Senate Passes $1.65 Billion Supplemental Budget
The Massachusetts State Senate passed a $1.65 billion supplemental budget for Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22). The legislation makes investments in the state’s long-term COVID-19 response; addresses staffing shortages in schools; provides support for home and community-based services, assistance and protections for families experiencing housing and energy insecurity; funds winter road improvements; extends outdoor dining services as well as beer, wine and cocktails to-go, and provides for the resettlement of Ukrainian refugees in Massachusetts. Notably, the bill also would divest the state pension fund from Russian assets in response to the Russian war in Ukraine.
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Senate Passes Oversight Reform for Veterans’ Homes
The Massachusetts State Senate passed legislation to increase public oversight over the administration of state-operated veterans’ homes in Holyoke and Chelsea. To improve safety and transparency at the veterans’ homes, the bill would restructure the chain of command to more closely match established administrative practices used in hospitals and other large organizations. This legislation follows continued scrutiny of administrative failures at the veterans’ home in Holyoke, which led to the tragic deaths of 77 veterans during the early days of the pandemic, and builds on recommendations made by the Special Joint Oversight Committee on the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke COVID-19 Outbreak, which investigated.
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Senate Unveils Oversight Reform for Veterans’ Homes
The Massachusetts State Senate unveiled legislation to increase public oversight over the administration of state-operated veterans’ homes in Holyoke and Chelsea. To improve safety and transparency at the veterans’ homes, the bill would restructure the chain of command to more closely match established administrative practices used in hospitals and other large organizations. This legislation follows continued scrutiny of administrative failures at the veterans’ home in Holyoke, which led to the tragic deaths of 77 veterans during the early days of the pandemic, and builds on recommendations made by the Special Joint Oversight Committee on the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke COVID-19 Outbreak, which investigated.
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Senate Passes Bills Supporting Equitable Health Care Access for Women
The Massachusetts State Senate passed two bills that would expand equitable health care access for women in Massachusetts. One bill would help to address the crisis in maternal health by ensuring that pregnant and postpartum mothers and birthing people get necessary and potentially life-saving health care by extending MassHealth insurance coverage to 12 months after pregnancy. A second bill would direct the state to provide menstrual products free of cost in certain public places, including schools, correctional facilities, and shelters and other temporary housing.
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Senate Passes Bills to Recognize Holidays Honoring Black History
The Massachusetts State Senate passed two bills, each designating a new state holiday commemorating Black history in Massachusetts. One bill would designate July 8 as Massachusetts Emancipation Day, also known as Quock Walker Day, while the other would designate the third Saturday in July as Negro Election Day. Both holidays, which have been celebrated in Massachusetts by members of the Black community, would be officially recognized under the proposed legislation.
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Senate-Passed COVID-19 Relief Bill Signed into Law
A $101 million plan passed by the Massachusetts Legislature to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 and its variants was signed into law. The legislation provides residents with greater access to tests, vaccines, and masks, and prioritizes communities disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as frontline workers.
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Senate Passes Pharmaceutical Access, Cost and Transparency (PACT) Act 2022
The Massachusetts Senate passed by a vote of 39-1 An Act relative to Pharmaceutical Access, Cost and Transparency (PACT Act 2022), comprehensive pharmaceutical legislation to address the rapidly increasing cost of prescription drugs and to ensure life-saving medications are affordable, fairly priced and accessible for all consumers.
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Legislature Approves Nero’s Law
The House and Senate passed An Act allowing humane transportation of K9 partners, also known as Nero’s Law, which would ensure law enforcement officers’ K-9 partners receive life-saving medical attention and transport if injured in the line of duty. The bill responds to the tragic events that took the life of New Bedford-native and Yarmouth Police K-9 Sergeant Sean Gannon and severely injured his K-9 partner, Nero.
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Senate Unveils Pharmaceutical Access, Cost and Transparency (PACT) Act 2022
The Massachusetts Senate unveiled An Act relative to Pharmaceutical Access, Cost and Transparency (PACT Act 2022), comprehensive pharmaceutical cost control legislation aimed at addressing the rapidly increasing costs of prescription drugs. By connecting the need for greater drug price transparency with policies to improve oversight for the pharmaceutical industry, the legislation puts the Senate at the forefront of the state’s efforts to tackle rapidly increasing prescription drug costs. It will also reduce drug costs for patients and lower health care costs overall.
