Massachusetts House votes 119-33 to pass abortion law changes that loosens restrictions, Rep Alan Silvia one of few Democrat no votes

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, July 22, 2026…..The Democrat-controlled House passed legislation Wednesday that loosens restrictions on abortions that can be performed after 24 weeks of gestation, with supporters saying the policy change will enable more residents with serious complications to remain in Massachusetts rather than needing to travel out of state to seek care.

The bill scraps the four types of exemptions currently outlined in statute for life-threatening situations for the mother or fetus, instead giving deference to doctors’ professional judgment.

The House passed the bill on a 119-33 vote, with all Republicans who voted casting their votes against the bill. Democrats who rejected the bill included Reps. Brian Ashe, Lisa Field, Michael Finn, Dennis Gallagher, Russell Holmes, Christopher Markey, Francisco Paulino, Alan Silvia and Jeffrey Turco. Rep. Susannah Whipps, the chamber’s only Independent member, voted yes.

Judiciary Committee Chair Rep. Michael Day said the law has evolved as Beacon Hill works to ensure women “have the freedom to make their own reproductive decisions” and respond to feedback from physicians who’ve been unable to provide abortion after 24 weeks.

“What we have done through the years, through three different iterations now, is try to get it right so that we get out of the way, and the medical professional can have a discussion with the expectant mother to seek the best care for that individual (as) possible,” Day told reporters ahead of the vote.

Public Health Committee Chair Rep. Marjorie Decker said the legislation ensures medical decisions are rooted in medical judgment rather than legal risks.

“This bill does not tell a patient what decision to make. It does not force anyone to have an abortion. It does not take decision making away from the patients,” Decker said on the House floor. “It says that when a patient and their doctor are making a deeply personal and complex medical decision, the commonwealth continues to trust them.”

The House laid aside an amendment from Republican Rep. Joseph McKenna of Sutton that would have allowed Bay Staters to indicate they don’t want any of their tax liability used on abortion services. Assistant Majority Leader Alice Peisch argued the bill revolves around “legal and medical standards” for abortion procedures, while McKenna’s policy focused on “tax administration and the allocation of public funds.” Branch leaders decided his amendment was “beyond the scope” of the legislation.

Republican Rep. Michael Soter of Bellingham spoke in opposition to a provision of the bill he said would do away with Department of Public Health reporting requirements for abortion services facilities to detail their procedures and processes. But bill co-sponsor Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa of Northampton responded to Soter’s comments on the floor to say that the DPH reporting requirements are still in statute in another section of the bill, aside from the section being scrapped.

Rep. Kelly Pease, a Westfield Republican, said he was blindsided by the legislation and called abortion a “terrible thing.”

“I think most of our caucus was. It’s like, where did this come from?” Pease told the News Service Wednesday morning. “I don’t see how I’m going to be in favor of a bill that allows babies over six months to be terminated when they’re probably viable outside the womb, unless there’s extenuating circumstances, and this kind of just takes away some of the safeguards that were in place before.”

The legislation now heads to the Senate. House Speaker Ron Mariano said he hasn’t had “any conversations about this particular issue” with the Senate.

Alison Kuznitz and Ella Adams are reporters for State House News Service and State Affairs Pro Massachusetts. Reach them at akuznitz@stateaffairs.com and ella.adams@statehousenews.com.