Massachusetts Republican Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law legislation that allows access to free birth control to all women in his state Monday, becoming the first state to guarantee contraceptive coverage since President Donald Trump’s executive order allowing employers to abstain for religious reasons.
“This legislation will ensure no woman in Massachusetts, irrespective of what goes on in Washington, will worry about whether her health care services and rights will be affected here in the commonwealth,” Baker said at the signing.
The bill, drafted in response to Trump’s Oct. 6 executive order rolling back mandatory contraceptive coverage required by the Affordable Care Act, imposes a state level requirement that insurance plans cover contraceptives. The bill includes an exemption for religious institutions.
Even if the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, is changed at the federal level, Massachusetts’ requirement to cover contraception will remain. The law is expected to add between seven and 20 cents to the average monthly premium.
The bill received bipartisan support in the state legislature, with only a few “no” votes in the state house and unanimous approval from the state senate.
“There will be women we’ll never know about who are able to make decisions on how large their family is, when to start their family, regardless of economic condition,” Democratic House Speaker Pro Tempore Pat Haddad.
“There will be women we’ll never know about who are able to make decisions on how large their family is, when to start their family, regardless of economic condition,” Haddad said.
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