Governor Maura Healey Signs Law Removing Abortion Gestational Limits

Governor Maura Healey signed the Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act on August 10, 2026, removing all state restrictions on abortions performed after 24 weeks of pregnancy. The new law, H 5595, replaces a restrictive four-pronged framework for life-threatening situations with a standard that allows abortions at any point in pregnancy based on the professional medical judgment of a licensed physician. Massachusetts becomes the 11th U.S. jurisdiction to impose no such limits.

The legislation also expands the state's Shield Law, which prohibits state and local authorities from cooperating with federal or out-of-state investigations into healthcare services that are legal within Massachusetts. The bill was fast-tracked through the House and Senate in late July and will take effect in 90 days.

Supporters, including State Senator Robyn Kennedy and reproductive rights advocates, argue the law ensures medical decisions are made by doctors rather than the legal system and prevents patients from traveling out of state for care. Conversely, opponents including the state's four Catholic bishops, the Massachusetts Family Institute, and SBA Pro-Life America condemned the measure as radical and immoral. Marjorie Dannenfelser of SBA Pro-Life America used the signing to urge the GOP to abandon its position of leaving abortion laws to the states in favor of national protections for unborn children.