The Massachusetts legislature has passed an extreme bill that would prevent abortionists from being held accountable for breaking pro-life laws in other states, and require all hospitals to commit so-called “emergency” abortions. The bill now awaits a signature from Governor Maura Healey.
Key Takeaways:
- Last week, Democrats from the House and Senate announced they had come to an agreement on S2543/H4294, and the legislation now needs only Healey’s signature to be enacted into law.
- The legislation would expand upon a 2022 law which gave protection to abortionists from lawsuits in other states.
- Abortionists who ship pills to pro-life states will have their identities concealed.
- The bill requires hospitals to commit “emergency” abortions.
The Details:
Sen. Cindy Friedman and Rep. Michael Day announced the bill’s passage in a joint statement. “It is critical in this time that we stand up for the patients and providers of legally-protected health care in the Commonwealth,” they said. “Our intent is that the House and Senate will vote to send this bill to the Governor’s desk later today.”
The bill would remove the abortionist’s name from the prescription label for abortion pills sent to pro-life states, and further spreads the myth of supposedly “medically necessary” abortions, by requiring hospitals to be willing to commit abortions in an emergency. However, intentional killing by induced abortion is not the standard of care for pregnancy complications.
C.J. Doyle, executive director of the Catholic League of Massachusetts, issued a statement slamming the bill:
S.2543 is special interest legislation for the Massachusetts abortion industry. Once it is signed into law by Governor Healey, Planned Parenthood and other abortion businesses will, with complete legal immunity, be empowered to ship the toxic abortion drug Mifepristone into states where its use is prohibited.
Mifepristone kills unborn children, and in as many as one in ten cases, causes adverse medical complications for the women who use it.
This measure is a legislative license for Bay State abortionists to violate the laws of other American states, while being shielded from any criminal prosecution, civil liability or professional discipline.
Doyle also accused Catholic leaders in the state of accepting monetary gain in exchange for silence on the issue:
In July of 2023, the Healey/Driscoll Administration awarded Catholic Charities of Boston an unprecedented grant of one million dollars. In March of 2024, the Healey/Driscoll Administration allocated an additional $2.6 million to Catholic Charities of Boston and Springfield for migrant resettlement and job training.
$3.6 million in public funds, it would seem, can buy quite a lot of silence.
The Backstory:
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed the original legislation into law in 2022, shortly after Roe v. Wade was overturned. That bill, H5090, codified abortion into state law, required insurers to pay for abortions, and mandated that state colleges and universities make chemical abortions available on campus. Additionally, it put protections in place for Massachusetts abortionists.
“Massachusetts remains steadfast in its commitment to protect access to reproductive health care services, especially in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade,” Baker said in a statement. “This new legislation signed today builds on that action by protecting patients and providers from legal interference from more restrictive laws in other states. We are grateful for the compromise and dedication to the issue that our legislative colleagues demonstrated to make this important, bipartisan law a reality.”
Baker stepped down as governor in 2023, and was succeeded by Maura Healey.
In her time as governor, Healey has continued to uphold Massachusetts’ status as an abortion haven, launching smear campaigns against pregnancy resource centers and spending millions of dollars to pay for low-income women to have abortions.
The Bottom Line:
It is expected that Governor Healey will sign the most recent bill, as Massachusetts continues to maintain its position as one of the most pro-abortion states in the country.
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