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MassachusettsS 2543194th General Court (2025-2026)SenateWALLET

An Act strengthening health care protections in the Commonwealth

Sponsored By: Sponsor information unavailable

Signed by Governor

House Ways and MeansHouse Steering, Policy and SchedulingBills in the Third Reading

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

14 provisions identified: 13 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.

Emergency care must include needed abortion

Hospitals must screen every emergency patient and give stabilizing treatment whenever the ER is open. Stabilizing care includes abortion when it is needed to treat the emergency. The Attorney General can sue to enforce this rule. Courts can fine a hospital up to $10,000 for each violation.

Health Connector limits sharing of your data

The Health Connector cannot share data for out‑of‑state or federal investigations into protected care unless federal law requires it. It cannot share identifiable health or personal data for any purpose not allowed by law. Anyone who gets Connector data may not use it to investigate or charge a patient. Providers and health plans can see identifiable data only for treatment, payment, operations, or the Connector’s exchange work.

Out-of-state bans can’t change custody here

Massachusetts courts do not change custody, parenting time, or restraining‑order findings based on another state’s ban on gender‑affirming care. The same bar applies to care‑and‑protection cases. Courts may act only if the parent’s conduct would be abuse, neglect, or maltreatment under Massachusetts law.

Prescription privacy and PDMP limits

For certain prescriptions, providers or pharmacies may list the practice name on the label instead of the clinician’s name, when allowed by federal law. Pharmacy benefit managers cannot claw back money just because a clinician’s name is not on these labels. Medications used for reproductive or gender‑affirming care are left out of the prescription monitoring program unless the health department, after consulting practitioners, finds reporting is needed for public health. The program may not give out identifiable or detailed records for investigations into this care unless federal law requires it. These labeling and PBM rules take effect January 1, 2026.

Tighter privacy at state health data center

The state health data center limits access to identifiable data to treatment, payment, and health operations. It may not answer out‑of‑state or federal requests about protected care unless federal law requires it. No one who gets center data may use it to investigate or charge a patient. The center can share de‑identified data for research and quality work, and identifiable data for research only with patient authorization or an IRB/privacy‑board waiver. Access authorized by the center is treated as compliant with state privacy law.

Licensing protections for abortion and gender care providers

Boards cannot discipline you for providing or helping with reproductive or gender‑affirming care that is legal in Massachusetts, even if it happened in another state. Boards cannot deny your license for out‑of‑state criminal, civil, disciplinary, or malpractice actions tied to that care when the same care is lawful here. Boards also cannot post those out‑of‑state records on your public profile in that case.

Protect provider info and public health data

Names, home addresses, personal emails, and phone numbers of people who provide, help, or promote reproductive or gender‑affirming care are not public records. The public health department may not collect or share individually identifiable or disaggregated abortion or gender‑affirming surveillance data, except when another law allows it. The law also expands who is covered from only family planning to anyone providing, facilitating, or promoting these services.

Insurers can’t penalize nonprofits for care

Liability insurers may not raise rates or change risk classes for nonprofit charities just because they offer or support reproductive or gender‑affirming care, or faced abusive litigation. Insurers may still set rates by general specialty risk.

Protect lawyers advising on this care

Massachusetts does not remove or discipline a lawyer only for advising or representing clients on reproductive or gender‑affirming health care, even if that work is illegal in another state. The lawyer must still follow Massachusetts law and professional rules.

State won’t aid out-of-state probes

Except when federal law requires it, Massachusetts agencies and police do not help investigations into health care that is legal here. Civil service staff cannot be used to bypass these protections. Courts also may not treat protected care as proof of wrongdoing just because the patient was outside Massachusetts. An exception applies to tort or contract cases brought by the patient under Massachusetts law.

Vendors must block cross-border record access

Companies that store reproductive, IVF, or gender‑affirming medical records must limit access to people the patient authorizes in writing. They must block sending or accessing these records from outside Massachusetts unless the patient gives written consent naming the recipients. Tech providers may not hand over data tied to protected care unless federal law requires it or the request includes a sworn statement that it is not for enforcing another state’s law. A false sworn statement can cost up to $50,000 per violation, and the Attorney General can sue to enforce. These business access‑control rules take effect no later than July 1, 2026.

