Today the Massachusetts Senate gave final passage to compromise legislation adding 225 new alcohol licenses for the City of Boston over the next three years.. The licenses would be distributed across 13 Boston zip codes, expanding equity for restaurant owners in historically underrepresented parts of the city and boosting economic opportunity in communities of color that have been systemically excluded for decades.
Read MoreThe Massachusetts State Senate announced today that Kathryn A. Bethea-Rivera, Ph.D., has been hired as the new Human Resources Manager of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the Senate.
Read MoreToday the Massachusetts Senate passed legislation to rename the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) to MassAbility, a change that will define the agency’s role in supporting residents with disabilities live independently.
Read MoreToday, the Massachusetts Legislature passed sweeping reforms to the long-term care and assisted living sectors, taking a powerful step towards delivering high quality and safe care for older residents across the Commonwealth.
Read MoreToday, The Massachusetts Legislature passed a comprehensive maternal health bill which creates a state licensure pathway for midwives and lactation consultants, encourages the creation of more freestanding birth centers, establishes a grant program to address maternal mental health and substance use disorder, and expands the statewide universal postpartum home visiting program. This legislation also mandates that insurers provide coverage for postpartum depression and major depressive disorder screenings for perinatal individuals.
Read MoreThe Massachusetts Legislature has passed the Affordable Homes Act, the largest housing investment in Massachusetts history and a powerful first step in tackling the state’s housing affordability crisis.
The legislation authorizes $5.16 billion in bond authorizations and tax credits to spur housing production in Massachusetts, while implementing sweeping policy initiatives to facilitate the development of affordable housing and preserve public housing in Massachusetts.
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The Massachusetts Legislature has passed An Act Honoring, Empowering and Recognizing Our Service Members and Veterans (HERO Act), legislation designed to boost support for hundreds of thousands of individuals across the state who have served in the United States military, including nearly 30,000 women veterans and thousands of LGBTQ+ veterans.
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The Massachusetts Legislature today passed An Act to ensure legal parentage equality, extending the full rights of parentage to LGBTQ+ families and families created via assisted reproduction.
Read MoreToday the Massachusetts Senate passed legislation expanding support for residents coping with substance use disorder to stem the toll of an opioid crisis that takes thousands of lives each year.
Read MoreToday the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed legislation to strengthen access to physical and mental health care for pregnant people and new parents in Massachusetts, an expansion of support systems that is intended to keep parents and newborns healthy as they are welcomed into the world.
Read MoreThe Massachusetts Senate today approved sweeping reforms to the Commonwealth’s long term care and assisted living sectors, taking a powerful step towards delivering the high quality and safe care that Massachusetts seniors deserve. S.2889, An Act relative to long term care and assisted living, substantially strengthens oversight and enforcement while also requiring facilities to create outbreak plans should a health issue arise.
Read MoreToday the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed legislation to ensure that first responders who are permanently injured by violent acts in the line of duty receive their full regular compensation until they reach retirement age. S.2887, An Act relative to disability pensions and critical incident stress management for violent crimes, enshrines into law financial security for first responders and their families after a critical or life-threatening injury occurs while serving their state, county, city, or town.
Read MoreToday the Massachusetts Senate passed a supplemental budget directing funding to childcare assistance, community services, and workforce initiatives vital to the wellbeing of Massachusetts residents. The legislation directs funding to deficiencies outlined by the Healey-Driscoll Administration and makes numerous clarifications to state policies to cut red tape and create efficiencies in state government.
Read MoreToday the Massachusetts Legislature took a strong step towards closing the gender and racial wage gap in the Commonwealth by passing An Act relative to salary range transparency. The legislation requires employers with 25 or more employees to disclose a salary range when posting a position and protects an employee’s right to ask their employer for the salary range for their position when applying for a job or seeking a promotion
Read MoreToday the Massachusetts Legislature enacted the FutureTech Act, taking action on a $1.26 billion bond authorization to modernize the Commonwealth’s digital infrastructure and create safer and more accessible experiences for residents and employees alike.
Read More) Today, the Legislature enacted a $58 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25), resolving differences between the versions of the budget passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate earlier this year. The FY25 conference committee report maintains fiscal responsibility while delivering historic levels of investment in every level of education, transportation regional equity, workforce development and health care, reflecting the Legislature’s ongoing commitment to delivering on affordability for residents and economic competitiveness for the Commonwealth.
Read MoreToday the Massachusetts Senate passed sweeping reforms to the Commonwealth’s health care system to boost oversight and transparency in the market and improve patient access to prescribed medication and treatment.
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Today the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed a comprehensive economic development bill that makes bold investments in life sciences, climate tech, and small businesses, building on Massachusetts’ national leadership and creating an environment where businesses and workers thrive.
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