Repeal of Archaic Pregnancy Criminalization Laws

State Bills: Massachusetts

Published February 11th, 2026

Detected April 1st, 2026

Summary

Massachusetts House Bill H.5244 proposes to repeal archaic criminal statutes that historically penalized unmarried women for concealing the death of a child born out of wedlock. The bill has been introduced by Representatives Sabadosa and Livingstone and referred to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, with a public hearing scheduled for April 7, 2026.

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What changed

House Bill H.5244 seeks to remove Massachusetts General Laws provisions that historically criminalized conduct related to pregnancy outcomes, specifically laws punishing women for concealing the death of a child born out of wedlock. The bill targets provisions that date from an era of discriminatory policies against unmarried mothers. The legislation is currently in the consultation stage, having been referred to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary after introduction on February 11, 2026.

Stakeholders and the public have until April 7, 2026 to submit testimony or comments regarding this bill, as the Joint Committee on the Judiciary has scheduled a public hearing on that date. If enacted, the bill would eliminate these archaic criminal provisions from Massachusetts law, removing the legal basis for any prosecution under these historical statutes. Legal professionals and advocates should monitor the bill's progress through committee and consider submitting testimony supporting the repeal.

What to do next

Monitor H.5244 progress through the Joint Committee on the Judiciary
Prepare and submit public testimony by April 7, 2026 hearing date
Review current Massachusetts criminal statutes for any provisions affected by this repeal

Source document (simplified)

Bill H.5244 194th (Current)

An Act to repeal archaic laws criminalizing pregnancy

By Representatives Sabadosa of Northampton and Livingstone of Boston, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Lindsay N. Sabadosa and Jay D. Livingstone relative to the concealment of the death of child born out of wedlock. The Judiciary.

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Bill Information

Presenters: Lindsay N. Sabadosa, Jay D. Livingstone Status: Referred to Joint Committee on the Judiciary Tabs Bill History Petitioners

Bill History

Displaying 4 actions for Bill H.5244
| Date | Branch | Action |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2/11/2026 | House | Referred to the committee on House Rules |
| 3/5/2026 | House | Reported, referred to the committee on Joint Rules, reported, rules suspended and referred to the committee on The Judiciary |
| 3/12/2026 | Senate | Senate concurred |
| 3/31/2026 | Joint | Hearing scheduled for 04/07/2026 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2 |

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