Press Releases & Session Updates

Legislature Passes FY26 Budget to Safeguard Financial Health and Protect State's Most Vulnerable

6/30/25 - Legislature upholds ongoing fiscal responsibility, protects core services, and reinforces the state’s economic foundation in the face of federal uncertainty

Legislature Approves Joint Rules, Ushering in More Accessible, Efficient Lawmaking

6/26/25 - Wide-ranging reforms deliver more information to the public and adjust the legislative calendar

Legislature Invests $1.39 Billion into Public Transportation and Education

6/18/25 - MBTA, Regional Transit, Local Aid, Vocational Education Investments from Fair Share Surtax

Massachusetts Retailers Set for Sales Tax-Free Weekend on August 9-10

6/12/25 - Legislature Adopts Resolution Designating 2025 Sales Tax Holiday

House Passes Bill to Reform Cannabis Laws

6/4/25 - Bill clarifies regulatory structure and makes changes to facilitate industry growth

House Passes FY25 Supplemental Budget, Protects Rights of English Language Learners and Students with Disabilities

5/21/25 - This $537 million supplemental budget provides funding to ensure the continuation of state programs such as child care financial assistance, home care services, emergency funding for housing, and food access initiatives, as well as municipal grants for the 250th anniversary of the American independence.  - During its debate, the House adopted an amendment offered by Representative Peisch that codifies into law the rights of English Language Learners (ELL) and students with disabilities, ensuring that these students receive both English language development and Special Education (SPED) services in a coordinated, culturally and linguistically appropriate manner, regardless of school district or demographic. The amendment also prohibits discrimination in public schools based on immigration or citizenship status, or disability.

House Passes FY26 Budget, Invests in Programs that Support Families Across Massachusetts

4/30/25 - The House’s FY26 budget responds to the needs of residents, provides strong support for the Commonwealth’s cities and towns, and among many critical investments, includes significant funding for education, transportation, health care, housing, and workforce development.

House Passes FY25 Surtax Supplemental Budget

4/9/25 - Fair Share Surplus funding for transportation and education investments - This $1.3 billion supplemental budget consists of surplus funds generated from the Fair Share surtax and includes $353 million for education related investments, and $828 million for transportation related investments.

Legislature Passes Supplemental Budget

2/27/25 - Bill includes $425 million in temporary reforms to the Emergency Assistance program, adds fiscal guardrails and continues support for families in crisis

​Legislature Enhances Massachusetts Oversight of Pharmaceutical Industry

12/30/24 - Bill includes oversight reforms to improve affordability of and access to prescription drugs

​Legislature Passes Major Health Care Oversight Legislation, Regulates Private Equity

12/30/24 - Bill closes gaps that caused the Steward Health Care collapse

Legislature Passes Bill to Combat Substance Use Disorder

12/19/24 - Latest step to combat opioid crisis will expand treatment options and help save lives

Economic Development Bill Passes the Massachusetts Legislature

11/14/24 - Life sciences and climatetech among $4 billion in authorizations; support for small businesses, easing the nursing shortage, Everett stadium zoning, and ticket pricing transparency among policies

Sweeping Climate Bill Passes the Massachusetts Legislature

11/14/24 - Bill eases clean energy infrastructure permitting, mobilizes innovative technologies, expands EV network, and keeps costs down for residents

Legislature Passes Legislation to Increase the Commonwealth’s Competitiveness for Federal Dollars

9/19/24 - Transportation, housing, climate projects could benefit from up to $17.5 billion in investment - This legislation takes advantage of the interest accrued from the Commonwealth’s Stabilization Fund and leverages that interest to ensure the state receives the maximum possible share of federal funds. The Commonwealth’s Stabilization Fund has an all-time high balance of over $8 billion. It is currently estimated that Massachusetts could receive up to $17.5 billion through historic, once-in-a-generation federal funding opportunities.

Legislature Passes FY24 Supplemental Budget, Ratifying Collective Bargaining Agreements and Directing Funds to Vital Services Statewide

9/12/24 - Funds set to go to health and human services workforce, nutrition programs, and childcare assistance - The Massachusetts Legislature passed a supplemental budget that ratifies 38 collective bargaining agreements and directs funding to the health and human services workforce, childcare assistance programs, community services, and initiatives vital to the wellbeing of Massachusetts residents. The legislation directs funding to deficiencies outlined by the Healey-Driscoll Administration and makes numerous clarifications to state policies to cut red tape and create efficiencies in state government.

