Supporters and opponents of a proposal to tighten abortion clinic security will have a chance to weigh in on the plan at a Statehouse hearing.
The new bill would let police disperse groups substantially impeding access to Massachusetts abortion clinics. After a dispersal order is issued, those individuals would have to stay at least 25 feet from the clinic's entrances for a maximum of eight hours.
The bill would also prohibit anyone from knowingly blocking a vehicle's access to a facility.
The bill is a response to the Supreme Court's decision last month that tossed out a Massachusetts law that established 35-foot protest-free "buffer zones" around the entrances of abortion.
Wednesday's public hearing at the Statehouse is scheduled for 10 a.m. before the Judiciary Committee.
The Senate will debate the bill Thursday.
