H 1599 Massachusetts House · 193rd Legislature (2023-2024)

An Act enhancing access to abortion care

This bill amends Massachusetts state law to broaden the scope of medical protections and definitions related to abortion care. It changes language to include individuals at risk of infection rather than those who have already been exposed and expands the definition of abortion-related services to include prevention measures. The legislation also clarifies that a doctor's conscientious objection cannot be used to deny care if the procedure is necessary to save a patient's life and no other staff are available. Additionally, it updates legal terminology to refer to a wider range of licensed health professionals, such as nurse practitioners and midwives, as qualified providers for these services.
Bill status passed 3 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2023
Committee Review
Feb 2023
Senate Passage
Jul 2024
Governor
Introduced Feb 16, 2023 Last action Sep 3, 2024
Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate. No roll call record of that vote is available.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
10
Key actions
4
Committee
1
Jul 25, 2024
Upper · Passed
Senate concurred
upper
May 20, 2024
Upper · Passed
Senate concurred
upper
Apr 1, 2024
Upper · Passed
Senate concurred
upper
Feb 16, 2023
Upper · Passed
Senate concurred
upper
Feb 16, 2023
Committee
Referred to the committee on The Judiciary
lower
0 primary · 33 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.