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Senate Passes Bill to Increase Access to COVID-19 Testing, Vaccines, and Masks
The Massachusetts State Senate passed a $76 million plan to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 and its variants by providing residents with greater access to tests, vaccines, and masks, prioritizing communities disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as frontline workers.
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Senate Unanimously Passes Homeless ID and Relative Adoption Bills
The Massachusetts State Senate unanimously passed legislation to make state identification more accessible to people experiencing homelessness, as well as legislation to allow adoption by close relatives, which is currently prohibited under state law.
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Bill To Stabilize Supply of Egg and Pork Products Signed into Law
Following action by House and Senate lawmakers earlier this week, a bill to ensure a more secure egg and pork supply chain in the state, was signed into law Wednesday. The legislation updates Massachusetts’ farm animal welfare standards passed by voters in 2016 to align with other states.
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Statement on the COVID-19 Omicron Variant
We must act aggressively to mitigate the impact and spread of the new COVID-19 Omicron variant across Massachusetts and prioritize protecting our most vulnerable residents, workers, and communities disparately impacted by the pandemic.
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Legislature passes American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), FY21 Surplus Spending Bill
The Massachusetts Legislature advanced a $4 billion bill to the governor’s desk that directs federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) surplus funding to assist the Commonwealth’s ongoing economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. With a focus on making equitable investments and prioritizing communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, the legislation delivers targeted supports to workers and businesses, and the critical sectors of housing, health care, mental and behavioral health, climate preparedness, education, and workforce development.
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Legislature passes Genocide Education bill
The Massachusetts Legislature passed An Act concerning genocide education to provide education to middle and high school students on the history of genocide and to promote the teaching of human rights issues.
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Senate Passes Mental Health ABC Act 2.0
The Massachusetts Senate passed the Mental Health ABC Act 2.0: Addressing Barriers to Care (ABC), comprehensive legislation to continue the process of reforming the way mental health care is delivered in Massachusetts, with the goal of ensuring that people get the mental health care they need when they need it. This legislation comes at a time when the Massachusetts State Senate is making landmark investments in mental and behavioral health, including $400 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to transform the behavioral health sector, with $122 million dedicated to recruiting and retaining nearly 2,000 behavioral professionals.
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Senate Prioritizes Veterans’ Services in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funding
Today, the Massachusetts State Senate passed a $3.82 billion blueprint to invest funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to meet the urgent needs of the Commonwealth’s ongoing recovery. The bill includes increased investments for veteran services and supports that target housing security, transportation and mental and behavioral health care, among other areas.
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Senate Passes American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Spending Bill
The Massachusetts State Senate unanimously passed a $3.82 billion bill that directs federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to assist the Commonwealth’s ongoing recovery, with a particular focus on making equitable investments and ensuring that communities disproportionately impact by the COVID-19 pandemic are prioritized. Using this framework, the bill delivers targeted, transformational supports to critical sectors such as health care, mental and behavioral health, housing security, environment, and workforce development.
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Senate Approves Nero's Law
The Massachusetts State Senate unanimously approved An Act allowing humane transportation of K9 partners, also known as Nero’s Law, ensuring law enforcement officers’ K-9 partners receive life-saving medical attention and transport if injured in the line of duty.
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Senate Unveils Mental Health ABC Act 2.0: Addressing Barriers to Care
The Massachusetts Senate unveiled its Mental Health ABC Act 2.0: Addressing Barriers to Care (ABC) (S2572), comprehensive legislation to continue the process of reforming the way mental health care is delivered in Massachusetts, with the goal of ensuring that people get the mental health care they need when they need it. This legislation comes at a time when the Massachusetts State Senate is making landmark investments in mental and behavioral health, including $400 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to transform the behavioral health sector, with $122 million dedicated to recruiting and retaining nearly 2,000 behavioral professionals.
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