Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed a new law on Monday, allowing doctors to make the final decision on permitting late-term abortions. This move makes Massachusetts the tenth state to authorize the procedure at any stage of pregnancy.

The Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act replaces the earlier law that restricted abortions after 24 weeks, allowing them only under specific circumstances. Previously, abortions beyond this point were permitted if a physician deemed it necessary to preserve the patient’s life or health, or due to a lethal fetal anomaly. The updated law now allows the procedure based solely on a physician’s professional judgment without listing specific justifications.

Healey, a Democrat, expressed her motivations for the change. “I’ve heard heartbreaking stories from women and families who were preparing to welcome a healthy baby into their family, only to receive devastating news later in their pregnancy. Instead of being able to rely on the doctors they knew and trusted at home, they were forced to travel hundreds of miles and pay out of their pockets while navigating unimaginable grief,” she stated.

That should never happen in Massachusetts. This law continues our efforts to have the strongest abortion protections in the country because in Massachusetts, we believe health care decisions should be made between women and their doctors.

According to KFF, a health policy research nonprofit, Massachusetts joins nine other states and Washington, D.C., that have no gestational limit on abortion. The states with similar policies include Alaska, Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, and Vermont.

This story is developing, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.