue that a Sutton Republican Rep. Joseph McKenna amendment was "beyond the scope of the bill" because it concerned "tax administration and the allocation of public funds," whereas the bill dealt with "the legal and medical standards governing the performance of an abortion." The chair ruled that the amendment – one of two, the other already having been withdrawn – be laid aside. The bill passed with a handful of Democrats joining Republicans in opposition. The House earlier in the day took final action on several local bills impacting Leominster, Milton, Carlisle and Watertown. The chamber meets next on Thursday morning in an informal session. The Democrat-controlled House passed legislation Wednesday that loosens restrictions on abortions that can be performed after 24 weeks of gestation, with supporters saying the policy change will enable more residents with serious complications to remain in Massachusetts rather than needing to travel out of state to seek care. The bill scraps the four types of exemptions currently outlined in statute for life-threatening situations for the mother or fetus, instead giving deference to doctors' professional judgment. The House passed the bill on a 119-33 vote, with all Republicans who voted casting their votes against the bill. Democrats who rejected the bill included Reps. Brian Ashe, Lisa Field, Michael Finn, Dennis Gallagher, Russell Holmes, Christopher Markey, Francisco Paulino, Alan Silvia and Jeffrey Turco. Rep. Susannah Whipps, the chamber's only Independent member, voted yes. Judiciary Committee Chair Rep. Michael Day said the law has evolved as Beacon Hill works to ensure women "have the freedom to make their own reproductive decisions" and respond to feedback from physicians who've been unable to provide abortion after 24 weeks. "What we have done through the years, through three different iterations now, is try to get it right so that we get out of the way, and the medical professional can have a discussion with the expectant mother to seek the best care for that individual (as) possible," Day told reporters ahead of the vote. Public Health Committee Chair Rep. Marjorie Decker said the legislation ensures medical decisions are rooted in medical judgment rather than legal risks. "This bill does not tell a patient what decision to make. It does not force anyone to have an abortion. It does not take decision making away from the patients," Decker said on the House floor. "It says that when a patient and their doctor are making a deeply personal and complex medical decision, the commonwealth continues to trust them." The House laid aside an amendment from Republican Rep. Joseph McKenna of Sutton that would have allowed Bay Staters to indicate they don't want any of their tax liability used on abortion services. Assistant Majority Leader Alice Peisch argued the bill revolves around "legal and medical standards" for abortion procedures, while McKenna's policy focused on "tax administration and the allocation of public funds." Branch leaders decided his amendment was "beyond the scope" of the legislation. Republican Rep. Michael Soter of Bellingham spoke in opposition to a provision of the bill he said would do away with Department of Public Health reporting requirements for abortion services facilities to detail their procedures and processes. But bill co-sponsor Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa of Northampton responded to Soter's comments on the floor to say that the DPH reporting requirements are still in statute in another section of the bill, aside from the section being scrapped. Rep. Kelly Pease, a Westfield Republican, said he was blindsided by the legislation and called abortion a "terrible thing." "I think most of our caucus was. It's like, where did this come from?" Pease told the News Service Wednesday morning. "I don't see how I'm going to be in favor of a bill that allows babies over six months to be terminated when they're probably viable outside the womb, unless there's extenuating circumstances, and this kind of just takes away some of the safeguards that were in place before." The legislation now heads to the Senate. House Speaker Ron Mariano said he hasn't had "any conversations about this particular issue" with the Senate.