Top Tech Committee Advances Three Bills in Senate

(BOSTON 7/24/2025) — This week, the Senate Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity voted to advance three pieces of legislation; a bill that would tax streaming services to fund community media programs, legislation that would protect minors against predatory algorithms designed to keep them on social media apps, and a bill that would create a fund to upgrade Massachusetts’ digital infrastructure. All six members of the Committee voted unanimously to report the three bills with a favorable recommendation.

“After collecting thousands of documents and dozens of hours of testimony from stakeholders from across the Commonwealth, I am pleased to share that the Committee is moving another three bills forward in the legislative process,” said Chair of the Senate Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “Ensuring local access community programming remains a part of the Bay State’s media fabric, protecting children from unethical Big Tech practices, and upgrading the computer systems that handle our most sensitive data are vitally important proposals that I’m proud we are prioritizing in the Senate. I’d like to thank my colleagues for their thoughtful consideration of these bills, and I look forward to continuing these conversations on Beacon Hill.”

The bills include:

An Act to modernize funding for community media programming – S.41

Community media programming is largely funded through taxes levied on cable TV operators such as Xfinity and Spectrum for their use of cables, wires, and other infrastructure that delivers their services to Bay Staters’ homes. However, while cable TV subscription revenue shrinks as an increasingly large portion of Americans’ media diets turn to online streaming services, so does funding for the municipally operated media organizations that deliver local programming, hybrid meetings, and important news to residents.

As it stands, streaming services are effectively paying nothing to use the same local infrastructure that cable companies are using. Introduced by Senator Jason Lewis, this bill would address that by establishing a board of stakeholders that can set a streaming service assessment rate to supplement declining cable fee revenues.

Massachusetts is home to the highest concentration of community media or PEG centers in the country, with over 250 outlets. By choosing to not act in the face of declining revenues, many of these programs risk severe cuts or closures. This legislation would update a funding model that we know already works for the modern age.

“Access to local community media is vital to support our communities and encourage a healthy democracy,” said Senator Jason Lewis (D-Winchester). “I was proud to file this bill to ensure that we adequately and sustainably fund local access and community media centers across the state that residents rely on to stay connected to their community and engage with their local government. Thank you to Senator Moore for digging into this issue and working with me as we look to the future of community media.”

An Act protecting children from addictive social media feeds – S.30

Social media platforms developed by some of the world’s largest companies are in a constant arms race to compete for users’ attention. Many big tech companies are willing to do most anything to get it, going so far as to exploit quirks of human behavior and manipulate users’ emotions to intentionally create over-use or compulsive use patterns in the same way the casino industry does. While these practices in algorithm development are harmful for users of all ages, nowhere is it more predatory than in children and teenagers whose developing minds are especially susceptible to the fear of missing out, appearances of popularity, and other social pressures.

This legislation, introduced by Senator Cynthia Stone Creem, would create two powerful regulations to protect minors. The first takes aim directly at addictive feed algorithms, limiting what personal data social media platforms can use to curate feeds for minors. This means barring the use of data commonly collected during these companies’ passive surveillance practices, including click tracking, time-spent statistics, and other data that is typically used to arrange a feed that is likely to keep a user on the platform for longer. The other regulation would ban social media apps from sending minors notifications during the hours of 12am to 6am, times when a buzzing phone could pull teenagers away from much-needed sleep and encourage them to open the app.

Protecting children from predatory practices employed by trillion-dollar tech companies is critical to allowing their minds to mature and develop without Instagram, TikTok, X, and Snapchat manipulating them into developing unhealthy relationships with their platforms. This legislation takes steps toward curbing the worst of these practices.

“This bill is a critical step toward protecting the mental health and well-being of children and teens in Massachusetts,” said Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Stone Creem (D-Newton). “By limiting addictive algorithms and late-night notifications, we’re helping young people build healthier relationships with technology and sending a message that their well-being matters more than Big Tech’s bottom line.”

An Act relative to the modernization of state agency information technology systems – S.31

Many Massachusetts state agencies still rely on decades-old digital systems that can be slow, inefficient, and insecure against cybercriminals. In an age of increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks from foreign and domestic threats, it is critical that systems which handle Bay Staters’ social security numbers, addresses, phone numbers, and other sensitive information are resilient enough to defend against those trying to steal it.

Introduced by Senator Brendan Crighton, this bill would create a new Massachusetts Innovation Fund and State Agency Technology Upgrades Account, as well as a governing board to evaluate proposals and award financial assistance to state agencies with qualifying technology modernization projects.

Having been advanced out of the Senate Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity with favorable recommendations, the bills now go to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means for further review.

###

Bill Elevating National Guard to Cabinet-Level Position Advanced by Senate Committee

(BOSTON 7/21/2025) — This week, S.2183 – An Act elevating the National Guard to a cabinet level position was advanced by the Senate Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight. The bill, introduced by Second Worcester District Senator Michael Moore, would eliminate layers of bureaucracy and minimize risks of miscommunication during emergencies by bringing the leader of the Massachusetts National Guard into the Governor’s cabinet.

The Massachusetts National Guard is a reserve component of the United States Army and Air Force that operates in part under state authority. The Guard responds to an array of domestic emergencies, overseas combat missions, counterdrug efforts, reconstruction missions, and more. Guard soldiers can be called upon at any time by either the State Governor, or the President of the United States with permission, as they are trained to respond to natural disasters and civil emergencies, and to support federal military missions. Currently, the Guard must report to the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, who then reports to the governor – creating risk of delays or miscommunications in situations where urgent response is necessary.

“The Massachusetts National Guard exists to protect and assist Bay Staters in emergencies, but none of that matters if command gets caught up in bureaucracy or reports from the ground are miscommunicated through a game of telephone between the Governor and the Adjutant General,” said Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “This common-sense legislation elevates the leader of the National Guard to the Governor’s cabinet, streamlining communication and recognizing the importance of the role the Guard plays in the security of the Commonwealth. In emergencies, seconds matter – allowing the head of the state government to correspond directly with the commander of its protecting force will save lives.”

Beyond elevating the National Guard Adjutant General to the Governor’s cabinet, this legislation also creates the Executive Office of the Military Division, of which the Adjutant General will serve as the secretary and report to the Governor. This office will centralize communications between the Guard and state and local first responders to coordinate responses.

In June, the urgency of this legislation was highlighted by President Trump’s decision to deploy thousands of National Guard soldiers to Los Angeles despite the objections of California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Additionally, with the increasing instability of international relations, national security threats are becoming more and more prominent. As the United States approaches the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament, during which Massachusetts will host seven games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, it is imperative that our Commonwealth’s first line of defense has a direct line of communication with the leader of our state to keep our constituents and visitors safe, as well as to protect against overreach of power from a federal administration that has already demonstrated its willingness to do so.

Having been advanced by the Senate Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, the bill now moves forward to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means for further review.

###

Bill Banning PFAS-Containing Artificial Turf Advanced by Senate Committee

(BOSTON 7/21/2025) — This week, the Senate Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight voted to advance S.2187 – An Act prohibiting state and municipal contracts for the purchase and installation of artificial turf fields, introduced by Second Worcester District Senator Michael Moore. The bill, which was reported favorably the same week as its hearing, would stop any state agency, municipality, or organization using public funds from purchasing or installing artificial turf containing “intentionally-added PFAS,” toxic chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, and other serious health conditions.

PFAS, or Polyfluoroalkyl substances, is a class designation that includes nearly 10,000 chemicals used to make everyday items fireproof, waterproof, or non-stick. These chemicals have become ubiquitous in products ranging from cookware to children’s toys to turf fields despite posing dangerous health risks. Even at low levels, the toxicity of PFAS chemicals can be devastating, increasing the risk of cancer, immunosuppression, birth defects, colitis, and other diseases. Compounding these dangers is the persistent nature of PFAS chemicals, known as “forever chemicals” for their resistance to breaking down in the environment.

“Artificial turf has long been attractive as a lower-maintenance and safer alternative to grass fields for sports and recreation, but recent studies have shown that many of the most popular types of plastic turf contain carcinogenic PFAS chemicals. When these toxic chemicals leach into the ground over time, they contaminate water sources, poison our ecosystems, and harm the bodies of the people who unknowingly play on these fields,” said Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “This bill recognizes government's role in protecting public health by stopping your tax dollars from being used to purchase and install artificial turf that we know pose a threat to our communities’ well-being. I’m thrilled that the Committee has voted to advance my bill, and I look forward to continuing this important conversation as we progress through the legislative process.”

Earlier this year, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment conducted a multi-agency research initiative examining sport players’ chemical exposure on synthetic turf fields using crumb rubber infill. This study concluded that there was no difference in exposure to certain chemicals, metals, or air emissions among players on crumb rubber filled synthetic turf than a traditional grass field. While this study provided creditable evidence that recycled rubber for turf fields are fine for public health, the study found the presence of PFAS “forever chemicals” in the blades of the synthetic grass. Specifically, the study “...completed a non-targeted chemical analysis of the crumb rubber and did not detect PFAS. The suspected source of PFAS chemicals is not crumb rubber infill or air, the focus of this study, but the artificial turf blades.”

Turf fields are mainly used for youth or school recreational activities, such as organized sports, community events, fitness classes, collegiate sports, and more. Yet, many who utilize these fields to better their health or gather with their community are unaware of the dangers presented in the artificial turf blades. Several municipalities in Massachusetts, including the City of Boston, have already taken steps to ban or restrict the use of artificial turf to promote public health and sustainability practices. S.2187 would align our state law with the values of several local governments in the Commonwealth as well as provide the optimal solution to combat PFAS exposure for vulnerable populations.

While the bill bans the use of public funds on the purchase and installation of artificial turf fields containing intentionally-added PFAS, it allows schools, cities, and towns who have already purchased and installed turf fields to continue to use them until the end of their useful life. Fields would then have to be replaced with compliant turf or with standard grass.

This bill is the latest in a series of PFAS-related legislation championed by Senator Michael Moore. Just last year, Massachusetts made history by becoming the first state to enforce a PFAS ban in firefighting equipment to protect the health and long-term wellbeing of our first responders – an initiative led by Senator Moore in partnership with the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts and activist Dianne Cotter. Moore continues his campaign to protect Bay Staters’ health with bills banning the use of PFAS in food packaging and creating a PFAS research and public safety fund.

Having been advanced by the Senate Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, the bill now moves forward to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means for further review.

###

Senate Acts to Protect Consumers from Predatory Debt Collection

(BOSTON 7/19/2025) — Yesterday, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed the Debt Collection Fairness Act to protect consumers and 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 be imprisoned for unpaid consumer debt.

The legislation, S.2537, would strengthen consumer protections to ensure that individuals can retain some financial security when they are sued for debts that are frequently old and potentially bought by debt collection companies for pennies on the dollar.

The bill would protect thousands of families across Massachusetts – including many in communities of color – by reducing the interest rate on consumer debt from 12% to 3%, exempting most wages and child support from garnishment, and establishing a five-year statute of limitations for legal claims.

The bill also prohibits employers from penalizing employees due to wage garnishment or personal debt, and adds further protections for individuals coping with financial hardship.

 “This legislation represents a common-sense set of policies that will help families escape vicious cycles of debt faster so that they can get back to their lives,” said Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “Predatory lenders and debt collectors have deliberately designed a system that can turn a small loan to bridge the gap between paychecks into thousands of dollars of crushing debt at extreme interest rates in the blink of an eye. The Senate is acting to break that cycle and create reasonable consumer protections for all Bay Staters.”

The legislation was reported out of the Joint Committee on Financial Services on June 20, 2025, and from the Senate Committee on Ways and Means on July 10, 2025. Votes of both committees are available online, along with a full summary of the legislation and a recording of the Senate’s livestreamed debate and vote on the bill.

Having passed the Senate, the bill now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.

###

Senate Acts to Reform Child Custody Law to Conform with National Standards

(BOSTON 7/19/2025) — Yesterday, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed legislation to modernize laws that protect children and families going through child custody proceedings.

The legislation, S.2550, would ensure Massachusetts courts follow the same procedures as the other 49 states in the country, bring laws up to date with international best practices, and simplify the process for families going through multi-state custody cases.