Legislature to Change Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission’s Name to ‘MassAbility’, Remove Archaic Laws

9/5/24 - ​New name centers skills and strengths of people with disabilities, removes offensive terminology - The Massachusetts Legislature passed legislation to rename the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) to MassAbility, a change that will define the agency’s role in supporting residents with disabilities live independently. The name change reflects the intention to empower individuals living with disabilities and move away from outdated terminology as the office undergoes broad changes towards a more expansive model for disability employment services and independent living.

Legislature Acts to Transform Long-Term Care Sector

8/29/24 - Bill increases oversight, allows for basic health services to be offered at assisted living residences, and boosts workforce for care of older adults in Massachusetts - The Massachusetts Legislature passed sweeping reforms to the long-term care and assisted living sectors, taking a powerful step towards delivering high quality and safe care for older residents across the Commonwealth. 

Legislature Passes Comprehensive Maternal Health Bill

8/15/24 - Bill expands access to midwifery care and out-of-hospital birth options - The Massachusetts Legislature passed a comprehensive maternal health bill which creates a state licensure pathway for midwives and lactation consultants, encourages the creation of more freestanding birth centers, establishes a grant program to address maternal mental health and substance use disorder, and expands the statewide universal postpartum home visiting program. This legislation also mandates that insurers provide coverage for postpartum depression and major depressive disorder screenings for perinatal individuals.

Legislature Passes Largest Housing Investment in State History

8/5/24 - The Massachusetts Legislature has passed the Affordable Homes Act, the largest housing investment in Massachusetts history and a powerful first step in tackling the state’s housing affordability crisis. The legislation authorizes $5.16 billion in bond authorizations and tax credits to spur housing production in Massachusetts, while implementing sweeping policy initiatives to facilitate the development of affordable housing and preserve public housing in Massachusetts.

Legislature Passes HERO Act

8/2/24 - Bill increases benefits, modernizes services, and promotes inclusivity for Massachusetts veterans - The Massachusetts Legislature has passed An Act Honoring, Empowering and Recognizing Our Service Members and Veterans (HERO Act), legislation designed to boost support for hundreds of thousands of individuals across the state who have served in the United States military, including nearly 30,000 women veterans and thousands of LGBTQ+ veterans.

Legislature Passes Parentage Act

8/1/24 - Bill updates parentage laws to reflect modern-day families - The Massachusetts Legislature  passed An Act to ensure legal parentage equality, extending the full rights of parentage to LGBTQ+ families and families created via assisted reproduction. The bill dismantles archaic legal barriers to basic parenting responsibilities for modern families, opening the door to legally attend and make decisions during medical appointments, manage a child’s finances, participate in educational decisions, and provide authorizations for a child’s travel.

House Passes Prescription Drug Access, Pharmacy Benefit Manager Oversight Bill

7/24/24 - Bill increases access and affordability of prescription drugs for Massachusetts residents - The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed major legislation, which protects patients and independent pharmacists by regulating the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) industry; by banning many of the industry’s worst business practices; by increasing transparency into PBMs and drug manufacturers through the Health Policy Commission (HPC) and the Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA); and by reducing or eliminating copays for certain chronic conditions.

Legislature Passes the FutureTech Act

7/24/24 - Legislation authorizes $1.26B in bonds, allocates $400M in federal funds - Funding and projects included in this legislation would allow state agencies to deliver services more efficiently to residents, enhance cybersecurity on statewide platforms, and broaden access to services used by hundreds of thousands of residents statewide. The bill would also invest in emerging technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) and create a fund to secure anticipated federal funding to bolster health and human services-related projects.

Legislature Passes Wage Equity Legislation

7/24/24 - Bill boosts salary transparency, tackles unfair compensation for women and people of color - The legislation requires employers with 25 or more employees to disclose a salary range when posting a position and protects an employee’s right to ask their employer for the salary range for their position when applying for a job or seeking a promotion.

Legislature Passes Fiscal Year 2025 Budget

7/19/24 - $58B budget agreement provides for significant levels of investment in education, regional equity, and transportation - The Legislature enacted a $58 billion budget for Fiscal year 2025 (FY25), resolving differences between the versions of the budget passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate earlier this year. The FY25 conference committee report maintains fiscal responsibility while delivering historic levels of investment in every level of education, transportation regional equity, workforce development and health care, reflecting the Legislature’s ongoing commitment to delivering on affordability for residents and economic competitiveness for the Commonwealth.

