Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis Votes for Reproductive Rights

Representative Jack Patrick Lewis joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts House in supporting a bill updating state law governing abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy, ensuring that physicians can provide medically necessary abortion care based on their professional medical judgment.

“Just like all health care, decisions regarding reproductive care should be made by a patient and their doctor, and no one else,” expressed Representative Jack Patrick Lewis (Framingham). “Today, the Massachusetts House expanded upon its long history of supporting a woman’s right to choose by standing by that principle. I am proud to vote for this legislation and thank my colleagues, the bill’s sponsors, Chairman Michlewitz, and the Speaker for their steadfast leadership on this issue.”

“This legislation is about ensuring that in Massachusetts, reproductive health care decisions are made exclusively by the patient and her doctor — unencumbered by a legal framework that, in practice, isn’t always capable of accounting for the complexity and uncertainty inherent to pregnancy-related health care,” noted House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (Quincy). “These reforms will ensure that Massachusetts remains steadfast in our commitment to protecting a woman’s right to choose. I want to thank Chair Michlewitz, Chair Day, Chair Barber, and Representative Sabadosa for working to uplift the voices of women who have endured unimaginable hardships during their pregnancies, as well as all my colleagues in the House for ensuring that Massachusetts remains a national leader in protecting access to reproductive health care.”

Dozens of patients annually are forced to travel out of state to obtain abortion care later in pregnancy because of existing legal restrictions, according to Reproductive Equity Now. This legislation helps ensure that patients can receive medical care in Massachusetts from their providers.

“As women’s rights face continued attacks from both the Federal government and other states, we here in the Commonwealth will continue to do to protect these rights. By centering these conversations between an individual and a physician, we will ensure every patient gets the care they need without unnecessary obstacles,” noted Representative Aaron Michlewitz (Boston), Chair of the House Committee on Ways & Means. “We will not hesitate to act to protect reproductive rights and to ensure that our providers and patients are protected from being prevented from offering this critical form of healthcare. I want to thank Speaker Mariano, and all my other House colleagues for their continued support and commitment to this critical issue.”

The bill passed today removes existing requirements that limit abortions at 24 weeks of pregnancy or later to specific medical circumstances, allowing licensed physicians to rely on their best medical judgment when caring for patients. Under current law, those circumstances must adhere to only four specific categories, which do not account for the full spectrum of medical conditions encountered by women and their doctors: protecting the patient's life or physical or mental health, or cases involving a lethal fetal anomaly or a grave fetal diagnosis.

Building on protections first enacted into law in 2022 and expanded in 2025, the bill prohibits third-party medical review processes from overriding medical treatment decisions made jointly by a patient, or their health care proxy, and their treating physician. The bill also permits treating physicians to perform these procedures in health care treatment centers in addition to hospitals, meeting the patients where they are seeking health care treatment.

The legislation passed the House of Representatives 119-33 and now goes to the Senate for consideration.