More specifically, this legislation creates clear rules for multi-state custody cases and prioritizes the home state of the child when determining custody jurisdiction, thereby preventing forum shopping by a parent seeking a more-favorable outcome in another state. It also updates the law to streamline case registration and enforce out-of-state determinations, enhances protections for children and families who are going through custody proceedings in Massachusetts, and boosts flexibility for families through the creation of hearing notice requirements and by allowing remote participation in proceedings.

“Child custody proceedings can be difficult and stressful moments for everyone involved,” said Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “This bill helps bring the Commonwealth’s laws into alignment with the rest of America’s and smooths out what is typically a tumultuous period for parents and their children. Allowing courts to more quickly bring clarity to families under a transparent and fair set of rules is an obvious step we can take to benefit all involved.”

The standard for child custody jurisdiction was established under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA), drafted in 1997 by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. If passed, Massachusetts would join all other states in adopting the uniform laws.

The legislation was reported out of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary on June 12, 2025, and from the Senate Committee on Ways and Means on July 10, 2025. Votes of both committees are available online, along with a full summary of the legislation and a recording of the Senate’s livestreamed debate and vote on the bill.  

Having passed the Senate, the bill now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.

###

Massachusetts Legislature Approves FY26 Budget

(BOSTON 7/1/2025) — The Massachusetts Legislature yesterday enacted a $61.01 billion state budget for Fiscal Year 2026, a fiscally responsible plan that protects core services for the state’s most vulnerable residents, maintains critical investments, and positions the Commonwealth to confront the underlying budget challenges that are a result of federal funding uncertainty.

Approved on a bipartisan basis in both chambers, the budget neither raises taxes on residents and businesses nor spends dollars from the state’s stabilization fund—also known as the ‘Rainy Day Fund’—which currently stands at a historic $8.1 billion.

“The investments we’ve made in the FY26 budget are a reflection of our confidence in the future of the Commonwealth, despite ongoing uncertainty at the federal level. By bolstering core services, making prudent spending decisions, and directing funds to local communities, we are doing what we can to support the economic engines of the state. Education, healthcare, social services, and housing are key priorities in Massachusetts, and we are committed to ensuring that remains so – no matter what the federal government does or does not do,” said Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “I’m also pleased to have secured $1.5 million in investments into my district, which will support educational programs, community services, infrastructure, Veterans services, and more in our neighborhoods.”

During Senate debate, Senator Moore was able to secure a number of earmarks that will direct investments into the Second Worcester District. They include:

Regional

• $500,000 to Veterans Inc in Worcester to support its services and programs for Veterans.

• $250,000 for firefighter cancer screenings, distributed through a municipal grant program. This comes in response to firefighters’ long-term exposure to toxic PFAS chemicals found in firefighting foam and their protective turnout gear. Senator Moore recently celebrated his ban on the use of PFAS in firefighter safety gear being signed into law.

• $250,000 to Ecotarium in Worcester for animal care, zoo operations, and habitat improvements.

• $90,000 to Ecotarium in Worcester for afterschool STEM education programs at community centers, libraries, and more throughout Central Massachusetts.

• $80,000 to Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce for student events and workshops throughout Central Massachusetts.

• $21,000 for CASA Project Worcester County to support its efforts to provide legal representation to vulnerable children during court proceedings.

Grafton

• $70,000 to Grafton for the removal of invasive plants

Millbury

• $57,000 to the Millbury Senior Center for repairs and improvements

Shrewsbury

• $35,000 to Shrewsbury for a search and rescue vehicle

• $12,000 to Shrewsbury for electronic voting equipment

Westborough

• $35,000 to the Westborough Fire Department for emergency medical equipment and supplies

Worcester

• $80,000 to the Worcester Police Department for software improvements and equipment

• $20,000 to the South Worcester Neighborhood Improvement Corporation for community services

The Legislature’s final budget increases spending by $3.3 billion over Fiscal Year 2025, with the much of the increase attributed to MassHealth. Aligned with estimated tax revenue growth, the spending plan is based on a consensus tax revenue estimate of $41.214 billion for the coming fiscal year, a 2.25 per cent increase over the current fiscal year’s benchmark. Based on strong Fair Share surtax revenue collections to date, the Legislature’s budget includes $2.4 billion in available Fair Share generated revenues to support education and transportation investments, an increase of $1.1 billion over the last fiscal year.

The Legislature’s budget invests an additional $33 million in the Commonwealth Stabilization Fund. With the addition, the Fund’s balance would reach a historic high of $8.26 billion by the end of FY26. Since 2017, when the Fund’s balance was $1.3 billion, the Legislature has grown the account by 523 per cent as of FY24.

Fair Share Investments

The Legislature’s budget includes $2.4 billion in Fair Share surtax spending, which is dedicated to investments in public education and state transportation infrastructure.

Notable Fair Share education investments include:

• $360 million for the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grant program, which is matched with $115 million in funds from the Early Education and Care Operational Grant Fund, for a total investment of $475 million. Despite the loss of federal funds after the COVID pandemic, the Commonwealth has maintained this vital early education program which has lowered costs for families and increased opportunities for teachers in the field.

• $460 million for Student Opportunity Act (SOA) expansion to support the fifth-year implementation of the SOA and provide $150 in minimum per-pupil aid for school districts.

• $180 million for universal free school meals.

• $120 million for MassEducate, the Commonwealth’s universal free community college program, including non-credit tuition funding for those seeking to become emergency medical technicians and paramedics.

• $192 million to provide child care financial assistance to families in need, which is in addition to the $773.7 million funded through general revenue.

• $91.6 million to maintain Department of Children & Families (DCF) and Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) related child care, which is in addition to the $356.5 million funded through general revenue.

• $85 million to maintain financial aid programs for in-state students attending state universities through MASSGrant Plus, which is in addition to the $175.8 million for scholarships funded through general revenue.

• $83 million for child care supports to maintain current capacity and rates of the child care financial assistance program.

• $50 million for school transportation reimbursement costs, which is in addition to $53.7 million funded through general revenue.

• $14 million for the State University SUCCESS Program, providing wraparound supports to students at public state universities.

• $15.5 million for the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI), matching $5 million in general revenue for a total of $20.5 million, to support a pathway to universal pre-kindergarten expansion, including in Gateway Cities and the Summer Step Up program.

• $15 million for early literacy initiatives and programs.

• $8 million for the Reimagining High School Initiative.

Notable Fair Share transportation investments include:

• $470 million in direct investment to support Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) operations, including key initiatives like low-income fare relief, water ferry service and the MBTA Academy. Combined with the $535 million in funding from the recently passed Fair Share supplemental budget, the Legislature provides $1 billion in new investments in FY26 for operational improvements and transportation infrastructure upgrades across the MBTA system.

• $120 million to support Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) across the state. Together with resources from the General Fund, the bill provides a record $214 million for RTAs. 

• $71.8 million for debt service for expanded new bond capacity for the Commonwealth Transportation Fund (CTF) for essential transportation projects across the Commonwealth.

• $55 million in operating support for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).

Education

The Legislature’s FY26 budget supports students of all ages by maintaining investments in public education at every level. The budget fully funds the fifth year of the Student Opportunity Act, provides a historic funding commitment to the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), and stands with public and private institutions of higher education at a volatile time.

With a $1.7 billion total investment in early education and care, the Legislature is building on last year’s investments in early education, which supported the sector’s workforce, protected programming, and maintained access to affordable care for families facing economic pressures.

Notable education funding includes:

• $475 million for the C3 operational grant program, supporting critical operational and workforce initiatives across the early education sector for the third year in a row. 

• $517.6 million for income-eligible child care, including $100.4 million in Fair Share resources.

• $448.2 million for Department of Children & Families (DCF) and Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) related child care, providing critical services for families eligible for subsidized care, including $91.6 million in Fair Share resources.

• $83 million for child care supports to maintain the current capacity and rates of the child care financial assistance program.

• $45.4 million for EEC quality improvement initiatives.

• $20.5 million for the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative to maintain access to universal pre-kindergarten and preschool opportunities in underserved areas.

• $20 million for Childcare Resource and Referral Centers to support parents, child care providers, employers, and community groups in navigating the state’s early education and care landscape.

• $20 million for grants to Head Start programs to promote school readiness for young children in low-income households.

• $5 million for grants to early education and care providers for childhood mental health consultation services.

• $1 million to continue a public-private pilot program with employers to create new child care seats.

To support schools across the state, the Legislature follows through on the commitment to fully fund and implement the Student Opportunity Act by Fiscal Year 2027 and invests $7.36 billion in Chapter 70 state aid to public schools, an increase of $460 million over FY25. Further, the budget increases minimum Chapter 70 aid to $150 per pupil.

Recognizing the continued fiscal challenges faced by cities, towns and school districts as we near full implementation of the SOA, the budget directs the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to study components of the state’s K-12 school funding formula related to local contribution requirements. DESE would be required to hold four public hearings in different regions of Massachusetts before reporting back to the Legislature by June 30, 2026.

For the second consecutive year, the Legislature fully funds, at $120 million in FY26, MassEducate, the Commonwealth’s universal free community college program that became law in last year’s budget. By again delivering free tuition and fees for residents, the FY26 proposal continues its support for this vital initiative that expands economic opportunity in a regionally equitable manner across the Commonwealth.

Other education investments include:

• $484.9 million for the Special Education (SPED) Circuit Breaker, in addition to the $190 million included in the Fair Share supplemental budget recently signed into law. Together with Fair Share supplemental funding, the Legislature’s FY26 budget fulfills the promise of 75 per cent reimbursement for eligible tuition and transportation costs, recommending $674 million in total to reimburse school districts for the cost of educating students with disabilities.

• $199 million for charter school reimbursements.

• $260.8 million for scholarships to students, including $85 million in Fair Share resources to expand MASSGrant Plus financial aid support for students attending public institutions.

• $103.7 million to reimburse school districts for regional school transportation costs, including $53.7 million in General Fund resources.

• $30 million for higher education wraparound services, including $16 million in General Fund resources, to support services for students attending community colleges through MassEducate, and $14 million in Fair Share resources to support wraparound services for students attending state universities.

• $12 million for rural school aid support.

• $14.3 million for early college programs and $13.1 million for dual enrollment, along with $8 million for Reimagining High School to empower high school students to take college courses prior to graduation.

• $5 million to support continued implementation of the Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Higher Education law, including $3 million for grants offered through the Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment initiative to help high school students with intellectual disabilities aged 18–22 access higher education opportunities; and $2 million for the Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Trust Fund.

• $3 million for the Genocide Education Trust Fund to continue the state’s commitment to educate middle and high school students on the history of genocide.

• $2.5 million for the Civics Education Trust Fund to maintain and support a statewide civic infrastructure, provide professional development to teachers, and ensure that every student can access high quality civics education.

• $1 million for Hate Crimes Prevention Grants to support education and prevention of hate crimes and incidences of bias in public schools. 

Community Support

Highlighting the Legislature’s longstanding commitment to sustainable partnerships between the state and local governments, the budget agreement provides significant resources to support all Massachusetts cities and towns, ensuring that the state can meet the needs of every region, city, and town—and leave no corner of the Commonwealth behind.

The proposal includes $1.323 billion in funding for Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA), the primary source of direct flexible state aid to Massachusetts towns and cities, an increase of $14.4 million over FY25. UGGA funding supports resources for municipalities as they collectively confront increased fiscal constraints at the local level.

In addition to traditional sources of local aid, the Legislature’s FY26 budget also increases payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) for state-owned land to $54.5 million. PILOT funding provides a supplemental source of local aid for cities and towns working to protect and improve essential services and programs.

Other local investments include:

• $209 million for regional public transportation systems, including $115 million from Fair Share funds to maintain and continue expansions to regional bus service, sustain systemwide fare free transit service, and support RTA commuter operations.

• $115.6 million for local housing authorities.

• $52.4 million for libraries, including $19 million for regional library local aid, $20 million for municipal libraries and $6.2 million for technology and automated resource networks.

• $30.8 million in grants to Councils on Aging, increasing assistance per elder to $16 from $15 in FY25.

• $27 million for the Massachusetts Cultural Council to support local arts, culture, and creative economic initiatives.

• $5 million to implement an immigration legal services program distributed by the office for refugees and immigrants to designated non-profit organizations to increase access to legal representation, advice, and advocacy for immigrants and refugees who are facing enhanced legal threats from the federal government.

