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HD 1570

An Act to provide reproductive health care to incarcerated individuals

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Manny Cruz and 9 co-sponsors

The bill guarantees incarcerated people capable of pregnancy access to contraception, pregnancy care, and abortion options with nondirective counseling and post-release continuity.

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Bill Summary · HD 1570

Summary: An Act to provide reproductive health care to incarcerated individuals (House Docket No. 1570)

Overview

This Massachusetts bill seeks to ensure comprehensive reproductive health care for people in custody who can become pregnant. It adds formal protections and services related to contraception, pregnancy care, and abortion, with an emphasis on accessibility, nondirective counseling, and removal of undue barriers within correctional facilities.

What the bill would do

  • Guarantee access to contraception and related services for incarcerated individuals capable of pregnancy, available on request at any time.
  • Require the Department of Correction (DOC), in coordination with the Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Massachusetts Sheriffs Association, to distribute all FDA-approved birth control methods free of charge and with minimal barriers.
  • Allow incarcerated individuals to continue birth control methods prescribed before incarceration.
  • Mandate confidential contraceptive counseling and family planning information, particularly for those nearing release, with visits that are voluntary (not mandatory) 60 to 180 days before release.
  • Ensure continuity of contraception after release through referrals and up to 12 months of refills as appropriate.
  • Require facilities to post information about family planning rights and nondirective, unbiased contraceptive services.
  • Implement these provisions within one year of passage.

Abortion and pregnancy-related care

  • Incarcerated pregnant individuals may determine eligibility for an abortion under state law and obtain one after informed consent; nonmedical prison staff cannot make abortion eligibility determinations.
  • DOC and partners must develop standards of care and written abortion policies.

Testing, information, and counseling enhancements

  • Pregnancy testing and other related tests may occur during incarceration, with tests explicitly described as voluntary.
  • Counseling materials must include unbiased information about prenatal care, adoption, and abortion from a licensed health professional.
  • Prison staff may not pressure or influence a pregnant person’s reproductive decisions.

Who is affected

  • Incarcerated people capable of becoming pregnant.
  • Commonwealth agencies: Department of Correction, Department of Public Health, and the Massachusetts Sheriffs Association, Inc.
  • Prison healthcare providers who administer contraception, pregnancy care, and abortion services.

Implementation timeline

  • Key provisions (contraceptive access, counseling, and information sharing) must be implemented by the DOC within one year of passage.
  • Abortion policy and standards of care to be developed in consultation with DPH and the Massachusetts Sheriffs Association.

Notes

  • The bill uses terminology such as “incarcerated persons” and “inmates” and embeds protections to ensure voluntary, nondiscriminatory, and noncoercive care.
  • The summary reflects the text as introduced; status and any amendments beyond the initial filing are not provided here.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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