Stronger privacy for reproductive and gender care

The Department of Public Health creates one standard consent form that all licensed providers must use to share reproductive, IVF, and gender‑affirming health records. Breaking these rules counts as a violation of the state’s consumer‑protection law (chapter 93A). The Attorney General can sue, and courts can fine up to $5,000 per violation for unlawful storage or handling of this data.

AG can stop help to outside probes

The Attorney General can go to court to enforce the rule that state and local agencies must not help out‑of‑state or federal investigations into care that is legal in Massachusetts. The AG can seek court orders to make agencies follow this no‑cooperation rule.

Fees to access identifiable health data

The state center may charge application or other fees to non‑government groups that request access to identifiable health data. The law does not set the dollar amounts.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsors

There is no primary sponsor on record.

Cosponsors

  • Andrea Joy Campbell

    Affiliation unavailable

  • Carmine Lawrence Gentile

    Democratic • House

  • Cindy F. Friedman

    Democratic • Senate

  • David M. Rogers

    Democratic • House

  • Erika Uyterhoeven

    Democratic • House

  • Jacob R. Oliveira

    Democratic • Senate

  • Jason M. Lewis

    Democratic • Senate

  • Joanne M. Comerford

    Democratic • Senate

  • John Francis Moran

    Democratic • House

  • Julian Cyr

    Democratic • Senate

  • Pavel M. Payano

    Democratic • Senate

  • Rebecca L. Rausch

    Democratic • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 581 • No: 229

House vote • 7/31/2025

House concurred in the Senate amendment

Yes: 132 • No: 24

House vote • 7/31/2025

Enacted

Yes: 132 • No: 24

House vote • 7/16/2025

Amendment 8 rejected

Yes: 30 • No: 129

House vote • 7/16/2025

Amendment 6 adopted, as changed

Yes: 130 • No: 29

House vote • 7/16/2025

Passed to be engrossed

Yes: 136 • No: 23

committee vote • 7/15/2025

Committee Favorable with Amendment: S.2543 “An Act strengthening health care protections in the Commonwealth” as amended

Yes: 21 • No: 0 • Other: 15

Actions Timeline

  1. Signed by the Governor, Chapter 16 of the Acts of 2025

    8/7/2025

  2. Laid before the Governor

    7/31/2025Senate

  3. Enacted -see Roll Call #68 (Yeas 37 to Nays 3)

    7/31/2025Senate

  4. Enacted - 132 YEAS to 24 NAYS (See YEA and NAY No. 72)

    7/31/2025House

  5. House concurred in the Senate amendment - 132 YEAS to 24 NAYS (See YEA and NAY No. 70)

    7/31/2025House

  6. Referred to the committee on Bills in the Third Reading

    7/31/2025House

  7. Senate concurred in the House amendment with a further amendment, see S2572

    7/31/2025Senate

  8. Rules suspended

    7/31/2025Senate

  9. Passed to be engrossed - 136 YEAS to 23 NAYS (See YEA and NAY No. 65)

    7/16/2025House

  10. Amended by substitution of a new text, see H4294

    7/16/2025House

  11. Amendment 9 adopted, as changed

    7/16/2025House

  12. Amendment 7 adopted, as changed

    7/16/2025House

  13. Amendment 6 adopted, as changed - 130 YEAS to 29 NAYS (See YEA and NAY No. 64)

    7/16/2025House

  14. Amendment 8 rejected - 30 YEAS to 129 NAYS (See YEA and NAY No. 63)

    7/16/2025House

  15. Amendment 4 rejected

    7/16/2025House

  16. Read third

    7/16/2025House

  17. Rules suspended

    7/16/2025House

  18. Ordered to a third reading

    7/16/2025House

  19. Read second, amended (as recommended by the committee on House Ways and Means)

    7/16/2025House

  20. Rules suspended

    7/16/2025House

  21. Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting with the amendment pending

    7/16/2025House

  22. Committee recommended ought to pass with an amendment, striking out all after the enacting clause and inserting the text of H4271, and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling

    7/16/2025House

  23. Read; and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means

    7/3/2025House

  24. Rules suspended

    7/3/2025House

  25. Passed to be engrossed -see Roll Call #57 (Yeas 37 to Nays 3)

    6/26/2025Senate

Bill Text

  • Chapter 16 of the Acts of 2025

    8/7/2025

    PDF

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