The FY26 budget codifies fare-free RTA service, which will require all RTAs to eliminate passenger fares for fixed routes and ADA-required paratransit service. With this measure, the Legislature continues to prioritize regional equity, support RTAs as an essential public service that connects communities, and provide a crucial connection for commuters, students, seniors, and people with disabilities.

Health, Mental Health, and Family Care

The Senate’s FY26 budget funds MassHealth at $22.1 billion, an increase of over $2 billion over the last fiscal year. As the largest cost driver in the state’s budget, MassHealth alone accounts for 62 per cent of the total spending increase over the FY25 budget. Amid ongoing uncertainty in Washington, this budget maintains access to comprehensive health care coverage for over 2 million Massachusetts residents. MassHealth covers affordable, accessible, and comprehensive health care services for more than one in four residents, nearly half of all children, and seven out of every ten nursing facility residents.

Other health investments include:

• $3.26 billion for a range of services and focused support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including $2 billion for community residential services and $287 million for the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) Community Day and Work program.

• $1.82 billion to support the Personal Care Attendant program and its historic collective bargaining agreement which raised the wage scale to $25 per hour.

• $694 million for adult support services, including $19 million to support jail diversion initiatives to better serve individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders and connect them with appropriate treatment.

• $650.1 million for nursing facility Medicaid rates, including $25 million in additional base rate payments to maintain competitive wages in the Commonwealth’s nursing facility workforce.

• $381 million for Department of Mental Health (DMH) hospital and community-based services, including $4.8 million to fully fund the operation of the Pocasset Mental Health Center.

• $237.7 million for Department of Public Health (DPH) hospital operations, including $31 million to fully fund and maintain operations of the Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children through the duration of FY26.

• $187.1 million for the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS), including $500 thousand in new funding to develop the state’s recovery coach workforce, which will support key initiatives from last session’s Substance Use Disorder and Recovery Coach Licensure Act.

• $132 million for children’s mental health services.

• $102 million for nursing facility enhanced Medicaid rates to begin implementation of the 2024 Long-Term Care Act, including $25 million to support the nursing home workforce.

• $73.1 million for domestic violence prevention services.

• $39.3 million for Early Intervention (EI) services, maintaining necessary support and services for infants and young toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities.

• $35 million for Family Resource Centers (FRCs) to maintain mental health resources available to families.

• $26.5 million for family and adolescent health, including $11.2 million for comprehensive family planning services and $6.7 million to enhance federal Title X family planning funding.

• $22.7 million for school-based health programming and services, including $3 million for school-based mental health services.

• $14.3 million for suicide prevention and intervention, with an additional $1.8 million for Samaritans Inc. and $1.1 million for the Call2Talk suicide prevention hotline. This investment protects and fully funds 9-8-8, the 24/7 suicide and crisis lifeline.

• $14.7 million for maternal and child health, including $10.8 million for pediatric palliative care services for terminally ill children and a policy adjustment to ensure that children up to age 22 can continue to be served through the program.

• $12.75 million for Meals on Wheels and other nutrition programs for seniors.

• $9.3 million for community health centers, including $1 million for gender affirming care services.

• $5.5 million for children advocacy centers to maintain critical support available to children that have been neglected or sexually abused.

• $5.5 million for the Office of the Child Advocate.

• $3.75 million for the Massachusetts Center on Child Wellbeing and Trauma.

• $3 million for Social Emotional Learning (SEL) grants to bolster social emotional learning support for K-12 students.

• $2.5 million for clinical care, veterans’ mental and behavioral health issues, including post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, substance use disorder and suicide prevention administered by the Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program.

• $2 million for grants for improvements in reproductive health access, infrastructure, and safety.

• $1.25 million for the Young Mothers Experiencing Acute Trauma Pilot Program, a behavioral intervention program that works to stabilize and support young women, most of whom are mothers, who are traumatized survivors of abuse and neglect.

• $150,000 for Reproductive Equity Now Foundation, Inc. to operate a free and confidential abortion legal hotline for Massachusetts-based health care providers and helpers, as well as patients obtaining care in-state.

The budget establishes a legislative commission to study the future of the Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children, including a review of the hospital’s finances and programs.

To help residents manage high prescription drug costs, the budget also extends the right of consumers to use coupons to pay for prescription drugs. The provision is extended through 2031.

Additionally, it requires the Department of Public Health to form a strategic task force to prepare recommendations for the continuity of abortion and abortion-related care in the Commonwealth in the event of the federal government ending support for reproductive care. 

Expanding and Protecting Opportunities

The Legislature is committed to expanding opportunity and supporting the state’s most vulnerable residents. This budget therefore maintains the annual child’s clothing allowance, providing $500 per child for eligible families to buy clothes for the upcoming school year. The budget also fully annualizes the FY25 10 per cent increase to Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) and Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children (EAEDC) benefit levels to help families move out of deep poverty. Additionally, the budget ensures that pregnant women can access TAFDC, regardless of where they are in their pregnancy.

The Legislature’s budget dedicates $86 million to support food security and child nutrition initiatives, including $50.5 million for Emergency Food Assistance to assist residents in navigating the historical levels of food insecurity, $20.1 million for the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) to ensure access to healthy food options, and $15.5 million for the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program.

Economic opportunity investments include:

• $467 million for Transitional Assistance to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) and $209 million for Emergency Aid to Elderly, Disabled and Children (EAEDC) to provide the necessary support as caseloads increase, which annualizes the deep poverty increases implemented in the FY25 budget.

• $101.3 million for DTA caseworkers to protect access to crucial financial assistance, food support, and employment and training programs for some of the state’s most vulnerable residents.

• $58.9 million for adult basic education services to improve access to skills necessary to join the workforce.

• $50.5 million for the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program.

• $20.1 million for the Healthy Incentives Program to support healthy food access for households in need.

• $20.6 million for employment services programs to help people with lower incomes move toward economic independence through pathways of self-sufficiency.

• $15.5 million for the Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program.

• $5 million for the Secure Jobs Connect Program, providing job placement resources and assistance for homeless individuals.

• $3.1 million for the Innovation Pathways program to continue to connect students to training and post-secondary opportunities with a focus on STEM fields.

• $1 million for employment programs for young adults with disabilities.

Housing

As the state envisions a more fiscally sustainable path for its future, increasing affordable housing opportunities and addressing housing challenges remain at the forefront of the Legislature’s agenda. This budget therefore invests more than $1.15 billion in housing initiatives, dedicating resources for housing stability, residential assistance, emergency shelter services, and homelessness assistance programs. 

Housing investments include:

• $253 million for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP).

• $207 million for Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT).

• $115.6 million for local housing authorities.

• $113.3 million for assistance for homeless individual shelters.

• $57.3 million for the HomeBASE program to support sustainable exits from shelter.

• $19.5 million for the Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP), providing rental assistance to people with disabilities.

• $18.2 million for homeless program administration to move people from the Emergency Assistance shelter system.

• $16 million for the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.

• $10.6 million for assistance for unaccompanied homeless youth.

• $10 million for sponsor-based supportive permanent housing to support 16 new housing units and case management services for vulnerable individuals.

• $8.9 million for the Home and Healthy for Good re-housing and supportive services program, including funding to support homeless LGBTQ youth.

• $6.5 million for resident service coordinators to help residents maintain stable tenancies at local housing authorities, which are required to provide households with the services they need.

• $5.85 million for housing consumer education centers.

• $2.5 million for access to counsel.

In addition to these investments in housing, the budget includes a provision requiring that residential rental broker’s fees must be paid by the contracting agent, often the landlord of an apartment, ensuring that renters are not burdened with unexpected and extraordinary costs.

The budget also kickstarts two studies on ways to bring down housing costs for Massachusetts residents and increase housing production. One study for a sales tax exemption for multifamily housing projects stalled by federal tariffs. Another that would incentivize new affordable housing developments when considering local tax levy requirements.  The budget further creates a commission to help begin to explore solutions to address the remediation of concrete housing foundations that have crumbled because of the presence of pyrrhotite.

Further, the budget includes a provision that will allow candidates for elected office in Massachusetts to use their campaign funds for adult care services being provided to that candidate’s parent or other adult dependent, that occur because of campaign activities. In the 2024 economic development bill, the Legislature approved the use of campaign funds for childcare.

Both chambers of the Legislature having voted to enact the legislation, the budget will now be sent to the Governor for her signature.

###

Senate Boosts Reproductive and Transgender Care Protections Amid Federal Threats

(BOSTON 6/27/2025) — Yesterday, the Massachusetts Senate passed the An Act strengthening health care protections in the Commonwealth – otherwise known as the Shield Act 2.0 – legislation that would fortify protections for those seeking and providing reproductive and transgender care.

The bill, S.2538, which was approved by a vote of 37-3, adds a layer of protection for patients and providers at a time when attacks on reproductive and transgender rights are escalating on multiple fronts, including executive orders from the Trump Administration, federal funding freezes for care providers, a Supreme Court decision ruling against transgender care, and other states bringing lawsuits against physicians providing reproductive health care.

“Health care decisions should be made by patients and their doctors, not governments – especially the governments of other states. In Massachusetts, we are preserving lifesaving care for women and trans individuals by protecting providers from witch-hunt investigations conducted by other state governments and Washington DC,” said Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “I’m proud to have voted to advance this critical legislation and look forward to continuing our work to protect vulnerable people. I am hopeful that the Senate will swiftly come together to pass the Location Shield Act or my bill, the Massachusetts Data Privacy Act, which would create nation-leading protections for your most sensitive data. These bills would continue the Commonwealth’s commitment to privacy in medical care by ensuring no one – whether a private company or a government agency – can buy your data for unfair and unjust investigations.”

Boosting protections that were first passed by the Legislature in 2022 as part of a Shield Act, the legislation prohibits state agencies and law enforcement from cooperating with other states or federal investigations into legally-protected reproductive or transgender health care provided in Massachusetts. Businesses that manage electronic health information would similarly be limited in sharing patient data connected to these services.

It makes practical updates to protect providers, including allowing prescriptions to be issued with the name of a healthcare practice rather than an individual practitioner, excluding certain reproductive and gender-affirming medications from the state’s drug monitoring programs, and limiting third-party access to related medical records.

Additionally, the legislation:

• Enhances license protections for anyone providing or assisting in the provision of reproductive or transgender health care services.

• Protects attorneys licensed in Massachusetts from removal or discipline for advising or representing clients on the topics of reproductive or transgender health care services.

• Forbids insurance companies from discriminating against or penalizing providers who offer reproductive and transgender health services.

• Prohibits courts from admitting or considering cases of abuse, neglect, or maltreatment brought against parents because they support their child in seeking reproductive or transgender care.

The legislation mandates that acute-care hospitals provide emergency services – including abortion care when necessary – to any patient who is injured or seeking emergency treatment. The measure comes in response to the Trump Administration’s rollback of Biden-era requirements that required hospitals to deliver abortion care in cases of emergency.

The legislation, a part of the Massachusetts Senate’s Response 2025 initiative to protect the Commonwealth from federal threats, was reported out of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary on June 16, 2025, and then reported out of the Committee on Ways and Means on June 18, 2025. Votes of each committee are available on the Legislature’s website, along with a full summary of the bill and a recording of the Senate’s livestreamed debate on amendments.

Having passed the Senate, the bill has been sent to the House of Representatives for their consideration. 

###

Senate Approves $532 Million to Bolster Fiscally Strained Hospitals and Health Centers

(BOSTON 6/23/2025) — Last week, the Massachusetts Senate passed a supplemental budget that directs funding to hospitals and community health centers throughout the state confronting rising costs while working to serve vulnerable populations.

The $532 million bill, S.2529, includes $174 million for fiscally strained acute care hospitals and $35 million for community health centers facing financial challenges. Community health centers – many serving residents who live in low-income areas and are uninsured or underinsured – were on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to deliver essential care that is increasingly under threat from federal policies.

Language in the Senate legislation ensures that state funding will go to the hospitals and care centers specifically providing a high percentage of services to vulnerable populations.

An amendment introduced by Senator Michael Moore extends the existing The Special Legislative Commission to Study and Investigate Emerging Firearm Technology that he currently co-chairs with Representative Kate Lipper-Garabedian. The Commission is tasked with studying new firearm safety technologies such as microstamping and firearm personalization, their large-scale feasibility, and the constitutionality of any laws that may incentivize or mandate their use in a report to the Massachusetts Legislature. If signed into law, the amendment will require the report be submitted to the Legislature by July 31st, 2025.

