Reproductive Equity Now Celebrates Massachusetts House Vote to Strengthen Shield Law
The Massachusetts House today voted to advance expanded shield protections
BOSTON (July 16, 2025) – Today, the Massachusetts House of Representatives voted 136-23 to engross H.4271, An Act Strengthening Health Care Protections in the Commonwealth, legislation that will bolster Massachusetts’ protections for reproductive and gender-affirming care providers, patients, and advocates. This legislation will allow providers critical anonymity by using their practice name on prescription labels for reproductive and gender affirming health care medicines, provide additional guardrails to protect personally-identifiable information and private medical records related to reproductive or gender-affirming care services, codify state-level protections for the provision of emergency abortion care, ensure all clinicians and lawyers are protected from professional discipline related to hostile litigation, and more.
“Today’s vote sends a clear and urgent message: Massachusetts will not back down in the face of mounting attacks on abortion access and bodily autonomy,” said Rebecca Hart Holder, President of Reproductive Equity Now. “By moving this bill forward, the House is taking meaningful action to protect patients, providers, and the fundamental rights of everyone seeking care in our state. At a time when extremists are working to criminalize care and silence providers, Massachusetts is once again stepping up as a national leader. We thank Speaker Mariano, Chairman Michlewitz, Chairman Day, and all of our House champions fighting to ensure these protections become law. We look forward to continuing to work with the House and the Senate to get this bill over the finish line.”
In June, the Massachusetts Senate voted 37-3 to engross a similar version of this legislation, S.2538.
The Boston Globe published an article in June featuring the proposed expansion of the shield law.
Last month, Reproductive Equity Now’s Senior Director of Policy and Programs, Claire Teylouni, testified before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on the Judiciary during a public hearing in support of this legislation.
The bill is part of Reproductive Equity Now’s Massachusetts 2025 legislative priorities, which include expanding access to abortion care throughout pregnancy, protecting patients’ and providers' digital privacy, and making the full spectrum of pregnancy care more affordable.
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