BOSTON – Gov. Maura Healey today signed an emergency preamble for An Act Prioritizing Patient Access to Care, ensuring that the new law will take effect immediately, as planned. Gov. Healey signed the bill into law on August 10 with the expectation that it would go into effect in 90 days, but a signature campaign led by anti-abortion groups threatened to block the law’s implementation until at least 2028.
Carol Rose, executive director at the ACLU of Massachusetts, released the following statement in response:
“Reproductive freedom is foundational to our autonomy and our ability to determine our own futures. Gov. Healey has taken decisive action today to uphold this fundamental value and ensure that patients can access the highest quality care without being forced to leave Massachusetts.
“In the last few months, at least nine families have been told they must seek abortion care in other states, away from their communities and trusted medical providers, adding to the stress and financial costs of an already painful situation. This is a real and ongoing health care emergency, and it’s critical that the law goes into effect this weekend as planned.
“We are grateful to the governor for recognizing this emergency, for ensuring that government bureaucracy stays out of the doctor’s office, and for consistently protecting our right to access abortion care, as guaranteed by the Massachusetts Constitution.”
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