“This bill will help support Massachusetts’ gold-standard hospital systems and allow them to continue offering lifesaving care to patients regardless of whether they have health insurance. The Commonwealth is home to world-class healthcare, and efforts like this will help ensure that does not change, regardless of what funding is revoked by the Trump Administration or Congress,” said Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “I’m also thrilled that my amendment extending the Emerging Firearms Technology Commission was passed during Senate debate, allowing the Commission to continue its research into how we can better protect our communities from gun violence without infringing on Bay Staters’ constitutional rights.”

In addition to general hospital and community health support, the bill specifically allocates $1.2 million to Western Massachusetts hospitals, directs $5.8 million to benefits for Massachusetts Veterans, provides $60 million for home care services, and funds grants to cities and towns for extraordinary medical costs.

The legislation was reported out of the Committee on Ways and Means on June 12, 2025, with 15 members voting to advance the bill and no votes in opposition. The committee vote is available on the Legislature’s website, along with a full summary of the bill as drafted by the committee and a recording of the Senate’s livestreamed debate on 66 amendments.

The bill is a partial report on a measure that passed the House in late May. A version having passed both chambers of the Legislature, the Senate and House will now work to reconcile differences before sending a final version to the Governor’s desk for her signature.

###

Massachusetts Legislature Invests $1.39 Billion into Public Transportation and Education

(BOSTON 6/20/2025) — This week, the Massachusetts Legislature approved $1.39 billion in new investments in public transportation and public education across the Commonwealth. The supplemental budget – funded by surplus revenue from the Fair Share surtax on incomes over $1 million, allocates $716 million for transportation and $593.5 million for education at every level.

To allocate the surplus, this supplemental budget makes significant investments in the MBTA, Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs), water transportation, roads, and bridges – with the goal of advancing affordable, safe, and reliable transit for all residents. It also provides critical support for public colleges and universities, expands vocational education programs, and strengthens services for students with disabilities.

“The Fair Share Amendment has been a wild success, allowing us to allocate more dollars to transportation and education priorities across the Commonwealth without burdening working class families with additional taxes,” said Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “I’m thrilled to have secured funding for projects in my district as well as for regional programs that all Bay Staters will benefit from. These are smart investments that will pay dividends for decades to come – exactly what the voters asked for when they approved the Fair Share Amendment in 2022.”

During Senate debate, Second Worcester District State Senator Michael Moore secured a number of earmarks for projects across the district, including:

Regional

• $100,000 to Worcester State University to plan, develop, and launch a new cyber range in partnership with Quinsigamond Community College for the education and training of students to work in cybersecurity and related fields.

• $100,000 to Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School for capital expenses.

Auburn

• $75,000 to Auburn Public Schools for the purchase of a bus.

Grafton

• $70,000 to Grafton Public Schools for the purchase of a wheelchair accessible van.

Millbury

• $90,000 to Millbury Public Schools for the purchase of a bus.

• $15,000 to Millbury Public Schools to expand student vocational opportunities in partnership with the North Atlantic States Carpenters Union.

Shrewsbury

• $40,000 to the Town of Shrewsbury for the purchase and installation of traffic signal preemption equipment.

• $35,000 to Shrewsbury Public Schools for capital expenses.

Westborough

• $70,000 to the Westborough Bridging Over to Right Opportunities (BORO) program at Westborough Public Schools.

• $35,000 to the Town of Westborough for the development of a design and traffic analysis for the intersection between Milk Street and Fisher Street.

Worcester

• $120,000 to Worcester Public Schools for capital expenses.

Fair Share Amendment investments include:

Key Transportation Investments

MBTA Upgrades. $535 million for improvements and infrastructure upgrades across the MBTA system, including:

• $300 million to support the MBTA budget reserve.

• $175 million in workforce and safety funding to implement improvements recommended by the Federal Transit Administration.

• $40 million for MBTA physical infrastructure upgrades.

• $20 million for the MBTA’s low-income fare relief program.

Aid For Cities and Towns. $103 million for regionally equitable, shovel-ready transportation improvements, including:

• $80 million for supplemental Chapter 90 aid to ensure every city and town receives funding to maintain local roads and bridges, including $40 million to help support small and rural communities by distributing funds based solely on road mileage.

• $16.4 million for municipally owned small bridges and culverts.

• $7 million for the improvement and maintenance of unpaved roads.

Regional Equity in Transportation. $73 million for regional transit initiatives, specifically:

• $25 million for capital improvements to equipment and facilities at Regional Transit Authorities, which serve and connect all regions of the Commonwealth.

• $25 million for efforts to improve workforce recruitment and retention at the Regional Transit Authorities.

• $13 million for public ferry infrastructure improvements.

• $10 million for on-demand micro-transit shuttles and Last Mile grants fostering an innovative multimodal transit system.

World Cup Preparations: $5 million for transportation improvements associated with the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Key Education Investments

Special Education. $248 million for special education costs, including Circuit Breaker reimbursements to local school districts.

Public Higher Education Deferred Maintenance. $115 million for public higher education infrastructure investments, including $10 million for lab modernization capital improvements and upgrades at community colleges, helping ensure community colleges have the needed resources to provide a first-class education to the surge of students signing up after passage of MassEducate, which provides free community college to Massachusetts residents.

Career Technical Education Capital Grants. $100 million to expand capacity and accommodate additional career technical education school opportunities, including $15 million for a pilot program to support career and vocational technical annex buildings on comprehensive high school campuses.

EEC Workforce, Affordability, and Quality Improvement. $45 million for initiatives to support workforce development, affordability and quality improvements in the early education and care sector, including $20 million for rate increases to support early education providers.

Literacy Growth. $25 million for high dosage tutoring to support accelerated literacy growth and success for students in kindergarten through grade 3.

Endowment Match. $20 million for the endowment incentive match program to leverage public funds to encourage private fundraising by the state’s public higher education institutions to support accessible and affordable education programming, including $10 million for a Department of Higher Education (DHE) endowment incentive match and $10 million for the University of Massachusetts endowment incentive program.

English Language Learning Programs. $10 million for educational grants to help speakers of languages other than English to learn English—and subsequently aid in filling in-demand jobs—by reducing the waitlist for services.

Holocaust Museum Boston. $10 million to support the Holocaust Museum Boston.

Green SchoolWorks. $10 million for grants to eligible local school districts for clean energy infrastructure improvements and upgrades.

Regional School Transportation. $8.1 million to support regional school transportation costs.

Tomorrow's Teachers Scholarship and Loan Forgiveness. $2.475 million for scholarships and loan forgiveness initiatives to encourage qualified high school and currently-enrolled college students to seek teaching in the Massachusetts public school system as a career pathway.

Having passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, the bill now goes to the Governor for her signature.

###

Legislators Invite Robots to State House for Robotics Exhibition

(BOSTON 6/18/2025) — Representative Lindsay Sabadosa and Senator Michael Moore are hosting the Massachusetts State House’s first Robotics Exhibition this week to promote and support the Commonwealth’s cutting edge robotics industry. Spot, Boston Dynamics’ advanced mobile robot, will be making a return after its State House debut last year, and MassRobotics is organizing a showcase of technologies from six other Massachusetts-based robotics companies:

• ReviMo, robotic assistant that can help people with mobility challenges get out of bed and live independently;

• Bridge Appliances, a robotic kitchen appliance that makes perfect eggs;

• Liftlab, automated robotic release system that can replace rope fishing gear, reducing whale entanglement risks;

• Revolute Robotics, builds inspection and surveillance robots for hard-to-reach areas

• Tatum Robotics, an anthropomorphic robotic system that signs tactile American Sign Language (ASL) — the primary and often only communication method of Deaf-Blind individuals; and

• Ubiros, the first fully electrically actuated gripper in the market for food/beverage organization.

The Robotics Exhibition will take place in State House Room 428 on June 18th, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM for an interactive experience. Legislators, staff, press, and members of the public are welcome to engage with the robots, experiencing firsthand the capabilities of advanced robotics developed and manufactured in the Commonwealth.

The robots will also help raise awareness of bill H.1978/S.1208, known as An Act to Ensure the Responsible Use of Advanced Robotic Technologies. This legislation would establish Massachusetts as a pioneering state in regulating advanced robotics by maximizing the positive impacts of these technologies on society and prohibiting their harmful applications, including weaponization by individuals who purchase these robots. The legislation is currently being considered by the Joint Committee on the Judiciary.

###

Massachusetts Legislature Sets 2025 Sales Tax-Free Weekend

(BOSTON 6/13/2025) — Saturday, August 9, 2025, and Sunday, August 10, 2025, are the official dates of Massachusetts’ annual sales tax holiday thanks to actions taken by the Massachusetts Legislature yesterday. During the holiday, the state’s 6.25% sales tax is suspended for most retail items priced under $2,500.

A 2018 state law, which made the sales tax holiday permanent, requires the Legislature to vote to set the dates of the holiday each year. Both branches adopted resolutions setting this year’s dates (S.2530 / H.4220), sponsored by Senator Adam Gómez (D-Springfield) and Representative Carole A. Fiola (D-Fall River).

“The 2025 sales tax holiday has been set, and I am thrilled to share the news with customers and retailers in Central Massachusetts,” said Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “It’s no secret that the rising cost of living has made it difficult for families to budget big purchases, but I am hopeful that the annual sales tax-free weekend will offer Bay Staters some relief when buying essential items. Thank you to my colleagues for joining together to get this done.”

A spike in consumer activity routinely boosts indirect tax revenues. According to the Department of Revenue, the 2024 sales tax holiday generated $3.54 million in indirect tax revenues due to increased economic activity.

At a time when consumers are seeing prices on store shelves spike, driven in part by federally imposed tariffs, this year’s Massachusetts sales tax holiday will give shoppers a much-needed break. The holiday also encourages families looking to shop for back-to-school season to support local small businesses and retailers.

Information about eligible purchases is available on the Department of Revenue website.

###

Massachusetts Legislators Announce Opposition to Federal AI Regulation Moratorium

(BOSTON 5/30/2025) — This week, four Senators and nine Representatives seated on the Massachusetts Legislature’s Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity sent a letter to the Commonwealth’s congressional delegation urging strong opposition to a proposed 10-year moratorium on state-level regulation of artificial intelligence technologies, contained within the multitrillion dollar so-called ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ recently passed by US House Republicans. The policy, slipped into the 1,116-page reconciliation package, prohibits states from enforcing “any law or regulation regulating artificial intelligence models, artificial intelligence systems, or automated decision systems” for 10 years after the bill’s passage.

The letter, an effort led by Committee co-chairs Senator Michael Moore and Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier, warns that without the ability to enforce state AI regulations, Massachusetts residents would effectively become "test subjects" for unregulated AI systems. The legislators expressed particular concern that the broad nature of the moratorium could prevent Massachusetts from enforcing existing regulations, and from advancing legislation protecting residents from the emerging issue of election-related deepfakes.

“The development of artificial intelligence has been moving at a breakneck pace over the last few years, upending our understanding of the future of work, education, and entertainment. The federal government, working on behalf of Big Tech to ban any regulation of this new technology, is stripping us of one of the most basic functions of government: the ability to protect everyday people from faceless mega-corporations,” said Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “While AI holds the potential to revolutionize our world, that paradigm shift goes both ways – widespread job losses, the spread of disinformation, and the jeopardization of our most sensitive data are real risks that we must consider and craft laws to protect against. The reality is, we don’t know what AI is going to be able to do in 10 months, let alone 10 years. Slipping a decade-long AI regulation enforcement moratorium into a 1,000+ page bill is the antithesis of good governance.”

“The US House’s inclusion of this proposed moratorium prioritizes the billionaire tech giants’ expansion of artificial intelligence over the safety and wellbeing of constituents. In a world where AI is already being weaponized, a ten year moratorium like this one invites increased exploitation of already vulnerable communities,” said Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier (D-Pittsfield). “Harnessing the power of AI for positive growth necessitates remaining vigilant about its rapidly evolving potential to be used for harm and responding accordingly at the same pace. This moratorium would prevent any attempt to address long standing issues of data privacy and safety issues as they arise, no matter how limited, urgent, or necessary. Stripping states of their right to regulate AI and data privacy would leave us powerless to act. If adopted, it is inevitable that harm will be done to real people at the hands of bad actors and for the benefit of large, unaccountable tech companies.” 