Legislature Passes Firearm Safety Reform Bill

7/18/24 - ​Bill is the largest update to gun safety laws since 2014 - The Massachusetts Legislature passed a firearm safety reform bill that cracks down on the sale of ghost guns, strengthens the Commonwealth’s red flag laws, updates the definition of assault-style firearms, and limits the carrying of guns into polling places and government buildings while updating our current prohibition of guns in schools to include school transport.

House Passes Critical Energy Reforms to Meet 2050 Net Zero Climate Goals

7/17/24 - Bill to spur development and diversification of clean energy in Massachusetts​ - An Act accelerating a responsible, innovative and equitable clean energy transition overhauls outdated siting, permitting, and interconnection processes to empower the Commonwealth to deploy clean energy projects and infrastructure to meet its net-zero goals and create better outcomes for communities, clean energy companies, and utilities.
 It further harnesses innovative technologies to power our green transition such as advanced metering, fusion energy, battery storage, grid-enhancing technologies and the buildout of fast-charging infrastructure and meter socket adapters to support widescale adoption of electric vehicles and heat pumps. This involves generating and procuring more clean power, solving interconnection issues, and incentivizing consumers and businesses to adopt green technologies.

Houses Passes Bill to Protect Privacy of Individuals Seeking Reproductive and Gender Affirming Care
7/10/24 - Bill prohibits the sale of reproductive and gender affirming care location information from cellphones - The Massachusetts House of Representatives today passed legislation to protect the privacy of individuals seeking reproductive and gender affirming care by prohibiting the sale of cellphone data collected during visits to health care facilities in Massachusetts that offer those services.

House Passes Economic Development Bond Bill

6/27/24 - Bill reauthorizes life sciences initiative; invests in industries of the future - The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed an economic development bill that includes an array of investments and policy initiatives that aim to bolster support for workers and businesses, particularly in the life sciences, clean energy technology, and manufacturing industries, while retaining a larger focus on making Massachusetts more affordable and competitive. Funded at $3.4 billion in bond authorizations, with an additional $700 million worth of tax credits, the legislation strives to ensure that the Commonwealth is prepared to lead the innovation industries of the future.

​​House Passes Home Equity Legislation

6/26/24 - Legislation will protect property owners from “equity theft” - The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed “An Act relative to municipal tax lien procedures and protections for property owners in the Commonwealth,” which would align current statute with a recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. The legislation secures the rights of property owners to reclaim any excess equity to which they are entitled after all taxes and fees are repaid to the municipalities following a tax foreclosure, while substantially increasing notifications and other protections for property owners throughout the foreclosure process.  

House Passes Comprehensive Maternal Health Bill

6/20/24 - Bill expands access to midwifery care and out of hospital birth options - The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a comprehensive maternal health bill which creates a state licensure pathway for midwives and lactation consultants, encourages the creation of more freestanding birth centers, and mandates that certain health care professionals perform, and that health insurers provide, coverage for postpartum depression screenings.

Houses Passes Opioid Recovery Bill

6/13/24 - Comprehensive bill seeks to prevent opioid-related overdose deaths - The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a wide-ranging opioid bill which covers the licensure of recovery coaches, makes opioid overdose reversal drugs more accessible, protects harm reduction providers, and removes barriers that new mothers in recovery face at the time they give birth. 

Legislature Approves August 10-11 Sales Tax Holiday Weekend

6/13/24 - The Massachusetts Legislature approved August 10 and August 11 as a sales tax holiday weekend for Massachusetts. On those days, the Massachusetts sales tax of 6.25% will be suspended for most items that retail for less than $2,500. The holiday welcomes Massachusetts residents to visit retailers and small businesses around the state. A spike in consumer activity routinely boosts indirect tax revenues.

Legislature Passes Bill to Prevent Abuse and Exploitation, Enhance Protections for Survivors

6/13/24 - Legislature adopts House and Senate conference committee recommendations - The Legislature enacted comprehensive legislation that criminalizes the non-consensual sharing of explicit images known as “revenge porn,” creates a diversion program for teens who share explicit images, statutorily defines coercive control as an element of domestic abuse, and extends the statute of limitations to pursue criminal charges for certain domestic violence offenses from six years to 15 years.

