--- title: "Massachusetts removes 24-week abortion limit, allows procedures up to birth" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/massachusetts-removes-24-week-abortion-limit-allows-procedures-up-to-birth" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/massachusetts-removes-24-week-abortion-limit-allows-procedures-up-to-birth" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/massachusetts-removes-24-week-abortion-limit-allows-procedures-up-to-birth.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/massachusetts-removes-24-week-abortion-limit-allows-procedures-up-to-birth" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-11T19:46:32.576Z" source_reported: "2026-08-11T18:27:41.017Z" updated: "2026-08-11T19:46:32.576Z" trust_score: 66 critic_score: 95 hype_score: 55 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-11T20:46:05.725417+00:00" --- # Massachusetts removes 24-week abortion limit, allows procedures up to birth *Governor Maura Healey signs H.B. 5595, making the state the 11th US jurisdiction to permit abortions at any stage of pregnancy* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 66 of 100, higher is better. Trust 66: multiple named officials and a press release are cited, but only one original report provides independent verification. - Craft 95 of 100, higher is better. Critic 95: article explains context, includes many direct quotes, separates facts, and outlines next steps. - Hype 55 of 100, lower is better. Hype 55: several digests use sensational language, inflating urgency beyond the factual report. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed H.B. 5595 on 10 August 2026, removing the state’s 24-week abortion ban and permitting abortions up to birth with a doctor’s approval. - The law will take effect 90 days after signing, making Massachusetts the 11th US jurisdiction to allow abortions at any stage of pregnancy. - No Republican legislators supported the bill, and 10 Democrats voted against it, citing concerns over late-term procedures and lack of safeguards. - No left- or centre-rated outlet covered the signing, according to the reports below. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed H.B. 5595 into law on 10 August 2026. The bill removes the state’s 24-week limit on abortions, allowing the procedure up to birth with a doctor’s "professional judgment". The law will take effect 90 days after signing, making Massachusetts the 11th jurisdiction in the US, alongside 10 states and the District of Columbia, to permit abortions at any stage of pregnancy. The bill’s press release states it aims to "strengthen protections for patients and providers" amid nationwide restrictions on reproductive rights. Healey’s office framed the law as a response to actions by the Trump administration and state legislatures pushing abortion bans. The governor posted on X that "no matter what Donald Trump does, we will protect your reproductive freedom." Republican legislators opposed the bill, with none voting in favour. Ten Democrats also voted against it. Representative Kelley Pease, a Republican, said the bill’s passage blindsided the caucus, as it was fast-tracked through the Senate without a full committee process. Representative Justin Thurber, another Republican, criticised the law for removing "clear medical criteria" and allowing a single physician to approve late-term abortions without safeguards or a second opinion. Healey cited cases of Massachusetts couples who travelled out of state for late-term abortions as justification for the law. Kate Dineen and Alex Lawton, a Boston couple, were present at the signing. In 2021, Dineen’s son suffered a stroke in utero at 33 weeks. Unable to obtain an abortion in Massachusetts at the time, the couple travelled to Maryland for a procedure costing $10,000. Dineen, a board member of the pro-abortion group Reproductive Equity Now, called the law "righting this wrong once and for all." ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated digests or *The Federalist*’s full report mentioned the 10 Democrats who voted against the bill. The digests did not include statements from Democratic legislators who supported the law, such as Senate bill sponsor Robyn Kennedy, who was quoted in the bill’s press release as saying the law was a response to "attacks on reproductive care" by the Trump administration. No left- or centre-rated outlet ran this story, according to the reports below. ## Who covered it Shares of the 8 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 0% (0) - Right: 100% (8) 2 of 10 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-11T20:46:05.725417+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 6 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-11T21:15:31.137Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre No separate framing summary. ### Right - The six right-rated digests and the full report in *The Federalist* led on the law’s removal of the 24-week limit, framing it as permitting abortions "up to birth" or "minutes before birth for any reason." *The Federalist* described the law as allowing abortions "for any