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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2651 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2370
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Christine P. Barber and Lindsay N. Sabadosa
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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 prioritizing patient access to care.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Christine P. Barber34th Middlesex1/16/2025Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/16/2025Sally P. Kerans13th Essex1/30/2025Kristin E. Kassner2nd Essex1/30/2025Rebecca L. RauschNorfolk, Worcester and Middlesex1/30/2025Samantha Montaño15th Suffolk1/30/2025Natalie M. Higgins4th Worcester1/30/2025Simon Cataldo14th Middlesex1/30/2025Jennifer Balinsky Armini8th Essex2/12/2025Manny Cruz7th Essex2/10/2025Marjorie C. Decker25th Middlesex2/14/2025Carmine Lawrence Gentile13th Middlesex2/15/2025James K. Hawkins2nd Bristol2/11/2025Patrick Joseph Kearney4th Plymouth2/5/2025Mary S. Keefe15th Worcester3/4/2025David Paul Linsky5th Middlesex2/13/2025Jay D. Livingstone8th Suffolk3/6/2025Steven Owens29th Middlesex2/14/2025 2 of 2
Adrianne Pusateri Ramos14th Essex3/6/2025Margaret R. Scarsdale1st Middlesex3/3/2025Danillo A. Sena37th Middlesex2/3/2025Erika Uyterhoeven27th Middlesex2/6/2025Susannah M. Whipps2nd Franklin2/12/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2651 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2370
By Representatives Barber of Somerville and Sabadosa of Northampton, a petition (accompanied
by bill, House, No. 2370) of Christine P. Barber, Lindsay N. Sabadosa and others relative to
pregnancies existing for 24 weeks or more. Public Health.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act prioritizing patient access to care.
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 appearing in the 2022
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 1 through 9, the words “no abortion
3may be performed except by a physician, and only if in the best medical judgment of the
4physician it is: (i) necessary to preserve the life of the patient; (ii) necessary to preserve the
5patient's physical or mental health; (iii) warranted because of a lethal fetal anomaly or diagnosis;
6or (iv) warranted because of a grave fetal diagnosis that indicates that the fetus is incompatible
7with sustained life outside of the uterus without extraordinary medical interventions.” and
8inserting in place thereof the following words:- an abortion may be performed when based upon
9the professional judgment of the physician.
10 SECTION 2. Section 12N1/2 of said chapter 112, as so appearing in the 2022 Official
11Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines1 through 4 the words “(a) Each circumstance
12permitting an abortion for a pregnancy that has existed for 24 weeks or more under section 12N 2 of 2
13shall be considered independently by a treating physician and a patient or the patient's health care
14proxy.”
15 SECTION 3. Said section 12N1/2 of said chapter 112, as so appearing, is hereby further
16amended by striking out, in line 5, the words “a determination by” and inserting in place thereof
17the following words:- “the professional judgment of”.
18 SECTION 4. Said section 12N1/2 of said chapter 112, as so appearing, is hereby further
19amended by striking out subsection (b).
20 SECTION 5. Section 12P of said chapter 112, as so appearing in the 2022 Official
21Edition, is hereby further amended by striking out the second paragraph.