Seeks to pre-emptively safeguard abortion and reproductive health rights in the Commonwealth against looming Federal threats
Access to essential healthcare services for all Massachusetts residents is a fundamental principle of our healthcare system and our values as a Commonwealth. Reproductive care is no exception. Today, the House of Representatives affirmed that right by passing An Act Relative to Reproductive Health.
This legislation repeals archaic, unconstitutional general laws, bolsters women’s reproductive healthcare rights, and affirms a women’s right to choose in Massachusetts.
With threats to reproductive health emanating from Washington DC, it is imperative that the Commonwealth take all measures to protect reproductive justice in our state. Picking up from where the House left off in securing contraception access for all in the Commonwealth, our legislation is another effort to stand up against federal attacks on fundamental rights.
After recent changes to the federal Supreme Court justices serving the bench, concern looms about the vitality of women’s reproductive health rights guaranteed by Roe v. Wade. It is evident that federal protections for abortion and reproductive rights are now severely threatened. The House is committed to protecting these services for residents of the Commonwealth.
The purpose of our bill is to repeal unconstitutional and antiquated penalties in the Massachusetts general laws. Criminal punishments for adultery, fornication, procuring miscarriage, and articles used for self-abuse to prevent conception are all repealed in the bill. Also included in the legislation is a repeal of the requirement that abortions must be carried during or after the 13th week of pregnancy. It also removes the marriage requirement to receive contraception and allows licensed healthcare providers in good standing to issue prescriptions for contraception.
Should Roe v. Wade fall, the bill offers protection against federal threats to accessing safe and licensed reproductive health services. As shown by pre-Roe chapters in American history, criminalizing abortion only threatens health and safety. Those of lower socioeconomic status would be especially adversely impacted: unable to procure the resources to travel to a legal clinic, they may be forced to see an unwanted or risky pregnancy to term, or attempt a dangerous, illegal abortion procedure. Maternal and infant death rates could increase. Women would experience a loss of privacy, equality, and health, stripped of what was once a constitutional right. It is likely some would lose their lives.
I am proud to support a bill that aligns with my commitment to ensuring healthcare access for all and affirms our commitment to reproductive rights. The passage of this bill is another example of the power of collaborative democracy. We are safer and healthier when we band together as communities united to defend fundamental rights.
