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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1390 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1784
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Jeffrey Rosario Turco
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to protecting women’s health; preserving maternal and unborn child life.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Jeffrey Rosario Turco19th Suffolk1/18/2023Joseph D. McKenna18th Worcester1/18/2023Kelly W. Pease4th Hampden1/31/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1390 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1784
By Representative Turco of Winthrop, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1784) of
Jeffrey Rosario Turco, Joseph D. McKenna and Kelly W. Pease relative to preserving maternal
life and the life of unborn children in the performance of abortions or instances of miscarriages.
The Judiciary.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act relative to protecting women’s health; preserving maternal and unborn child life.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 12N of Chapter 112 of the General Laws, as so appearing in the
22020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out section 12N, as amended by section
312N of chapter 263 of the Acts of 2020, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-
4 Section 12N. Protecting women’s health
5 Notwithstanding section 12L, for the purpose of preventing maternal death from abortion
6or miscarriage as pregnancy progresses, no physician may perform or induce, or attempt to
7perform or induce an abortion or cause a miscarriage on any female in a stage of pregnancy after
8the second trimester unless the following conditions are met: (a) the procedure is performed in a
9hospital and (b) the physician and two consulting physicians certify, and so enter in the hospital
10record of the female, that in their medical opinion, based upon their best clinical judgment, the
11continuation of the pregnancy is likely to result in the death of the female. 2 of 2
12 SECTION 2. Section 12O of Chapter 112 of the General Laws, as so appearing in the
132020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out section 12O, as amended by section
1412O of chapter 263 of the Acts of 2020, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-
15 Section 12O. Preserving maternal life and life of unborn child
16 Notwithstanding section 12L, for the purpose of preserving maternal life and the life of
17an unborn child following abortion or miscarriage, if an abortion is performed or a miscarriage is
18caused pursuant to section 12N, the hospital where the procedure is performed shall provide life-
19saving measures and equipment, as defined by the department of public health, and the physician
20performing the abortion or causing the miscarriage shall employ the life-saving measures and
21equipment to preserve the life and health of the mother and to save the life of the unborn child, if
22the unborn child exhibits any clearly visible, audible, or otherwise discernable evidence of
23viability.