While President Trump recently signed into law the Take It Down Act, a bill criminalizing the sharing of AI-generated deepfake revenge porn, there are currently no comprehensive regulations or legislation on the development or use of artificial intelligence at the federal level in the United States. In the regulatory void this inaction has created, states have stepped in to put up guardrails around this emerging technology. The Massachusetts Legislature is currently considering bills that regulate the use of AI in health insurance coverage decision making, in evaluating employee performance, in the spreading of election disinformation, in the creation of AI child sexual abuse material, and more. Further, state governments have been acting faster to protect residents than federal government has – Massachusetts enacted a bill similar to the Take It Down Act almost a year before the US Government did.

“This is pre-emption at its worst,” the letter states, highlighting that the proposed moratorium would allow a dangerous regulatory environment given the current lack of federal data privacy and AI regulations. The letter also warns about weakened consumer protections at the federal level with the “broad defanging of federal enforcement agencies,” including the Federal Trade Commission, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The letter, addressed to Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, as well as Representatives Richard Neal, Jim McGovern, Stephen Lynch, Bill Keating, Katherine Clark, Seth Moulton, Lori Trahan, Ayanna Pressley, and Jake Auchincloss, calls on the delegation to "take all measures possible" to oppose the moratorium and ensure the Commonwealth can protect its residents.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including the 10-year AI regulation moratorium, was passed by the US House of Representatives just before 7am on Thursday, May 22nd, after a marathon all-night session. The final vote was 215-214, with two Republicans joining all Democrats in opposition. The bill now moves to the US Senate for further consideration.

Signatories of the letter include Senators Michael O. Moore, Pavel M. Payano, Barry R. Finegold, and Paul W. Mark and Representatives Tricia Farley-Bouvier, James K. Hawkins, Joan Meschino, Steve Owens, Steven J. Ouellette, Orlando Ramos, Tommy Vitolo, Thomas W. Moakley, and Christopher R. Flanagan. The full letter can be found online here.

###

Massachusetts Senate Approves FY26 Budget

(BOSTON 5/23/2025) — The Massachusetts Senate yesterday approved a $61.4 billion state budget for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26). Over three full days of debate, the Chamber adopted 493 amendments, adding a total of $81.1 million in spending for statewide initiatives and local priorities for communities throughout the Commonwealth to the Senate Ways and Means Committee’s originally proposed budget. 

The final budget – which safeguards the state’s financial health, protects the state’s most vulnerable residents, and makes investments that reinforce the Commonwealth’s economic vitality in the face of mounting federal threats – was passed with bipartisan support by a vote of 38-2. It neither raises taxes nor spends dollars from the state’s stabilization fund, also known as the ‘Rainy Day Fund,’ which currently stands at a historic $8.1 billion.

“The investments we’ve made in the FY26 budget are a reflection of our confidence in the future of the Commonwealth, despite ongoing uncertainty at the federal level. By bolstering core services, making prudent spending decisions, and directing funds to local communities, we are doing what we can to support the economic engines of the state. Education, healthcare, social services, and housing will remain key priorities in Massachusetts, and we are committed to ensuring that remains so – no matter what the federal government does or does not do,” said Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “I’m also pleased to have secured $1.5 million in investments into my district, which will support educational programs, community services, infrastructure, Veterans services, and more in our neighborhoods.”

During Senate debate, Senator Moore was able to secure a number of earmarks that will direct investments into the Second Worcester District. They include:

Regional

• $500,000 to Veterans Inc in Worcester to support its services and programs for Veterans.

• $250,000 for firefighter cancer screenings, distributed through a municipal grant program. This comes in response to firefighters’ long-term exposure to toxic PFAS chemicals found in firefighting foam and their protective turnout gear. Senator Moore recently celebrated his ban on the use of PFAS in firefighter safety gear being signed into law.

• $250,000 to Ecotarium in Worcester for animal care, zoo operations, and habitat improvements.

• $90,000 to Ecotarium in Worcester for afterschool STEM education programs at community centers, libraries, and more throughout Central Massachusetts.

• $80,000 to Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce for student events and workshops throughout Central Massachusetts.

• $21,000 for CASA Project Worcester County to support its efforts to provide legal representation to vulnerable children during court proceedings.

Grafton

• $70,000 to Grafton for the removal of invasive plants

Millbury

• $57,000 to the Millbury Senior Center for repairs and improvements

Shrewsbury

• $35,000 to Shrewsbury for a search and rescue vehicle

• $12,000 to Shrewsbury for electronic voting equipment

Westborough

• $35,000 to the Westborough Fire Department for emergency medical equipment and supplies

Worcester

• $80,000 to the Worcester Police Department for software improvements and equipment

• $20,000 to the South Worcester Neighborhood Improvement Corporation for community services

The Senate’s final budget increases spending by $3.7 billion over Fiscal Year 2025, with the majority of the increase attributed to MassHealth. Aligned with estimated tax revenue growth, the spending plan is based on a consensus tax revenue estimate of $41.214 billion for the coming fiscal year, a 2.25 per cent increase over the current fiscal year’s benchmark. Based on Fair Share surtax revenue estimates, the Senate’s budget proposal included $1.95 billion in education and transportation investments, an increase of $650 million over the last fiscal year.

Fair Share Investments

The Senate’s budget includes $1.95 billion in Fair Share surtax revenues, consistent with the consensus revenue agreement reached with the Administration and House of Representatives.

The Senate budget uses these revenues to support quality public education investments and the state’s transportation infrastructure, two cornerstones of the state’s economic foundation. Together with the Senate’s $1.28 billion Fair Share supplemental budget proposal passed earlier this month, total support this year for Fair Share supported statewide transportation and education projects amount to over $3 billion.

To brace for potential federal actions, the Senate’s FY26 budget deposits $165 million of surtax revenues into the Education and Transportation Reserve Fund, maintaining the Senate’s steadfast commitment to prioritizing fiscal responsibility in the face of rising uncertainty. By doing so, the budget sets aside a downpayment that will help maintain commitments to public education programming and transportation infrastructure in the event of economic disruption due to potential federal actions.

Notable Fair Share Education investments include:

• $325 million for the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grant program, which is matched with $150 million in funds from the General Fund and the Early Education and Care Operational Grant Fund, for a total investment of $475 million.

• $265 million for Student Opportunity Act (SOA) expansion, as part of a $460 million increase from FY25 to support the fifth year of the implementation of the Student Opportunity Act and provide $150 in minimum per-pupil aid.

• $170 million for universal free school meals.

• $120 million for universal free community college, including non-credit tuition funding for those seeking to become emergency medical technicians and paramedics.

• $100 million to maintain financial aid programs for in-state students attending state universities through MASSGrant Plus, which is in addition to the $175.8 million for scholarships funded through general revenue.

• $98 million for childcare supports, coupled with a $192.8 million increase in the General Fund to maintain the current capacity and rates of the childcare financial assistance program.

• $50 million for school transportation reimbursement costs.

• $14 million for the State University Supporting Urgent Community College Equity through Student Services (SUCCESS) Program.

• $10 million for the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI), matching $17.6 million in general revenue for a total of $27.6 million, to support a pathway to universal pre-kindergarten expansion, including in Gateway Cities and the Summer Step Up program.

• $20 million for early literacy initiatives and programs.

• $8 million for the Reimagining High School Initiative.

• $5 million for school-based mental health and wraparound services.

Notable Fair Share Transportation investments include:

• $350 million, in addition to $150 million from the General Fund, for a total of $500 million to support Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) operations, including key initiatives like low-income fare relief, year-round ferry service and the MBTA Academy. Together with the Senate’s recently passed Fair Share supplemental budget, the Committee has proposed dedicating $820 million in operating resources to fully fund MBTA’s operations for FY26.

• $120 million to support Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) across the state. Together with resources from the General Fund, the bill provides a record $214 million for RTAs.  The Fair Share portion of the funding includes:

  • $66 million in direct operating support for RTAs.

  • $40 million to support complete fare free fixed-route access across all RTAs.

  • $10 million to incentivize connections between regional transit routes and local economic hubs.

  • $4 million to support expanded mobility options for the elderly and people with disabilities.

• $78 million for debt service for expanded new bond capacity for the Commonwealth Transportation Fund (CTF) for essential transportation projects across the Commonwealth.

• By committing $600 million annually to the CTF, the Senate will unlock additional bond capacity for critical transportation projects over the next ten years.

• $52 million in operating support for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).

Education

The Senate FY26 budget supports students of all ages by maintaining investments in public education at every level. The budget fully funds the fifth year of the Student Opportunity Act, provides a historic funding commitment to the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), and stands with public and private institutions of higher education at a volatile time.

With a $1.71 billion total investment in early education and care, the Senate’s budget builds on last year’s passage of the EARLY ED Act, supporting the sector’s workforce, protecting programming, and maintaining access to affordable care for families facing economic pressures.

Notable education funding includes:

• $517.6 million for income-eligible childcare.

• $448.2 million for Department of Children & Families (DCF) and Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) related childcare, providing critical services for families eligible for subsidized care.

• $475 million for the C3 operational grant program, supporting critical operational and workforce initiatives across the early education sector for the third year in a row.

• $98 million for childcare supports, coupled with a $192.8 million increase from the General Fund to maintain the current capacity and rates of the childcare financial assistance program.

• $44.9 million for EEC Quality Improvement Initiatives.

• $27.6 million for the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative to maintain access to universal pre-kindergarten and preschool opportunities in underserved areas.

• $20 million for Childcare Resource and Referral Centers to support parents, childcare providers, employers, and community groups in navigating the state’s early education and care landscape.

• $20 million for grants to Head Start programs to promote school readiness for young children in low-income households.

• $5 million for grants to early education and care providers for childhood mental health consultation services.

• $2.5 million to continue the successful public–private pilot program with employers to create new childcare seats.

The Senate budget’s public K-12 investments provide crucial support to school districts confronting increased costs and fiscal pressures while delivering high quality public education to Massachusetts’ students.

To support schools across the state, the Senate follows through on the commitment to fully fund and implement the Student Opportunity Act by Fiscal Year 2027 and invests $7.3 billion in Chapter 70 state aid to public schools, an increase of $460 million over FY25. Further, the budget increases minimum Chapter 70 aid to $150 per pupil, delivering an additional $39.6 million in resources to school districts across the state.

For the second year, the Senate’s budget dedicates $120 million to fully fund MassEducate, the Commonwealth’s universal free community college program that became law in last year’s budget. By again delivering free tuition and fees for residents, the FY26 proposal continues its support for this vital initiative that expands economic opportunity in a regionally equitable manner across the Commonwealth.

Other education investments include:

• $492 million for the Special Education (SPED) Circuit Breaker, in addition to the $190 million included in the Fair Share supplemental budget recently passed. Together with Fair Share supplemental funding, the Senate’s FY26 budget fulfills the promise of 75 per cent reimbursement for eligible tuition and transportation costs, recommending $682 million in total to reimburse school districts for the cost of educating students with disabilities.

• $183 million for charter school reimbursements.

• $275.8 million for scholarships to students, including $100 million in Fair Share resources to expand MASSGrant Plus financial aid support for students attending public institutions.

• $103.7 million to reimburse school districts for regional school transportation costs, including $53.7 million in General Fund resources.

• $30 million for higher education wraparound services, including $16 million in General Fund resources, to support services for students attending community colleges through MassEducate, and $14 million in Fair Share resources to support wraparound services for students attending state universities.

• $16 million for rural school aid support.

• $14.2 million for early college programs and $13.1 million for dual enrollment, along with $8 million for Reimagining High School to empower high school students to take college courses prior to graduation.

• $5 million to support continued implementation of the Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Higher Education law,  including $3 million for grants offered through the Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment initiative to help high school students with intellectual disabilities aged 18–22 access higher education opportunities; and $2 million for the Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Trust Fund.

• $3 million for the Genocide Education Trust Fund to continue the state’s commitment to educate middle and high school students on the history of genocide.

• $3 million for the Civics Education Trust Fund to maintain and support a statewide civic infrastructure, provide professional development to teachers, and ensure that every student can access high quality civics education.

• $1 million for Hate Crimes Prevention Grants to support education and prevention of hate crimes and incidences of bias in public schools. 

Community Support

Highlighting the Senate’s longstanding commitment to a sustainable state–local partnership, this budget provides significant resources to support all Massachusetts cities and towns, ensuring that the state can meet the needs of every region, city, and town—and leave no corner of the Commonwealth behind.

