Today the Massachusetts Senate took action to protect residents and consumers from predatory tactics and promote fairer interactions with businesses in the state, passing bills that would ban third-party residential electric suppliers, enhance the state’s Lemon Law for car buyers, and mandate home insurers cover residential oil spill damages.
Read MoreToday the Massachusetts Legislature gave municipalities around the Commonwealth a critical tool to make improvements to local transportation infrastructure by overwhelmingly passing a final bill to authorize Chapter 90 road funding.
Read MoreToday, the Massachusetts Legislature passed a supplemental budget that funds the emergency shelter system for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2024 and provides a glide path into Fiscal Year 2025 while instituting reforms to ensure the integrity and financial stability of the program. The bill further extends certain COVID-era flexibilities, most notably allowing for permanent outdoor dining options and restaurants to sell cocktails to-go, as well as expanding nursing eligibility to graduate students and certain staff in assisted living facilities.
Read MoreToday, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously approved $375 million in bond authorizations for statewide transportation projects, including the state’s Chapter 90 program, which would create a reliable funding source for local infrastructure investments like roads, bridges, regional transit equipment and infrastructure, bicycle infrastructure, and electric vehicle infrastructure, among other things.
Read MoreToday the Senate unanimously passed legislation to boost safety for firefighters and people conducting “hot work”—welding, plasma cutting, and spark-producing construction—by requiring the state to create a public database of violations of the fire prevention statute, and a public notification system to alert workers of violations.
Read MoreToday, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed legislation to protect consumers and help keep people from being pushed into financial ruin if they are sued for financial debt. The new law would make debt collection practices fairer, protect wages, and make clear that no person can go to prison for their debt.
Read MoreToday, after extensive debate, the Massachusetts Senate passed S.2708, a supplemental budget which would make additional appropriations to the emergency shelter system while taking proactive and fiscally responsible steps to ensure its long term effectiveness. It also supports workforce training programs for families who have recently migrated to Massachusetts.
Read MoreToday, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed An Act to prevent abuse and exploitation, bipartisan legislation that would criminalize the sharing of sexually explicit images or videos without an individual’s consent and implement a comprehensive educational diversion program designed for adolescents on the consequences of posting indecent visual depictions online.
Read MoreToday, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed legislation to make early education and care more accessible and affordable for families across Massachusetts.
Read MoreToday, the Massachusetts Senate announced it would be taking up the EARLY ED Act, legislation to make early education and care more accessible and affordable for families across Massachusetts.
Read MoreToday, the Massachusetts Senate Art Committee released a submission form requesting nominations for the name of a woman to be honored with a bust in the Senate Chamber. Nominations should reflect women who have made historic contributions to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; women with national influence will also be considered if they have ties to the state.
Read More“…The hearing will examine the relationship between health care regulators and private equity, and will solicit information and recommendations to help ensure that what is happening with Steward Health Care doesn’t happen again in the future….”
Read MoreToday, the Massachusetts Senate marked the first day of Women’s History month by unveiling a portrait of former First Lady Abigail Adams and putting out a public call for nominations for an influential woman to be the first honored with a permanent bust in the Senate Chamber. The nominations will be considered by a renewed Senate Art Committee, led by Senator Julian Cyr (D-Truro).
Read MoreThe Massachusetts Senate on Thursday passed the Healthy Youth Act, which would ensure that Massachusetts public schools electing to teach sexual health education curriculum use age-appropriate, inclusive, medically accurate, and research-based information on sex, relationships, and consent.
Read MoreToday, a permanent bust of African American orator, writer, abolitionist, politician, and freedom fighter, Frederick Douglass, took its place among several of the United States’ foremost historical figures in the Massachusetts State Senate chamber.
Read MoreToday, with bipartisan support, the Massachusetts Senate passed An act to sensibly address firearm violence through effective reform—the SAFER Act—to increase firearm safety in the state without infringing on the rights of gun owners. Following a thorough debate amongst members on the Senate floor, the bill passed 37 to 3.
Read More“…Given the number of questions that were submitted this session, including competing versions of the same question, the House and Senate will act to establish a special joint committee tasked with reviewing the initiatives that is especially equipped to tackle the unique challenges presented by the legal and policy intricacies of the questions this year. The Legislature looks forward to a fair, balanced, and informed public process for the consideration of all initiative petitions.”
Read MoreToday, the Massachusetts Senate introduced the SAFER Act, comprehensive gun safety legislation to reform and modernize the state’s firearm laws, support the state’s public safety and public health infrastructure in mitigating gun violence, and strengthen accountability and oversight mechanisms for illegal gun activity.
Read More
