The Massachusetts House is set to debate a bill that would ease restrictions on late-term abortions, allowing doctors to perform the procedure based on their professional judgment. The bill, which has already passed the House Ways and Means Committee, would eliminate the existing four-pronged framework that enables abortions for pregnancies at or beyond 24 weeks in life-threatening situations for the patient or unborn child.

Background

The current framework allows for abortions after 24 weeks if necessary to preserve the patient’s life, physical or mental health, or if there is a lethal fetal anomaly or diagnosis. However, critics argue that the new bill would remove key guardrails for the procedure, allowing for the abortion of viable unborn children for any reason or no reason at all.

Republican Rep. Joseph McKenna, who described himself as a pro-life advocate, said the bill takes ‘unnecessary and unacceptable steps to expand abortion.’ He argued that the bill would send a message that the value of life is not important and that each abortion represents the lost life of an unborn child.

Support and Opposition

The Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, as well as several other healthcare organizations, have expressed support for the bill, arguing that the current framework does not adequately meet the needs of all patients. On the other hand, the Massachusetts Family Institute has strongly opposed the bill, stating that it would allow for the ‘killing of viable babies for any reason, or no reason at all.’

According to the Department of Public Health, there were 99 abortions performed at 24 weeks or later in 2024, compared to 84 in 2023. Reproductive Equity Now, an advocacy organization, says that abortion care after 24 weeks represents less than 1% of terminations in the United States.

Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.