The proposal includes $1.337 billion in funding for Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA), the primary source of direct state aid to Massachusetts towns and cities, an increase of $38.7 million over FY25. UGGA funding supports resources for municipalities as they collectively confront increased fiscal constraints at the local level.

The budget establishes a special commission to study how local aid is distributed, evaluate its effectiveness and equity, and make recommendations to maximize the equity of the distribution. In addition to traditional sources of local aid, this budget also increases payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) for state-owned land to $54.5 million. PILOT funding is a source of supplemental local aid for cities and towns working to protect and improve access to essential services and programs.

To further help communities thrive, the Senate Budget proposal gives communities, not the Legislature, the final say when issuing liquor licenses for restaurants and bars.

Other local investments include:

• $214 million for Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) to support regional public transportation systems, including $120 million from Fair Share funds to maintain and continue expansions to regional bus service, sustain systemwide fare free transit service, and support RTA commuter operations.

• $116 million for local housing authorities.

• $54.5 million for payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) to cities and towns for state-owned land.

• $52.9 million for libraries, including $19.5 million for regional library local aid, $20 million for municipal libraries and $6.2 million for technology and automated resource networks.

• $29.9 million in grants to Councils on Aging, increasing assistance per elder to $16 from $15 in FY25.

• $26.2 million for the Massachusetts Cultural Council to support local arts, culture, and creative economic initiatives.

The FY26 budget codifies fare-free RTA service, which will require all RTAs to eliminate passenger fares for fixed routes and ADA-required paratransit service. With this measure, the Senate continues to prioritize regional equity, support RTAs as an essential public service that connects communities, and provide a crucial connection for commuters, students, seniors, and people with disabilities.

Health, Mental Health, and Family Care

The Senate’s FY26 budget funds MassHealth at $22.41 billion, an increase of $2.34 billion over the last fiscal year. As the largest cost driver in the state’s budget, MassHealth alone accounts for 65 per cent of the total spending increase over the FY25 budget.

Amid uncertainty in Washington, this budget maintains access to comprehensive health care coverage for over 2 million Massachusetts residents. MassHealth covers affordable, accessible, and comprehensive health care services for more than 1 in 4 residents, nearly half of all children, and 7 out of every 10 nursing facility residents.

To help keep healthcare costs down, the Senate Budget proposal includes a provision which will target high-cost prescription drugs and ensure that the price for the drugs do not far exceed the value.

Other health investments include:

• $3.2 billion for a range of services and focused support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including $2 billion for community residential services and $288 million for the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) Community Day and Work program.

• $1.73 billion to support the Personal Care Attendant program and its historic collective bargaining agreement which raised the wage scale to $25 per hour.

• $694 million for adult support services, including $19 million to support jail diversion initiatives to better serve individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders and connect them with appropriate treatment.

• $582.1 million for nursing facility Medicaid rates, including $112 million in additional base rate payments to maintain competitive wages in the Commonwealth’s nursing facility workforce.

• $386.4 million for Department of Mental Health (DMH) hospital and community-based services, including $4.8 million to fully fund the operation of the Pocasset Mental Health Center.

• $237.7 million for Department of Public Health (DPH) hospital operations, including $31 million to fully fund and maintain operations of the Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children through the duration of FY26.

• $179.9 million for the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS), including $1.5 million in new funding to develop the state’s recovery coach workforce, which will support key initiatives from last session’s Substance Use Disorder and Recovery Coach Licensure Act.

• $132 million for children’s mental health services.

• $102 million for nursing facility enhanced Medicaid rates to begin implementation of the 2024 Long-Term Care Act.

• $79.9 million for domestic violence prevention services.

• $39.3 million for Early Intervention (EI) services, maintaining necessary support and services for infants and young toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities.

• $35 million for Family Resource Centers(FRCs) to maintain mental health resources available to families.

• $26.5 million for family and adolescent health, including $11.2 million for comprehensive family planning services and $6.7 million to enhance federal Title X family planning funding.

• $22.6 million for school-based health programming and services.

• $20 million to recapitalize the Behavioral Health, Access, Outreach and Support Trust Fund to support targeted behavioral health initiatives.

• $14.3 million for suicide prevention and intervention, with an additional $1.8 million for Samaritans Inc. and $1.1 million for the Call2Talk suicide prevention hotline. This investment protects and fully funds 9-8-8, the 24/7 suicide and crisis lifeline.

• $14.7 million for maternal and child health, including $10.8 million for pediatric palliative care services for terminally ill children and a policy adjustment to ensure that children up to age 22 can continue to be served through the program.

• $12.7 million for Meals on Wheels and other nutrition programs for seniors.

• $6 million for Social Emotional Learning (SEL) grants to bolster social emotional learning support for K-12 students.

• $5.5 million for children advocacy centers to maintain critical support available to children that have been neglected or sexually abused.

• $5 million for workforce support for community health centers, including loan forgiveness.

• $5.2 million for the Office of the Child Advocate.

• $3.8 million for the Massachusetts Center on Child Wellbeing and Trauma.

• $2.5 million for veterans’ mental and behavioral health services through the Home Base program.

• $2 million for grants for improvements in reproductive health access, infrastructure, and safety.

Expanding and Protecting Opportunities

The Senate is committed to expanding opportunity and supporting the state’s most vulnerable residents. This budget therefore maintains the annual child’s clothing allowance, providing $500 per child for eligible families to buy clothes for the upcoming school year. The budget also fully annualizes the FY25 10 per cent increase to Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) and Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children (EAEDC) benefit levels to help families move out of deep poverty. Additionally, an amendment adopted during debate ensures that pregnant women can access TAFDC, regardless of where they are in their pregnancy.

In addition, the Senate’s budget dedicates $82 million to support food security and child nutrition initiatives, including $42 million for Emergency Food Assistance to assist residents in navigating the historical levels of food insecurity, and $25.4 million for the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) to ensure access to healthy food options.

Economic opportunity investments include:

• $467 million for Transitional Assistance to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) and $209 million for Emergency Aid to Elderly, Disabled and Children (EAEDC) to provide the necessary support as caseloads increase, which annualizes the deep poverty increases implemented in the FY25 budget.

• $142.9 million for DTA caseworkers to protect access to crucial financial assistance, food support, and employment and training programs for some of the state’s most vulnerable residents.

• $59.4 million for adult basic education services to improve access to skills necessary to join the workforce.

• $42 million for the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program.

• $25.4 million for the Healthy Incentives Program to support healthy food access for households in need.

• $20.6 million for employment services programs to help people with lower incomes move toward economic independence through pathways of self-sufficiency.

• $15.5 million for the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program.

• $9.2 million for career technical institutes to increase the state’s skilled worker population and provide residents with access to career technical training opportunities, which will combine with $12.3 million in remaining American Rescue Plan funding for the program.

• $5 million for the Secure Jobs Connect Program, providing job placement resources and assistance for homeless individuals.

• $4.8 million for the Innovation Pathways program to continue to connect students to training and post-secondary opportunities with a focus on STEM fields.

• $1 million for employment programs for young adults with disabilities.

Housing

As the state envisions a more fiscally sustainable path for its future, increasing affordable housing opportunities and addressing housing challenges remain at the forefront of the Senate’s agenda. This budget therefore invests more than $1.16 billion in housing initiatives, dedicating resources for housing stability, residential assistance, emergency shelter services, and homelessness assistance programs.  The Senate’s FY26 budget deploys a humane, responsible, and sustainable approach to support families and individuals in need with affordable, safe, and secure housing options.

Housing investments include:

• $253 million for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP).

• $116 million for local housing authorities.

• $110.7 million for assistance for homeless individual shelters.

• $57.3 million for the HomeBASE program to support sustainable exits from shelter.

• $27.7 million for homeless program administration to move people from the Emergency Assistance shelter system.

• $19.5 million for the Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP), providing rental assistance to people with disabilities.

• $15.8 million for the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.

• $10.5 million for assistance for unaccompanied homeless youth.

• $10 million for sponsor-based supportive permanent housing to support 16 new housing units and case management services for vulnerable individuals.

• $8.9 million for the Home and Healthy for Good re-housing and supportive services program, including funding to support homeless LGBTQ youth.

• $6.5 million in continued support for resident service coordinators to help residents maintain stable tenancies at local housing authorities, which are required to provide households with the services they need.

In addition to these investments in housing, the Committee’s budget includes a provision – on which the Senate has consistently led – requiring that residential rental broker’s fees must be paid by the contracting agent, often the landlord of an apartment, ensuring that renters are not burdened with unexpected and extraordinary costs. The Senate first passed this proposal last session.

During debate, the Senate also approved an amendment exploring opportunities to remove the sales tax for multifamily housing construction projects.

With both chambers of the Legislature having approved different versions of the Fiscal Year 2026 budget, they will now reconcile their versions before sending a final FY26 budget to the Governor for her signature.

###

Landmark Data Privacy Bills Approved by Senate Committee

(BOSTON 5/13/2025) — This week, Senate Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet, and Cybersecurity chair Senator Michael Moore and vice chair Senator Pavel Payano announced that a wide-ranging bill granting consumers new rights over their personal data had been reported favorably out of Committee. The Massachusetts Data Privacy Act (MDPA) establishes baseline data minimization standards, offers stronger protections for sensitive personal information and prohibits the sale of sensitive data including that of minors, creates privacy-by-design policies, regulates data brokers, and more. The MDPA will ensure greater accountability of companies and grant user data privacy protections to those present in Massachusetts and residents of the state. This bill embodies the legislative recommendations of Attorneys General throughout the Northeast, and beyond, including Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Vermont, and Maryland.

The Committee also advanced S.197, known as the Location Shield Act, which notably has a bipartisan supermajority of support in the Senate. This location data specific privacy bill establishes data minimization standards for location data and prohibits its sale. The bill also prohibits the transfer of location data to government entities without a warrant or subpoena, unless exigent circumstances exist. The Chair extends his gratitude to Vice Chair Payano for discharging the Location Shield Act to the Committee.

“With so much of our lives happening online, it can be hard to know who is collecting your data, how much they know about you, and what they’re doing with that information,” said Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “The Massachusetts Data Privacy Act gives everyday Bay Staters the right to better control their data and grants them the ability to simply say no when it comes to invasive data collection practices. Further, it protects users’ most sensitive data from being sold or being used for targeted advertising, including information on race, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, and whether one has been a victim of a crime. I’m also thrilled that the Location Shield Act prohibits the sale of location data, something the FTC has repeatedly found leads to harmful outcomes for our constituent’s privacy, and prevents government agencies from buying their way around constitutional warrant requirements for our data. These bills will bring accountability to invasive tech companies, and I look forward to continuing the conversation about digital consumer protections as this legislation makes its way through the State House.”

"I was proud to discharge the Location Shield Act from committee, because no one should have to worry about their phone tracking them without permission,” said Senator Pavel Payano (D-Lawrence). “This bill takes a major step toward protecting our privacy and preventing the sale and misuse of personal location data, especially for those most at risk, like survivors of abuse, patients, and vulnerable communities.”

The MDPA represents the strongest ever data protections offered to Bay Staters and reflects the most up-to-date bipartisan federal consensus model on this issue. It also provides a variety of meaningful enforcement mechanisms, including empowering the Massachusetts Attorney General to enforce the law under its own terms and as a violation of the Commonwealth’s consumer protection law, Chapter 93A, as well as empowering individual users to bring claims on their own behalf through a private right of action.

Key highlights include:

Establishing Data Minimization Standards

Some websites, apps, products, and services are data vacuums, indiscriminately sucking up any information on the user that they can get. The Massachusetts Data Privacy Act would establish strong baseline data minimization standards by requiring data holders to collect and possess no more user information than is reasonably necessary for the function of their product or service. The bill states that covered entities are also required to establish, implement, and maintain reasonable policies that broadly identify, assess, and mitigate privacy risks, reflecting these companies’ and organizations’ pivotal responsibilities in ensuring private information that users share with them is kept safe.

Creates More Restrictive Standards for Sensitive Covered Data and Targeted Advertising

Many types of user data is particularly sensitive and is expected to be held in confidence by the service it is shared with. The MDPA establishes standards that ban the use of specific types of sensitive data for the purposes of targeted advertising.

