Massachusetts Senate Acts to Establish New Statewide Licensure of Commercial Interior Design
Today the Massachusetts Senate passed An act relative to advancing the profession of commercial interior design. Under this legislation, commercial interior designers would have the opportunity to become registered professionals in the state of Massachusetts. As the law currently stands, with certain state and federal projects requiring licensure, Massachusetts designers often have to contract with larger firms or individuals with architectural licenses in order to be eligible for these projects. This often results in lost revenue for interior designers in this majority-women field.
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Massachusetts Senate to take action on the FutureTech Act, interior design licensure
This Thursday, the Massachusetts Senate will take up and debate An Act to provide for the future information technology needs of Massachusetts (the FutureTech Act) and An Act relative to advancing the profession of commercial interior design.
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Senate Passes 2025 Budget to Make Community College Free, Invest in Every Region, Open Childcare Seats
The Massachusetts Senate has unanimously approved a $57.999 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25). Following robust and spirited debate, the Senate adopted over 400 amendments and took 43 roll call votes, adding $89.6 million in spending for statewide initiatives and local priorities for communities around the Commonwealth.
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Senate begins third day of budget debate after making historic increase to per pupil aid and boosting rural school aid on Wednesday
The Senate will begin the third day of debate of the Fiscal Year 2025 budget on Thursday morning. As of the beginning of debate on Thursday, the upper chamber adopted 375 amendments, rejected 281 amendments, and has taken 26 roll call votes.
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Senate continues to invest in all areas of the Commonwealth via amendment process
Approximately halfway through debate of the Senate’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget, the upper chamber has dealt with 635 amendments, spanning categories including environment, economic development, and health and human services. As of 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the Senate has adopted 245 amendments, rejected 204 amendments and taken 14 roll call votes.
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Senate Ways and Means Releases Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Recommendations
The Senate Committee on Ways and Means on Tuesday released a $57.9 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) that reflects the Senate’s vision of creating a more affordable, equitable, and competitive Massachusetts by investing in residents and communities across every district of the Commonwealth, while continuing to be fiscally responsible and chart a sustainable path forward.
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Senate Leaders Unveil MassEducate: Universal Free Community College for Massachusetts Residents
Today, Senate leaders unveiled MassEducate, a proposal for tuition-free, universal community college for all Massachusetts residents which is aimed at boosting the state’s workforce and expanding opportunity for students and families in every part of the state.
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Senate Acts on Consumer Protection Package
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.
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Massachusetts Legislature Passes Chapter 90 Road Funding Authorization
Today 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.
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Massachusetts Legislature Passes FY24 Supplemental Budget
Today, 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.
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Senate Authorizes $375 Million for Local Transportation Infrastructure
Today, 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.
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Senate acts to protect firefighters, increase “hot work” safety
Today 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.
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Senate acts to protect consumers, make debt collections fairer
Today, 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.
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Senate passes supplemental budget, creates roadmap for emergency shelter system
Today, 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.
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Senate Acts to Prevent Abuse and Exploitation Online
Today, 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.
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Massachusetts Senate acts to transform early education and care
Today, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed legislation to make early education and care more accessible and affordable for families across Massachusetts.
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Massachusetts Senate releases the EARLY ED Act, aimed at transforming early education and care
Today, 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.
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Senate Art Committee Begins Public Search for Influential Woman to Honor with Chamber Bust
Today, 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.
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Joint Statement: Legislature to hold hearings on the role of private equity in health care
“…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….”
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Senate President Spilka Unveils Portrait of Abigail Adams; Calls for Public Input on the First Woman to be Permanently Honored in Senate Chamber
Today, 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).
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