Massachusetts will gain a new layer of defense against out-of-state intrusion into reproductive and transgender care under legislation that Gov. Maura Healey plans to sign into law Thursday.
At a time of enhanced federal scrutiny and legal threats largely led by Republicans in other states, lawmakers last week moved to update a 2022 state law intended to protect providers and patients of reproductive care, including abortions, and transgender care. Supporters have warned that the additional steps are needed to plug gaps in existing law in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
The measure Healey will sign would limit the release of sensitive data, allow prescription labels to display a practice name instead of an individual physician’s name, and codify a state requirement for abortion care to be provided in emergencies when medically necessary.
Healey on Thursday plans a signing ceremony at the State House.
House Judiciary Committee Chair Michael Day said last week that the urgency of the effort to update the shield law “has been dictated by the wild rhetoric as well as the acts taken by both this presidential administration, as well as several of our sister states, in the field that this bill covers, the right for a woman to control her body and the right for transgender individuals to be treated as equals here in the commonwealth.”
“Sadly, that urgency is also present because some of the dangerous and, frankly, plainly ignorant rhetoric I’ve seen emanating from some individuals here in our own commonwealth in the wake of our initial passage of this bill. Rhetoric saying things that legislators voting in favor of this legislation care only about killing babies and castrating children,” Day, a Stoneham Democrat, said. “I once again remind the more rabidly angry and cruel of our residents that we in the House work every day to protect your rights to voice your opinions no matter what they may be, including that type of tripe. But we also work every day in these halls to ensure that all of our residents, even -- and this might be the part that sticks in people’s craws -- even our residents who might not look like you or talk like you or act like you or live their lives in a way that you don’t like. Yep, even for those people, we in the House have the temerity to work to protect their rights to live peacefully with equal rights under the law here in Massachusetts, and we will always do so.”
The product of an informal compromise between House and Senate committee chairs, the final product passed the House 132-24, with Democrat Reps. Colleen Garry of Dracut, Francisco Paulino of Lawrence, Alan Silvia of Fall River and Jeffrey Turco of Winthrop voting alongside most Republicans in opposition. Republican Sens. Kelly Dooner of Taunton, Ryan Fattman of Sutton and Peter Durant of Spencer were the only votes of dissent in that chamber.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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