The bill defines sensitive data to include:

• Precise geolocation information

• Biometric or genetic information

• Health information

• Private messages, contact books, and calendar entries

• The data of individuals under the age of 18

• Government-issued identifiers

• Any data that reveals an individual’s:

  • Race, color, ethnicity, or national origin

  • Sex or gender identity, or sexual orientation

  • Religious beliefs

  • Citizenship or immigration status

  • Military service

  • Status as a victim of a crime

These regulations wholly ban entities from engaging in targeted advertising to minors, and make it illegal for entities to sell a user’s covered sensitive data.

Outlines Acceptable Consent Practices

Sometimes, services will use sneaky language or deceptive design to trick a user into consenting to invasive data collection or data sharing. This legislation specifies that covered entities must issue clear and conspicuous requests for consent to collect and possess a user’s data in easily understandable language. This request must also explain the user’s applicable rights. Notably, the bill states that entities cannot infer consent via inaction; for example, a user clicking out of the consent request without confirming privacy choices cannot be interpreted as consent to collect or possess that user’s data.

The bill specifies that requests for consent must be displayed at or before the point of data collection, and must include a description of what information will be collected and the purpose of its collection.

Additional Privacy Protections

• Further data privacy protections included in the Massachusetts Data Privacy Act include:

• Privacy policy notice requirements

• Data broker registration with the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation

• Clarification of the Attorney General’s regulatory authority

• Bans on the commercial sale of location information

The Senate Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet, and Cybersecurity’s action on the Massachusetts Data Privacy Act and several related bills comes in the wake of increasing concerns about what sensitive personal data is being collected by online services and who is accessing it. In an era of increasing federal surveillance on protesters, political opponents, and immigrants, data privacy protections are more important than ever. Recent revelations of contracts data brokers have signed with ICE – who within the last six months have also been subject to a FTC complaint and then hacked by a Russian cybercriminal, high-profile arrests in Worcester, Medford, and Boston, and senior White House advisors discussing the suspension of habeus corpus have pushed the issue to the forefront of policy conversations and urge rapid action.

Along with the Massachusetts Data Privacy Act and the Location Shield Act, three additional bills were reported favorably out of the Senate Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet, and Cybersecurity this week. The bills include:

• S.43 – An Act to protect personal biometric data

• S.47 – An Act relative to surveillance pricing in grocery stores

• S.49 – An Act relative to cybersecurity and artificial intelligence

Having been approved by the Senate Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet, and Cybersecurity, the bills now will move forward to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means for further review.

###

Senate Injects $1.33 Billion into Statewide Education, Transportation Projects

(BOSTON 5/9/2025) — The Massachusetts Senate yesterday passed a $1.33 billion plan to invest in public education and transportation across the Commonwealth. The Senate’s bill directs funding to expand career and technical education opportunities, bolster construction projects at local schools and college campuses, and support public transit, road and bridge funding for city and town governments.

The bill, S.2512, prioritizes regional equity by providing support statewide for K-12 school district special education programs, rural roads and bridges, capital improvements for public bus transportation, and infrastructure upgrades at Massachusetts’ public colleges and universities.

The overwhelming success of the Fair Share amendment to the Constitution — voted for by residents in 2022 — generated more than $1 billion over initial projections in fiscal years 2023 and 2024. This legislation contains restricted one-time investments in public education and transportation initiatives and primarily uses funds from that surtax, which is paid by households in Massachusetts earning more than $1 million per year. The Senate will debate its annual general budget later in the month.

“The Fair Share Amendment has been a wild success, allowing us to allocate more dollars to transportation and education priorities across the Commonwealth without burdening working class families with additional taxes,” said Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “I’m thrilled to have secured funding for projects in my district as well as for regional programs that all Bay Staters will benefit from. These are smart investments that will pay dividends for decades to come – exactly what the voters asked for when they approved the Fair Share Amendment in 2022.”

During Senate debate, Second Worcester District State Senator Michael Moore secured a number of earmarks for projects across the district, including:

Regional

• $100,000 to Worcester State University to plan, develop, and launch a new cyber range in partnership with Quinsigamond Community College for the education and training of students to work in cybersecurity and related fields.

• $100,000 to Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School for cap

Auburn

• $75,000 to Auburn Public Schools for the purchase of a bus.

Grafton

• $70,000 to Grafton Public Schools for the purchase of a wheelchair accessible van.

Millbury

• $90,000 to Millbury Public Schools for the purchase of a bus.

• $15,000 to Millbury Public Schools to expand student vocational opportunities in partnership with the North Atlantic States Carpenters Union.

Shrewsbury

• $40,000 to the Town of Shrewsbury for the purchase and installation of traffic signal preemption equipment.

• $35,000 to Shrewsbury Public Schools for capital expenses.

Westborough

• $70,000 to the Westborough Bridging Over to Right Opportunities (BORO) program at Westborough Public Schools.

• $35,000 to the Town of Westborough for the development of a design and traffic analysis for the intersection between Milk Street and Fisher Street.

Worcester

• $120,000 to Worcester Public Schools for capital expenses.

Senator Moore also introduced an amendment that would have brought more transparency to Massachusetts consumers by requiring retailers to clearly display or disclose the cost of tariffs in a product’s total price. At a time when many Bay Staters are already struggling to keep up with the cost of living, this policy would help consumers better understand why the cost of goods, services, and materials will be increasing in the coming months as the President continues to implement his tariff agenda on the federal level. The amendment was withdrawn for technical reasons.

“The truth is, tariffs are effectively a national sales tax on some of the most essential things Americans buy. When you go to check out online or in person, you expect to see how much you'll be paying in state sales tax — why should it be any different for tariffs?” said Senator Michael Moore. “My amendment was withdrawn on technical grounds, but my commitment to consumer protections and price transparency in this time of economic uncertainty is unwavering. Tariffs are increasing the costs of goods, services, and materials across the board, meaning your dollars — and the dollars of governments attempting to build or upgrade infrastructure — will not go nearly as far as they used to. I will be reintroducing this policy as part of the FY26 budget because Bay Staters deserve to know why the prices of everyday goods are going up.”

Fair Share Amendment investments include:

Education

Education investments in the supplemental budget include funding for:

• Special Education Costs. $248 million, including circuit breaker reimbursements to local school districts.

• Public Higher Education Deferred Maintenance. $190 million for higher education overall, including $10 million for lab resources for community colleges following the success of MassEducate.

• Career Technical Education Capital Grants. $100 million to expand capacity and accommodate additional career technical education opportunities.

• Local School Construction Relief. $50 million to support cities, towns and school districts experiencing extraordinary school construction increases due to inflation or the impacts of tariffs.

• Literacy Growth. $25 million to support accelerated literacy growth for students in kindergarten through grade 3.

• English Language Learning Programs. $10 million for educational grants to reduce the waitlist for services for speakers of languages other than English to learn English and subsequently help fill in-demand jobs.

Transportation

Transportation investments in the supplemental budget include funding for:

• MBTA Improvements and Infrastructure Upgrades. $370 million for improvements and infrastructure upgrades across the MBTA system, comprising:

  • $200 million to replenish the MBTA budget reserve after the MBTA’s recent use of reserve funds for operations support.

  • $100 million in workforce and safety training to implement Federal Transit Administration improvement recommendations.

  • $50 million for commuter rail system maintenance and infrastructure upgrades.

  • $20 million for the MBTA’s low-income fare relief program.

• Local Road Improvements. $190 million for shovel-ready transportation improvements to roads, bridges, and culverts.

• Regional Equity in Transportation. $105 million for regional transit initiatives composed of:

  • $50 million for capital improvements to equipment and facilities at Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) that serve and connect all regions of the Commonwealth.

  • $25 million for RTA workforce recruitment and retention improvement efforts.

  • $20 million for ferry infrastructure improvements.

  • $10 million for on-demand micro-transit shuttles and Last Mile grants to foster an innovative multimodal transit system.

• World Cup Preparations. $5 million for transportation improvements associated with the upcoming 2026 World Cup.

Amendments

During debate on the Senate floor, members from around the state contributed to the initial proposal with amendments reflecting their priorities and district needs. Notable amendments adopted during the debate include:

• Amendment 128 from Senator Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn). Sets aside funds for assistive reading technologies so local school districts can purchase resources such as audio books and voice-text format books to bolster struggling readers in Massachusetts, including children with vision impairments, learning disabilities, or physical disabilities.

• Amendment 213 from Senator Nick Collins (D-South Boston). Supports nurses by allocating funds toward expansion of the facilities at UMass Boston’s Manning College of Nursing and Health Sciences, the ninth largest nursing school in the country that offers several undergraduate and graduate degree programs; also directs UMass Boston to study the feasibility of establishing a satellite campus at the site of Carney Hospital in Dorchester.

• Amendment 106 from Senator Julian Cyr (D-Truro). Directs funds for ferry services including pier and dock maintenance serving passengers between the South Coast, Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard.

• Amendment 223 from Senator Lydia Edwards (D-East Boston). Directs funds toward planning and construction of a ferry dock in the East Boston Designated Port Area, along with money for ferry terminal capital improvements in Winthrop.

• Amendment 15 from Senator John Keenan (D-Quincy). Edits the language regarding the bill’s supplemental grant program, which helps school districts deal with skyrocketing material costs for school building projects due to inflation, to also include projects with material cost increases due to tariffs.

A comprehensive fact sheet detailing the investments proposed by the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, including further investments and funding sources, is available in the Senate’s press room. Video of debate is publicly available on the Senate website for viewing, as is the full list of investments approved by the Senate.

Different versions having passed both chambers of the Legislature, the branches will now move to resolve their differences before sending a compromise bill to the Governor for her signature.

###

Massachusetts Tax Relief Bill Goes Into Effect for 2024 Tax Season

(BOSTON 4/8/2025) — In 2023, the Massachusetts Legislature passed and Governor Healey signed into law a bipartisan tax relief bill aimed at lowering costs for working families, homeowners, renters, and seniors. Bay Staters can expect to see the effects of this tax relief package as they file their taxes for tax year 2024.

“The Commonwealth’s affordability crisis has been affecting individuals and families across the state, making it harder for Bay Staters to afford critical necessities including groceries, heating, and childcare. Especially at a time when the President’s tariff policies are expected to further drive up the cost of everyday goods, the Legislature’s historic tax relief bill has become even more timely as residents file their 2024 taxes,” said Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “I am hopeful that things such as an expanded child tax credit and rental tax deduction will help make the math a bit easier for families struggling to balance their budgets. As we look toward the new legislative session, I will be working with my colleagues to deliver more solutions to the affordability crisis we face in the Commonwealth.”

Major provisions include the most generous universal Child and Family Tax Credit in the country. Taxpayers will see the child and dependent tax credit increase from $310 to $440 per dependent child, disabled adult, and senior for taxable year 2024 and beyond. This legislation also eliminated the child and dependent cap and will benefit hundreds of thousands of families statewide.

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has been increased from 30 percent to 40 percent of the federal credit. This increase provides crucial support to working individuals and families, benefitting nearly 400,000 taxpayers with incomes under $67,000.

The legislation also includes relief for seniors by increasing the maximum Senior Circuit Breaker Tax Credit from $1,200. Because this credit is adjusted for inflation each year, the maximum credit for tax year 2024 is now $2,730. This increase helps approximately 100,000 seniors, especially those struggling with high housing costs who wish to stay in their homes.

2024 taxpayers can also expect relief in other areas including:

• If you rent in the Commonwealth, the cap on the rental deduction increased from $3,000 to $4,000.

• If you inherited an estate valued under $2 million, the bill exempts you from the estate tax.

Tax filings are due by Tuesday, April 15th. Alternatively, filers can request an extension until October 15th through the IRS and the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, though requests for an extension must be filed by April 15th.

###

Women’s Bar Association Names Senator Michael Moore Public Official of the Year

(BOSTON 4/3/2025) — This week, the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts honored Second Worcester District Senator Michael Moore as their Public Official of the Year, an award he received alongside Representatives Tram Nguyen and Natalie Higgins. The award recognizes the legislators’ work in establishing the legal definition of coercive control, the utilization of threats to control or compel a victim into compliance, as a form of abuse and affording protections to those who have survived it.