House Passes Parentage Act

6/12/24 - Bill updates parentage laws to reflect modern-day families - The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed “An Act to ensure legal parentage equality,” which updates the Commonwealth’s parentage laws to reflect modern-day families, including those with children born to LGBTQ+ families, and through methods such as assisted reproduction and surrogacy.

House Passes Housing Bond Bill

6/5/24 - The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed “An Act relative to the Affordable Homes Act,” which includes $6.5 billion in bond authorizations, tax credits, and over 20 policy initiatives that promote housing production, facilitate the development of affordable housing, and preserve public housing in Massachusetts.

House Passes Landmark Veterans Legislation

5/22/24 - Bill increases state benefits, tax credits, and modernizes services for veterans - The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed legislation that honors veterans in Massachusetts by broadening the definition of a veteran, increasing tax credits and state benefits that they are eligible for, and modernizing the services that they rely on. The HERO Act will impact hundreds of thousands of veterans living in Massachusetts.

House Passes Major Health Care Legislation

House Passes Information Technology Bond Bill

5/13/24 - $1.23 billion bond bill would modernize the Commonwealth IT Infrastructure - The initiatives included in the bill aim to modernize the Commonwealth’s information technology infrastructure, enabling agencies to operate with enhanced efficiency while also upgrading cybersecurity efforts. By investing in these advancements, Massachusetts seeks to broaden access to vital services and information, ultimately enhancing the digital landscape and user experience for all residents.

District Highlights from FY25 House Budget
4/26/24 - Funding initiatives specific to the 14th Norfolk district and the towns of Wellesley, Weston, and Lincoln - 
Chapter 70 and Unrestricted General Government Aid for school districts, funding for municipal projects, earmarks for various organizations in the 14th Norfolk District.

House Passes FY25 Budget, Invests in Programs that Support Families Across Massachusetts

4/26/24 - Highlights include a record investment in the MBTA, continued funding for universal school meals, meaningful investments in child care and K-12 education - The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed its Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) budget. Funded at $58 billion, $62 million below Governor Maura Healey’s budget proposal, the House’s FY25 budget responds to the needs of residents, provides strong support for the Commonwealth’s cities and towns, and among many critical investments, includes significant funding for education, transportation, health care, housing, and workforce development.

Legislature Passes Chapter 90 Road Funding Authorization

4/25/24 - Legislation provides cities and towns with reliable funding sources for local infrastructure investments - 
Lincoln: $267,234
Wellesley: $815,683
​Weston: $466,877

Legislature Passes FY24 Supplemental Budget

4/25/24 - Legislation funds emergency shelter system into 2025 - The Massachusetts Legislature passed a supplemental budget that funds the emergency shelter system for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2024 and provides a glide path into Fiscal Year 2025 while instituting reforms to ensure the integrity and financial stability of the program. The bill further extends certain COVID-era flexibilities, most notably allowing for permanent outdoor dining options and restaurants to sell cocktails to-go, as well as expanding nursing eligibility to graduate students and certain staff in assisted living facilities.

House Passes Bill to Remove Outdated and Offensive Terms in General Laws, Changes MRC's Name to ‘MassAbility’

4/3/24 - Updates General Laws referencing people with disabilities - The House passed two bills that update the Massachusetts General Laws by removing out-of-date and offensive terms related to persons with disabilities, and renaming the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) as MassAbility. The language in the bill removes all variations of outdated terms and replaces these terms with current terminology such as “person with a disability” and “person with an intellectual disability.”

House Passes Bill Authorizing Chapter 90 Funding

4/3/24 - Makes investments in roads, bridges, and public transportation - The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a bill that includes $200 million for the state’s Chapter 90 program, which provides municipalities with a funding source for transportation-related improvements, including road and bridge repairs, as well as $175 million for specific programs.

House Passes Supplemental Budget

3/6/24 - Bill includes $245 million for shelter crisis and temporary reforms to the Emergency Assistance program; makes permanent popular pandemic-era reforms

House Passes Bill to Increase the Commonwealth's Competitiveness for Federal Funds

2/28/24 - With the passage of this bill, Massachusetts will be able to more aggressively compete for federal funding made available through the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act. 

House Unanimously Passes Bill to Prevent Abuse and Exploitation, Enhance Protections for Survivors

1/10/24 - Legislation addresses teen sexting and image-based sexual assault, coercive control, and extends the statute of limitations for certain domestic violence offenses. 

