Senate Leaders Unveil Bill to Shield Reproductive and Transgender Care from Federal Threats
Response 2025 Legislation Bans Data Sharing, Protects Licenses, and Shields Care Providers from Legal Threats
(BOSTON—4/14/2025) In the face of escalating threats from a hostile federal government and other states, today the Massachusetts Senate released legislation to fortify protections for reproductive and gender-affirming health care providers, patients, and advocates across the Commonwealth.
The legislation, the first filed as part of the Senate’s Response 2025 effort to protect, defend, and lead Massachusetts through oncoming threats from the federal government, would protect the personal information of people who provide, receive, or support reproductive and gender-affirming care.
“This bill makes it very clear that the Massachusetts Senate will not back down when it comes to protecting our residents and defending our values,” stated Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “Our residents—indeed all Americans—deserve the right to make their own health care decisions in consultation with their providers, and this bill protects the entire ecosystem that allows those decisions to take place. In Massachusetts, we do not discriminate against you depending on the type of health care you need, and this bill builds on our actions in 2022 and further strengthens protections for transgender people and those who have the ability to get pregnant. I applaud Senator Cindy Friedman and the Senate Committee on Steering and Policy for coalescing around this bill at this crucial time, and all of the stakeholders, advocates and members of the public who contributed their voices, time and ideas to help craft this important legislation.”
“In 2022 as Roe v. Wade fell, the Massachusetts Legislature responded swiftly with a new law to shield our residents as we faced unprecedented threats from other states to punish residents of the Commonwealth for engaging in legally-protected health care under our laws, including the full spectrum of reproductive care and gender-affirming care,” said Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), Chair of the Senate Committee on Steering and Policy. “Once again, we must take action to further protect Massachusetts residents as the Trump Administration instills additional fears of retribution and punishment for those seeking care they need and those that help them get that care. The bill unveiled today ensures that Massachusetts will remain a state where residents, patients, and providers can safely receive and provide essential health care. I want to thank our Attorney General, Andrea Campbell, and Commissioner of DPH, Dr. Robbie Goldstein, for their partnership in crafting this bill, along with our advocate partners the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, REN and GLAD for their work representing those most affected by the assault on necessary and legal health care. I want to especially thank Senate President Spilka for her steadfast leadership and commitment to ALL the residents of the Commonwealth, along with the members of the Senate Committee on Steering and Policy for springing into action to respond to these threats.”
The bill, An Act strengthening health care protections in the Commonwealth, would ensure that health care professionals’ licenses aren’t threatened by out-of-state attacks and would protect lawyers who represent people engaged in reproductive or gender-affirming care.
The legislation would restrict state agencies from cooperating with, or providing information for, federal or out-of-state investigations or inquiries into health care activity that is legally protected in Massachusetts.
Abortion is protected by law in Massachusetts because of the Legislature’s proactive action in 2020, when Roe first came under federal threat.
Data sharing to the federal government and other entities could put patients and Massachusetts providers at risk—especially those accessing, prescribing, or dispensing medications related to reproductive or gender-affirming care.
To protect against inquiries that attempt to circumvent state data sharing prohibitions, the legislation would require companies that keep patient electronic medical records to limit out-of-state entities’ access to records that include reproductive and gender-affirming care.
To ensure organizations are not penalized for supporting legally-protected care, the legislation makes it illegal for insurance companies to discriminate against non-profit organizations that offer reproductive or gender-affirming care services to individuals in Massachusetts.
The Trump Administration has signaled it may allow hospitals to choose to decline giving emergency abortions, even in life-threatening cases.
To protect access to emergency abortion care, the bill would also require hospitals to provide emergency services to any person who presents at the hospital or is brought to the hospital by emergency medical services.
The legislation boosts protections that were first passed by the Legislature in 2022 to help protect people physically present in Massachusetts from the consequences of out-of-state civil or criminal investigations, lawsuits, or prosecutions for legally-protected health care activity.
According to health care policy research center KFF, Massachusetts is already one of 23 states to legally protect reproductive care providers, one of 22 states to protect from out-of-state prosecutions, one of 13 states to protect gender-affirming care providers, and one of 12 states with provider insurance protections.
