51 Massachusetts Democrats push to loosen abortion restrictions past 24 weeks

If a bill sponsored by 51 Massachusetts state legislators becomes law, aborting babies past 24 weeks and up to birth will be much easier, girls under 18 wouldn’t need permission from parents or a judge, Massachusetts taxes would fund more abortions, doctors would have less red tape to perform abortions and the definition of abortion would be redefined.

Currently, it is illegal to get an abortion past 24 weeks in Massachusetts unless “a continuation of her pregnancy will impose on her a substantial risk of grave impairment of her physical or mental health.” Here is what the new bill would allow:

“A physician, acting within their lawful scope of practice, may perform an abortion when, according to the physician’s best medical judgment based on the facts of the patient’s case, the patient is beyond twenty-four weeks from the commencement of pregnancy and the abortion is necessary to protect the patient’s life or physical or mental health, or in cases of lethal fetal anomalies, or where the fetus is incompatible with sustained life outside the uterus.”

Massachusetts state law currently requires girls 17 or younger to get permission from her parents/guardians or a superior court judge before getting an abortion. This would not be required if this new bill passes.

Here’s an in-depth review of the current law and the bill being considered.

Here’s a look at the current bill: