“Right now, we’re asking doctors to also be lawyers,” said Massachusetts state Senator Robyn Kennedy, who filed the bill.
A few short lines buried in Massachusetts’ laws have been debated time and again: the rules around when a person in the third trimester of their pregnancy is allowed to get an abortion. The option became available in Massachusetts five years ago, and lawmakers tweaked the language in 2022.
But the new bill would make abortion broadly legal at or after 24 weeks — leaving the decision to the judgment of health care providers. Advocates and lawmakers believe it’s the first time this has been formally proposed in Massachusetts. Some doctors say the update is necessary because the current language isn’t clear.
SOURCE: WGBH, by Hannah Reale, 5 February 2025 ; PHOTO: Meredith Nierman/GBH News.