The bill was filed in the Senate by Senator Friedman on April 7 and is set to be admitted during Monday’s session.
The Senate session will be livestreamed online beginning at 11:00 a.m. EST.
Statements of support
“Nearly three years ago, in the wake of the Dobbs decision, the Massachusetts Legislature led the nation by enacting legislation to protect patients and providers of reproductive and gender-affirming care,” said Attorney General Andrea Campbell. “I applaud their example and am proud to cosponsor legislation that builds upon that law by protecting providers, patients, and helpers further, while ensuring that Massachusetts remains a beacon for reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights. I look forward to working with the leadership of the House and the Senate, including Senator Cindy Friedman and Chair John Lawn, to advance this legislation.”
“Everyone should feel safe and affirmed when they are seeking medical care,” said Dr. Robbie Goldstein, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. “This bill would give the Department of Public Health more tools to protect those that are in need of reproductive and gender-affirming care and those that provide it, while also providing more protection for public health and patient data. This is another example of Massachusetts consistently defending access to comprehensive reproductive and gender-affirming care, and staying true to our values.”
"The ACLU of Massachusetts is proud to have worked with the Legislature in recent years to protect reproductive and gender affirming care in the Commonwealth, and we applaud this bill as a critical next step,” said Carol Rose, Executive Director of the ACLU of Massachusetts. “Lives are on the line. In the face of federal attacks on civil rights and liberties, our state must build legal firewalls for the freedoms we hold dear. We look forward to working with the Legislature and the Healey administration to stand up for reproductive health access and LGBTQ lives, safeguard free expression, defend our immigrant neighbors, and guarantee data privacy to protect the personal safety of every resident of the Bay State."
“These updates to Massachusetts’ reproductive health care shield law are extremely important because they add new layers of protection and confidentiality for both patients and providers of abortion and gender-affirming care,” said MaryRose Mazzola, Executive Director of the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts. “We know that for folks to truly feel safe and confident in seeking or providing this care, they want to know that their personal information – including their medical records – will not be disclosed to anyone, anywhere without their consent. We’re incredibly grateful to Senator Friedman, Attorney General Campbell, and our coalition partners for their leadership in strengthening our state-level protections.”
“From hostile courts to digital surveillance, attacks on reproductive and gender-affirming care are escalating and evolving. In the face of these mounting threats, Massachusetts must lead with bold, innovative action to protect patients and providers offering compassionate, life-saving, life-affirming care,” said Rebecca Hart Holder, President of Reproductive Equity Now. “This legislation strengthens our best-in-the-nation shield law by safeguarding the personal information of providers—especially those prescribing medication abortion across state lines. We’re proud to support this critical step forward and look forward to working with the Legislature to ensure Massachusetts remains a national beacon for reproductive freedom and a state that affirms access to the full spectrum of reproductive health care as a fundamental human right.”
“This is an important bill that aims to increase the 2022 protections to ensure those in the Commonwealth can continue to get the health care they need,” said Polly Crozier, GLAD Law Director of Family Advocacy. “These threats from outside of our state seek to limit our freedom to make decisions for ourselves and our families to access the support and care we need to lead healthier and happier lives. GLAD Law looks forward to working with the Legislature to move this legislation forward. Health care decisions are deeply personal for each and every family, and families are best suited to have necessary conversations and make critical decisions with their doctors. In Massachusetts, we are committed to protecting the rule of law, maintaining the separation of powers, and ensuring that reproductive and transgender health care decisions remain in the hands of patients, families, their trusted doctors, and world-renowned medical experts—not politicians.”
About Response 2025
Response 2025 is a Massachusetts Senate initiative to protect, defend, and lead Massachusetts through ongoing threats from the federal government. The effort draws on the expertise of Senate committee chairs and policy experts to create legislative solutions that will safeguard the state and cut through federal chaos and misinformation to understand real-world impacts. Assembled at the direction of Senate President Karen Spilka, the effort is led by Senators Cindy Friedman and Jo Comerford.
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