Senate Passes Reproductive Healthcare Legislation

State Senator Jason Lewis joined his Senate colleagues in
unanimously passing a bipartisan bill to protect healthcare providers,
residents, and visitors to the Commonwealth who engage in legally-protected
reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare, including access to abortion.

An Act expanding protections for reproductive and gender-affirming
care
includes provisions preventing the Commonwealth’s cooperation with
‘bounty-style’ anti-abortion and anti-gender-affirming care laws in other
states; mandates health insurance coverage for abortion and abortion-related
care with no cost-sharing for the patient; ensures access to emergency
contraception; and provides confidentiality to providers of reproductive and
gender-affirming care.

“In the wake of the shocking Supreme Court decision overturning Roe
v Wade, it is imperative for the Commonwealth to ensure that abortion
providers are fully protected and patients, whether from Massachusetts or other
states, have access to the care they need," said Senator Jason Lewis.
"I was proud to join my Senate colleagues in passing this critical
legislation to further protect and expand access to reproductive and
gender-affirming healthcare in Massachusetts. I'm especially pleased that the
bill includes an amendment I filed to expand access to medication abortion
services on our public college and university campuses to help students
overcome the significant barriers to care that many face today."

Under the legislation, physicians, nurses, physician assistants,
pharmacists, psychologists, genetic counselors and social workers are insulated
from legal action in Massachusetts courts as a result of providing healthcare
services which are legal in Massachusetts. This language specifically protects
reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare, which has been the target of
‘bounty-style’ laws passed in states like Texas and Oklahoma that seek to limit
this critical care beyond their states’ borders. This bill also allows anyone
who faces abusive litigation in another state for providing legally protected
reproductive and gender-affirming care services to sue in Massachusetts court
to obtain a judgment, including actual damages, expenses, costs, and reasonable
attorney's fees.

The bill includes prohibitions on Massachusetts law enforcement
assisting other states in investigations of legally protected reproductive and
gender-affirming care in Massachusetts, and protections against extradition to
another state. The bill also implements a statewide standing order to ensure
emergency contraception can be dispensed at all pharmacies in Massachusetts.

During the debate, Senator Lewis spoke in support of an amendment
he filed to expand access to medication abortion services on public college and
university campuses. This will help address the significant barriers to
accessing reproductive healthcare faced by many students today. The amendment
was adopted.

With a version of An Act expanding protections for reproductive
and gender-affirming care now having passed both branches of the state
legislature, the differences between the bill’s two versions will be reconciled
before sending a final version to the Governor.