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H2428 • 2025

An Act protecting the health of the mother and a born alive fetus after the second trimester

An Act protecting the health of the mother and a born alive fetus after the second trimester

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Colleen M. Garry
Last action
2026-03-16
Official status
Accompanied a study order, see H5234
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act protecting the health of the mother and a born alive fetus after the second trimester

An Act protecting the health of the mother and a born alive fetus after the second trimester By Representative Garry of Dracut, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act protecting the health of the mother and a born alive fetus after the second trimester By Representative Garry of Dracut, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 2428) of Colleen M.
  • Garry relative to the health of mothers and born alive fetuses after the second trimester.
  • Public Health.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-16 House

    Accompanied a study order, see H5234

  2. 2025-06-30 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 07/10/2025 from 09:00 AM-01:00 PM in A-1

  3. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on Public Health

  4. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act protecting the health of the mother and a born alive fetus after the second trimester
By Representative Garry of Dracut, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2428) of Colleen M. Garry relative to the health of mothers and born alive fetuses after the second trimester. Public Health.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
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Bill H.2428

SECTION 1. Section 12N of Chapter 112 of the General Laws, as so appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out section 12N, as amended by section 12N of chapter 263 of the Acts of 2020, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 12N. Protecting women’s health

Notwithstanding section 12L, for the purpose of preventing maternal death from abortion or miscarriage as pregnancy progresses, no physician may perform or induce, or attempt to perform or induce an abortion or cause a miscarriage on any female in a stage of pregnancy after the second trimester unless the following conditions are met: (a) the procedure is performed in a hospital and (b) the physician and two consulting physicians certify, and so enter in the hospital record of the female, that in their medical opinion, based upon their best clinical judgment, the continuation of the pregnancy is likely to result in the death of the female. Nothing in this section shall prevent the medically necessary procedures to care for the mother after a miscarriage occurring before 20 weeks or a stillbirth or fetal death occurring after 20 weeks.

SECTION 2. Section 12O of Chapter 112 of the General Laws, as so appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out section 12O, as amended by section 12O of chapter 263 of the Acts of 2020, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 12O. Preserving the life of a fetus born alive after miscarriage or abortion

Notwithstanding section 12L, if an abortion is performed or an intentional miscarriage is caused pursuant to section 12N, the hospital where the procedure is performed shall provide all life-saving measures and equipment, as defined by the department of public health, and the physician performing the abortion or causing the miscarriage shall employ all the life-saving measures and equipment to preserve the life and health of the fetus born alive if it exhibits any clearly visible, audible, or otherwise discernable evidence of viability.

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