reason with a doctor’s 'professional judgment,'" and quoted Republican legislators who called the process "fast-tracked" and lacking safeguards. - The digests and *The Federalist* highlighted the emotional tone of the signing ceremony. *The Federalist* reported that Healey was surrounded by "smiling faces and applause," while the digests described women in the room as "cheering" or "gleefully" celebrating the law. *LifeSiteNews*’ digest quoted a social media user calling the law’s supporters "murderers," and *WLTReport*’s digest described the law as "pure evil" and "murder, plain and simple." - *The Federalist* quoted Healey’s X post, which stated, "No matter what Donald Trump does, we will protect your reproductive freedom," and noted her change to the phrase "safe, legal, and rare" to "safe, legal and accessible." The outlet also quoted Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser, who condemned the law as permitting "barbaric" late-term abortions and called for national protections for unborn children. - The digests and *The Federalist* included the story of Kate Dineen and Alex Lawton, the couple who travelled to Maryland for a late-term abortion. *The Federalist* reported that Dineen described the experience as feeling like "fugitives fleeing our home state" and quoted her statement at the signing that Massachusetts was "righting this wrong once and for all." **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 3 - mixed: 3 - high: 1 - unknown: 3 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [National Review](https://nationalreview.com/news/massachusetts-new-abortion-law-is-normalizing-the-deaths-of-fully-developed-infants-pro-lifers-warn) — Massachusetts’ New Abortion Law is ‘Normalizing the Deaths of Fully-Developed Infants,’ Pro-Lifers Warn - [Bizpac Review](https://bizpacreview.com/2026/08/11/massachusetts-governor-signs-sweeping-abortion-bill-all-the-way-to-birth-1654429) — Massachusetts governor signs sweeping abortion bill – all the way to birth - [The Federalist](https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/11/in-massachusetts-you-can-now-abort-babies-minutes-before-birth-for-any-reason) — New MA Law Allows Abortion Minutes Before Birth For Any Reason - [modernity.news](https://modernity.news/2026/08/11/demonic-massachusetts-legalizes-abortion-up-to-birth-as-liberals-cheer) — Demonic: Massachusetts Legalizes Abortion UP TO BIRTH As Liberals Cheer - [JUNGE FREIHEIT](https://jungefreiheit.de/debatte/kommentar/2026/sie-toeten-babys-und-zerstoeren-das-gewissen) — They Kill Babies – and Destroy the Conscience - [American Faith](https://americanfaith.com/massachusetts-signs-bill-allowing-abortions-up-to-birth) — Massachusetts Signs Bill Allowing Abortions Up to Birth - [LifeSiteNews](https://lifesitenews.com/news/murderers-democrats-cheer-abortion-til-birth-in-massachusetts) — 'Murderers': Democrats cheer abortion til birth in Massachusetts - [ussanews.com](https://ussanews.com/2026/08/11/massachusetts-celebrates-removing-the-guardrails-on-late-term-abortion) — Massachusetts Celebrates Removing The Guardrails On Late-Term Abortion - [Conservative News Daily](https://conservativenewsdaily.net/breaking-news/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignin-massachusetts-you-can-now-abort-babies-minutes-before-birth-for-any-reason) — New MA Law Allows Abortion Minutes Before Birth For Any Reason - [WLTReport](https://wltreport.com/2026/08/10/pure-evil-massachusetts-governor-signs-law-allowing-abortions-up-to-birth) — PURE EVIL: Massachusetts Governor Signs Law Allowing Abortions Up to BIRTH ## Questions **What does the new Massachusetts abortion law allow?** The law removes the state’s 24-week abortion ban, permitting procedures up to birth with a doctor’s approval. It takes effect 90 days after signing, making Massachusetts the 11th US jurisdiction to allow abortions at any stage of pregnancy. The law aims to strengthen protections for patients and providers amid nationwide restrictions. **Who opposed the Massachusetts abortion law?** No Republican legislators supported the bill, and 10 Democrats voted against it. Republican Representative Justin Thurber criticised the law for removing "clear medical criteria" and allowing a single physician to approve late-term abortions without safeguards. Anti-abortion groups, including Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, condemned the law. **Which outlets covered the Massachusetts abortion law?** Six right-rated outlets ran digests of the story, and *The Federalist* published a full report. The digests and *The Federalist* emphasised the law’s removal of the 24-week limit and the emotional tone of the signing ceremony. No left- or centre-rated outlet covered the signing, according to the reports below. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/massachusetts-removes-24-week-abortion-limit-allows-procedures-up-to-birth. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Massachusetts removes 24-week abortion limit, allows procedures up to birth", https://mediabias.news/politics/massachusetts-removes-24-week-abortion-limit-allows-procedures-up-to-birth