192nd Session Legislative Accomplishments
Below you will find a brief overview of legislative accomplishments for the 192nd session, including a list of some of the issues on which I led. While this list is not exhaustive, it is a good representation of the work that has been done. If there are any specific areas you have questions or concerns about, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Massachusetts Legislature Successes
H.5090 An Act Expanding Protections for Reproductive and Gender Affirming Care
After SCOTUS unjustly overturned Roe v. Wade in June, the Massachusetts legislature acted swiftly and introduced a bill that further protects abortion access and gender affirming care across the Commonwealth. This bill shields healthcare providers and patients from out-of-state abortion persecution, requires insurance to cover abortion care, requires public colleges and universities to provide medication abortion at campus health centers, and clarifies the ROE Act to ensure that pregnant people are not forced to leave MA for abortion care later in pregnancy. This bill was signed into law by Governor Baker on July 29th, 2022.
H.5060 An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind
The Massachusetts Legislature passed a sweeping clean energy bill that bolsters green transportation, green buildings, and clean power production, including offshore wind, solar, storage, and networked geothermal while creating thousands of new jobs and economic benefits in the process. This bill builds upon the Next Generation Climate Roadmap bill, which passed earlier this session and overhauled the state’s climate laws by putting Massachusetts on a path to reach net-zero limit on greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This bill was signed into law by Governor Baker on August 11th, 2022.
H.4805 An Act Relative to Work and Family Mobility
Massachusetts joined our neighbors in Vermont and Connecticut by allowing all qualified state residents to apply for a driver’s license regardless of their immigration status. This law will allow immigrants, who have risked family separation just by driving, to apply for driver’s licenses and be shielded from unjust detentions. This bill benefits public safety in the Commonwealth by ensuring more drivers on the roads are properly trained, tested, and insured. After the passage of this bill in the House and Senate, Governor Baker vetoed it, but the legislature acted swiftly and overrode his veto. This bill was vetoed by Governor Baker on May 27th, 2022. The House and Senate overrode Baker’s veto and passed the bill again on June 9th, 2022.
H. 5163 An Act to improve and modernize the information technology systems and capacities of the judiciary (It included an update to our gun laws)
After the Supreme Court unnecessarily loosened gun laws around the country, the Legislature passed legislation that would cut the duration of a license to carry or possess firearms in Massachusetts from six to three years, eliminate the requirement for an applicant to show "good reason" when seeking a license to carry, and tighten limits on who can get a license. Additionally, anyone with a temporary or permanent harassment prevention order would be prohibited from carrying a firearm. Our state’s history of common-sense gun regulations is why we have the second-lowest gun death rate in the country. This bill was signed into law by Governor Baker on August 11th, 2022.
H.4554, An Act Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Natural and Protective Hairstyles
For too long, people have been forced to conform with styles and treatments that do not reflect their natural hair. This is a crucial first step in reversing centuries of harm perpetrated against Black Americans because of their natural hair textures. The CROWN Act, which bars discrimination based on a person’s natural hair style or hair texture, was signed into law by Governor Baker on July 26th, 2022.
S.3097, An Act Addressing Barriers to Care for Mental Health
As you know, the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated our country’s mental health crisis and in result many of our residents have faced external barriers in receiving the mental and behavioral health care that they need. This piece of legislation proposes a wide variety of reforms to ensure equitable access to mental health care and remove barriers to care by supporting the behavioral health workforce. This bill was signed into law by Governor Baker on August 10th, 2022.
H.5164, An Act Regulating Sports Wagering
This legislation authorizes the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to grant in-person licenses at gaming establishments, including casinos, racetracks, and simulcast facilities, as well as mobile licenses through mobile applications or digital platforms. This legislation will generate an estimated $60 million in annual tac revenue for Massachusetts, in addition to collecting up to $70 to $80 million in initial licensing fees, which must be renewed every 5 years. The revenue collected will be distributed to municipalities, and for economic, workforce, education, and public health priorities. This bill was signed into law by Governor Baker on August 10th, 2022.
S.3096, An Act Relative to Equity in the Cannabis Industry
This legislation encourages and facilitates participation in the cannabis industry from communities disproportionately harmed by marijuana criminalization by creating aSocial Equity Trust Fund. The bill also strengthens the host community agreement process and clarifies procedures for permitting social consumption sites. This bill was signed into law by Governor Baker on August 11th, 2022.
Other notable accomplishments that the Legislature passed in the final days of the legislative session include ending child marriage, implementing electric bike regulations, securing increased veteran’s benefits, securing universal school meals, and more. If you have any questions regarding the legislation above, or any other areas of concern to you, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Some of the legislative successes for which I led:
I introduced this bill with Senator Sal DiDomenico to create a Common Application Portal for safety-net programs (similar to a college common application) to allow eligible residents to more easily apply for needs-based services such as MassHealth, SNAP, the Medicare Savings Program, and other safety net provisions. The language from this bill was included in the FY23 budget as an amendment. Governor Baker sent this amendment back to the Legislature and amended it to remove the Veteran’s benefits provision. The Legislature accepted this change and the Senate and House both engrossed and enacted the new language shortly after. This bill is awaiting signature by Governor Baker.
In addition, On July 27th, 2022, the Baker-Polito Administration implemented language Senator DiDomenico and I were able to get included in the FY21 and FY22 budget and began allowing low-income households applying for or renewing MassHealth online to apply for SNAP food benefits at the same time. These two actions in tandem represent significant steps towards making benefit programs more efficient and effective, closing participation gaps, and ensuring that more residents connect to the programs they desperately need.
H.3333, An Act to Prevent Biomass Energy to Protect the Air We Breathe
I Introduced this bill to help remove biomass as an acceptable renewable energy to encourage companies to find alternatives that don’t pollute our air and cause irreversible lung damage. The language from this bill was included in H.5060 An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind, which Governor Baker signed into law on August 11, 2022.
H.4090, An Act Improving Drinking Water Quality
I introduced this bill with Rep. Santiago after I had to replace the sink/pipes in my home last year and through that process, I learned how many residents unknowingly are exposed to lead through the water pipes entering their building, which can have serious health effects on the consumer. This bill will help ensure a healthy future for environmental justice communities by providing funding for the Clean Water Trust’s lead service line replacement program to distribute funds to municipalities to distribute to residents in need. The language from this bill (as amended) was included in H.5065 An Act Financing the General Governmental Infrastructure of the Commonwealth and was signed into law by Governor Baker on August 4th, 2022.
I introduced this bill with Senator Sal DiDomenico that will allow the Commissioner of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance to enter into a lease with the Esplanade Association to build, design, use, maintain, operate, program, and repair the Lee Pool Complex. The purpose of this legislation is to expand public use and programming of the Charles River Esplanade park through community enhancing initiatives led by the Esplanade Association. This bill was signed into law by Governor Baker on August 10th, 2022.
Amendment #722, Education for the Prevention of the Practice of Female Genital Mutilation
I introduced this amendment in the FY23 Budget with Rep. Higgins to provide funding for education information about the health risks and emotional trauma inflicted by the practice of female genital mutilation, as well as the criminal penalties for committing female genital mutilation. This provision was included in the FY23 budget and was signed into law by Governor Baker on July 28th, 2022.
I introduced this bill with Senator Sal DiDomenico that renamed the Charlesbank playground to the Gronk playground in honor of former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski’s $1.2 million contribution to the playground’s renovations. This bill was signed into law by Governor Baker on July 25th, 2022.