The Trump-Pence administration has launched a full scale attack on our freedoms and our rights, including access to abortion. Even in Massachusetts, people face unjust barriers to safe, legal abortion.
With the U.S. Supreme Court poised to gut Roe v. Wade, Massachusetts must dismantle barriers to care and reform state laws so every person has the right to pursue the life they want, including the right to decide if and when to become a parent -- without politicians interfering.
Abortion is health care -- and health care is a fundamental right. That’s why the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts is leading the charge in the 2019-2020 legislative session to pass a new proactive abortion access policy, the ROE Act.
What is the ROE Act?
The bill does four things:
1. The ROE Act protects the health, safety, and privacy of young people.
For young people who are unable to talk to their parents, the current law requires they go before a judge to plead their case.
Young people seeking an abortion don’t need a judge; they need support and access to health care. The ROE Act builds safeguards for young people and relieves unnecessary burdens.
2. The ROE Act ensures medical decisions remain between a patient and their doctor.
Massachusetts’ current law puts people and their families in the unimaginable situation of needing to end a pregnancy for serious medical reasons, but being unable to do so. This forces people to travel across the country to access an abortion later in their pregnancy. The ROE Act expands access to abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy in cases of fatal fetal diagnosis.
3. The ROE Act leads the way in ensuring equitable access to abortion.
Everyone deserves the opportunity to lead a healthy life, no matter who they are or where they come from. That’s why the ROE Act establishes safety net coverage for abortion for people excluded from MassHealth. Such coverage already exists for all other pregnancy-related care.
4. The ROE Act brings our abortion laws into the 21st Century.
The ROE Act reforms outdated state laws by removing medically inaccurate language, abolishing medically unnecessary abortion restrictions like an unenforced 24-hour waiting period, and codifying the principles of reproductive freedom into state law.
Additional Information
S. 1209, H. 3320
Sponsored by Senate President Emerita Harriette Chandler, Speaker Pro Tempore Patricia Haddad, and Representative Jay Livingstone
Latest News
- The Boston Globe: Petition to block state taxpayer funding for abortions falls short
- The Patriot Ledger: Protect young women who have to make tough decisions when facing an unintended pregnancy
- WGBH: Mayors Demand Advancement Of ROE Act
- Boston Globe endorses the ROE Act
- Daily Hampshire Gazette endorses the ROE Act
- Boston Globe: In Mass. and beyond, an effort to bolster access to abortion
- WBUR: New Bill Would Eliminate Parental Consent Laws For Minors Seeking Abortion In Mass.
- Springfield Republican: Bill would loosen Massachusetts restriction on teen and late-term abortions
- Dig Boston: Roe Ahead: Groups boost model for what reproductive care access should look like
- WWLP: Lawmakers, reproductive health advocates meet at Sexual Health Lobby Day
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