On Wednesday, the MA House voted 136 to 17 to pass H.4930: An Act expanding protections for reproductive rights, which would, among other steps,
- Declare that access to both reproductive healthcare and gender-affirming care are a constitutional or legal right
- Do everything in the state’s power to shield providers and their patients from out-of-state legal action
- Prohibit licensing boards from disciplining professionals for providing legally-protected care care
- Bar police from providing discretionary assistance to aid in hostile investigations or litigation
- Prohibit the Governor from extraditing someone to another state to face charges for providing care that is lawful in Massachusetts
- Boost access to emergency contraception
- Require insurers to cover abortion and related services without imposing deductibles, co-pays, or cost-sharing
- Close a perceived loophole in the ROE Act to ensure access to abortion care in MA after 24 weeks in cases of a “severe” fetal anomaly