House Passes Legislation to Improve Quality and Oversight of Long-term Care Sector

11/15/23 - Bill is the first post-pandemic comprehensive long-term care reform package - The Massachusetts House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation that takes a comprehensive approach towards reforming the long-term care industry by supporting and expanding the workforce, enhancing oversight of facilities, and ensuring greater access, all while prioritizing quality of care.

​House Passes Supplemental Budget - $250 Million for Shelter Crisis

11/8/2023 -$2.8 billion supplemental budget closes the books for Fiscal Year 2023 - ​The Massachusetts House of Representatives approved a $2.8 billion supplemental budget, including $250 million to support the Commonwealth’s response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis and influx of families seeking emergency assistance. 

House Passes Firearm Safety Reform

10/18/23 - Bill is the largest update to gun safety laws since 2014 - The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a firearm safety reform bill that cracks down on the sale of ghost guns; strengthens the Commonwealth’s red flag laws; updates the definition of assault weapons; and limits the carrying of guns into schools, polling places, government buildings and the private residences of others. The bill is a result of a comprehensive review of the Commonwealth’s gun laws, with the goal of proposing solutions to emerging threats in technology, such as the prevalence of ghost guns, and responding to last year’s U.S. Supreme Court’s New York State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n., Inc. v. Bruen decision.

​House Passes Wage Equity Legislation

​ 10/4/2023 - Bill aims to close the gender and racial wage gap in Massachusetts by requiring employers with 25 or more employees to disclose a salary range when posting a position - ​In an effort to help close the gender and racial wage gap in Massachusetts, the House of Representatives passed the Frances Perkins Workplace Equity Act, a bill that requires employers with 25 or more employees to disclose a salary range when posting a position, and that protects an employee’s right to ask for salary ranges in the workplace.

​​Legislature Passes Comprehensive Tax Relief Package

9/28/23 - Bill includes $561.3 million in tax relief in Fiscal Year 2024, $1.02 billion in Fiscal Year 2027 and beyond - With the goal of providing financial relief to families across the Commonwealth while making Massachusetts more competitive with other states, the Massachusetts Legislature overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan tax relief package supporting residents across all income levels.

Legislature Passes Fiscal Year 2024 Budget​

7/31/2023 -  $53.2B budget agreement provides for historic levels of investment in education, housing, regional transportation, and health care - The Legislature enacted a $56.2 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), reconciling differences between the versions of the budget passed by the House of Representatives and Senate and earlier this year. The FY24 conference committee report provides for historic levels of investment in education, housing, regional transportation, health care, workforce development, and more, as part of a broad strategy to grow our state’s economy and make Massachusetts more affordable, inclusive, and competitive.

Legislature Passes Bill Authorizing Chapter 90 Funding​

7/27/2023 - Makes investment in roads, bridges, public transportation, and regional transit authorities - The Legislature passed a bill that includes $375 million in bond authorizations for transportation needs across the state, including $200 million for the state’s Chapter 90 program, which provides municipalities with a reliable funding source for transportation-related improvements, including road and bridge repairs.

House Passes FY24 Budget

4/26/2023 - The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed its Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) budget. This budget responds to the needs of residents and makes targeted investments that provide support for families across the Commonwealth. Funded at $56.2 billion, the House’s FY24 budget provides strong support for the Commonwealth’s cities and towns, and among many critical investments, includes significant funding for education, transportation, health care, housing, and workforce development.​

House Passes Comprehensive Tax Relief

4/13/2023 - Bill includes $654 million in tax relief in FY24, $1.1 billion in FY2026 and beyond - In an effort to provide financial relief to families across the Commonwealth, and to make Massachusetts more competitive with other states, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a tax relief proposal targeted at residents across all income levels.​

Massachusetts Legislature Passes $388.6 Million Supplemental Budget

3/24/2024 - The Massachusetts Legislature passed a $388.6 million supplemental budget for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23). The legislation funds vital services that support vulnerable populations and address food insecurity, housing instability, the state’s long-term COVID-19 response, economic development, essential support services for incoming immigrants and refugees, and more. Notably, the bill extends initiatives first implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as outdoor dining, remote public meeting access, and support for assisted living residences. The bill further authorizes $740.3 million in bonding to bolster the Commonwealth’s clean water and other public works projects for cities and towns, as well as to support the Commonwealth’s ability to compete for competitive federal grant funds.  ​