“Coercive control is a horrible method of abuse that has long gone unrecognized in the Commonwealth, allowing dangerous abusers to skirt consequences and re-offend again and again. Passing a law that updates the definition of abuse to include coercive control is a long-fought victory that belongs to all Bay Staters, but especially the survivors, advocates, and legal professionals who bravely told their stories,” said Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “It is an honor to receive this award from the Women’s Bar Association and to share it with my friends and colleagues, Representative Higgins and Representative Nguyen. Our work is far from done, but thanks to years of work and advocacy, survivors of coercive control can now hold their abusers accountable.”

An Act to prevent abuse and exploitation, passed in June 2024, is a bipartisan bill that criminalizes the sharing of sexually explicit images or videos without an individual’s consent, also known as “revenge porn.” The legislation broadly creates a diversion program for teens who share explicit images, and extends the statute of limitations to pursue criminal charges for certain domestic violence offenses from six years to 15 years. Additionally, the bill legally defines “coercive control” – language that is based on legislation originally introduced and prioritized by Senator Michael Moore along with his partners in the House, Representatives Higgins and Nguyen.

The law, H.4744, defines coercive control as a single act or pattern of behavior intended to threaten, intimidate, control, or compel compliance of a family or household member that causes a fear of physical harm or a reduced sense of physical safety or autonomy. It allows an individual to seek an abuse prevention order if the individual is the victim of coercive control by a family or household member, or a person with whom they were in a substantive dating relationship. Critically, the bill also includes important aspects from the House bill which would include protections against coercive control through repeated frivolous litigation and distribution of an individual’s sensitive data. Examples of coercive control include threating to share explicit images, regulating or monitoring a family or household member’s communications and access to services, and isolating a family or household member from friends or relatives.

The Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts (WBA) is an organization of female lawyers and attorneys from across the Commonwealth focused on building personal and professional relationships, as well as advocating for women’s issues in and out of the courtroom. Founded in 1978, the organization has over 1,500 members.

The WBA’s legislative priorities for the 2025-26 term include anti-child poverty measures, bolstering legal aid funding, enhancing access to reproductive care, and protecting individuals against controlling and abusive litigation – a bill introduced and championed by Senator Michael Moore.

###

Legislature Extends Hybrid Meeting Law to 2027

(BOSTON 3/26/2025) — Last week, the Massachusetts Legislature passed legislation to extend the hybrid public meeting option, allowing cities and towns to offer remote participation through June 2027. The extension applies to public bodies and representative town meetings.

Hybrid meetings enable more civic participation by residents who otherwise might have limited access to public meetings and has proven popular in the cities and towns within the Second Worcester District. Responding to feedback from constituents about the law’s upcoming March 31st expiration, Senator Michael Moore had introduced an amendment to the recently passed supplemental budget to extend the law, though it was not ultimately included in the bill that was signed into law.

“Hybrid meetings allow more people to participate in our public processes – something that we should strive for in a representative democracy,” said Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “Busy parents, individuals with disabilities, senior citizens with mobility challenges, and so many others will continue to be able to more easily weigh in on the issues that affect them in their governments thanks to this move. I’m thrilled that we are extending this law through 2027, and I am hopeful that we can make it permanent as we continue to look for ways to remove barriers to civic engagement.”

The Massachusetts Municipal Association estimates that there are over 10,000 boards, committees, and commissions across Massachusetts’ 351 cities and towns. Most officials serving on the panels do so on a volunteer basis.

Having passed both branches of the Legislature, the bill will now be sent to the Governor for her signature.

###

Municipal Matching Grant Awarded to Latin American Health Alliance

(BOSTON 3/20/2025) — This week, Mosaic Opioid Recovery Partnership (Mosaic) announced the recipients of the first round of its Municipal Matching Grant program. Worcester-based Latin American Health Alliance (LAHA) is slated to receive $50,000 in matching grants to fund its Café Reyes program, which offers skills training, job placement assistance, and mentorship as part of a long-term stability strategy that integrates education and employment with addiction recovery. Café Reyes serves authentic Cuban food and other Latin-American dishes at its location on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester and is staffed by residents and graduates of LAHA’s Hector Reyes House residential treatment program.

The Municipal Matching Grant program awarded nearly $1.5 million across 75 cities and towns in the Commonwealth, unlocking $3 million in investments toward programs employing best practices to combat the opioid crisis. Grants focus on prevention, harm reduction, access to care, recovery, trauma, grief, and family supports.

“I’m thrilled to hear the news that Latin American Health Alliance has been awarded a generous grant to fund its Café Reyes program,” said Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “This program benefits the community in two different ways – providing opportunities for Latino men in addiction recovery to work in a stable and supportive environment, while also offering delicious and authentic Latin food to the community. I look forward to continuing our work in the State House to identify funding for programs like these that offer real solutions and help close the gaps in our healthcare system for individuals often left behind.”

“Café Reyes provides benefits our community, both in the support of Latino men in recovery, pipeline as well as delivering delicious Cuban food to our community,” said Senator Robyn Kennedy (D-Worcester).  “Thank you to the Mosaic Opioid Recovery Partnership for this investment, which strengthens a pipeline into the workforce. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to support funding like this grant.”

“Latin American Health Alliance is proud to have been selected to receive this Municipal Matching Grant from the Mosaic Opioid Recovery Partnership. With this grant, we are part of an innovative team effort between the Department of Public Health and RIZE Massachusetts to double the impact of municipal opioid settlement funds,” said José Lemos, Board President at Latin American Health Alliance. “We are excited to put these funds to work through our Café Reyes Employment Training Program, which offers tailored supports and long-term stability for individuals who are currently part of or have recently graduated from our Hector Reyes House program. I’d like to thank RIZE and Mosaic for their important work in opioid addiction recovery here in Central Massachusetts and across the Commonwealth.”

Latin American Health Alliance operates the Hector Reyes House, which offers culturally-informed services that center around recovery from substance use for Latino men. The program curriculum evolves from a focus on developing skills to remain abstinent from substance use, to groups and activities designed to develop a drug-free lifestyle, to a pathway to education and employment through Café Reyes. Each patient works with a councilor to develop a personalized plan that works for each individual.

Mosaic Opioid Recovery Partnership is funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and powered by RIZE Massachusetts Foundation, a nonprofit foundation solely dedicated to funding and creating solutions to end the overdose crisis in Massachusetts. Funding for these specific grants comes from the MA Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund (ORRF), which resulted from the landmark legal effort to hold pharmaceutical companies responsible for the opioid overdose crisis experienced in Massachusetts communities. Two additional rounds of Municipal Matching Grant rounds will be conducted through 2027, totaling $3.75 million in grants over the program’s 3-year duration.

More information about the Latin American Health Alliance can be found on their website. More information about RIZE Massachusetts Foundation and the Mosaic Opioid Recovery Partnership can be found on their website.

###

Legislature Passes Supplemental Budget Funding for Emergency Shelter Program

(BOSTON 2/27/2025) — Yesterday, the Legislature passed a $425 million supplemental budget to support emergency housing assistance for families experiencing homelessness across the Commonwealth. This action comes in light of the federal government’s continued failure to act on immigration.

The bill adds cost controls and reporting mechanisms to ensure the state responsibly uses taxpayer dollars, and that the program is financially sustainable over the long term. At the same time, it continues to support the mothers, fathers, and children who use the system, who are in a moment of crisis.

Two amendments originally championed by Senator Michael Moore were approved as part of the final supplemental budget package. The first amendment will require the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, working with the Massachusetts State Police, to study the feasibility of conducting a National Crime Information Center background check on all adults or beneficiaries applying for the emergency shelter program, with a report due by July 1st, 2025. This amendment was filed in response to reports of several serious incidents at emergency shelters. The other amendment will require emergency shelter applicants to disclose whether there are any serious pending charges against them. Under current guidelines, applicants are only required to disclose whether they have been convicted of a serious crime.

An amendment offered by Senator Moore to create a comprehensive safety plan for each of the Commonwealth’s shelters was originally adopted as part of the Senate’s supplemental budget bill, but was stripped out of the final legislation passed yesterday.

“The Commonwealth’s emergency shelter system exists as a safe place for Massachusetts families to temporarily land if they have nowhere else to turn to. This supplemental budget makes sure our system has the funding it needs, while making significant reforms to ensure the safety of those staying in the shelters as well as the communities who host them,” said Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “I’m pleased that two of my amendments were adopted as part of the final bill, including steps towards nationwide background checks for all adult applicants and expanding the required criminal history disclosure on applications. While our system is intended to serve as a safety net for all Bay Staters, we owe it to our communities to make sure it remains safe and secure.”

The bill allows families to stay for up to six months in shelter and grants the Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities the authority to grant hardship exemption waivers to families with young children, to families at risk of domestic violence, or other individuals in vulnerable circumstances, to lengthen their stay in shelters.

Half of families housed in the emergency shelter system are Massachusetts residents, however this number has been increasing as the peak of the migrant crisis has waned. Actions contained within this bill aim to reduce the overall cost of the shelter system to the Massachusetts taxpayer while ensuring this critical safety net is available for Bay Staters when they need it. The bill includes temporary reforms verification eligibility requirements for families that are entering the EA program, and increases security measures to ensure that family shelters are safe.

More detailed provisions of the legislation include:

Eligibility, Waivers, and Limitations

Limitations on Stay: States that families in the emergency housing assistance program would be eligible for the program for not more than 6 consecutive months, subject to a hardship waiver.

Hardship Waiver for Extended Stay: Allows a family to receive extensions to the length of stay limit upon written certification of hardship by the Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities.

Veteran, Young Child, Domestic Violence, Disability, Pregnancy Waivers: Requires extensions to the length of stay limit to be granted for a family with an individual who: is a veteran; is under the age of 6; is at imminent risk of harm due to domestic violence; is documented as having a disability; has imminent pending placement in housing; has a high-risk pregnancy; or satisfies any additional criteria the Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities deems necessary.

Income Limitations: Requires that families whose income exceeds 200% of the federal poverty level for 4 consecutive months to be deemed ineligible for the emergency housing assistance program.

Temporary Respite Sites: Provides funding to make temporary respite sites available to families for up to 30 days, including to families who appear eligible for emergency housing assistance and provide information sufficient to comply with all disclosure and criminal offender record information requirements.

Residency Requirements: Requires that all emergency housing assistance program benefits be provided to families consisting entirely of residents of the commonwealth who are citizens of the United States or persons lawfully admitted for permanent residence or otherwise permanently residing in the United States under the color of law, except in cases where a child in the family is a citizen of the United States, a person lawfully admitted for permanent residence or a person permanently residing in the United States under color of law.

Eligibility Requirements: Requires each adult applicant or beneficiary that joins a family receiving emergency housing assistance to provide notice to the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities of any addition to the family and require a complete review of all information necessary to verify the individual’s eligibility.

Emergency Shelter for Massachusetts Residents: Requires that each applicant for benefits under the emergency housing assistance program establish residency in the Commonwealth and that an applicant’s family show an intent to remain in the Commonwealth, which may be shown through sources of verification accepted by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.

Fiscal Responsibility

Phasing Out Hotels and Motels: Requires the Executive Office for Administration and Finance, in consultation with the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, to submit a report detailing a plan to phase out the use of hotels and motels for emergency housing assistance not later than December 31, 2025.

Competitive Bidding for Services: Requires that any funds expended after the effective date of this act for the provisions of services to families served by the emergency housing assistance program be subject to a competitive bidding process.

System Capacity: Requires that for the period of December 31, 2025 to December 31, 2026, the total capacity of the emergency housing assistance program not exceed 4,000 families.

Safety and Verification

Criminal Conviction Disclosure: Requires each individual adult applicant or beneficiary of emergency housing assistance benefits to disclose on their initial or subsequent applications prior criminal convictions or pending charges for serious crimes, as defined by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.

Criminal Records: Requires the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities to obtain criminal offender record information from the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services for each individual adult applicant or beneficiary prior to placement into the emergency housing assistance program.

Exclusions for Serious Crimes: Requires the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities to promulgate regulations placing limitations or exclusions on individuals found to have convictions or pending charges for serious crimes, as defined by the Executive Office by regulation.

Verification Requirements: Requires that the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities verify, for each applicant for emergency housing assistance benefits, the applicant’s: identity; Massachusetts residency; relationship status; pregnancy status; and other eligibility requirements through third-party verification or otherwise.

Biweekly Reporting: Requires the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities to submit a biweekly report to the Senate and House of Representatives containing certain information related to the emergency housing assistance program.

Having passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, the bill now goes to Governor Healey’s desk for her signature.

###