Submits the Governor’s fiscal year 2026 budget recommendations — appropriates roughly $62 billion, including roughly $7.32 billion for Chapter 70 aid to school districts, $1.34 billion in unrestricted local aid, $1.66 billion for the University of Massachusetts, state universities and community colleges, $2.25 billion for the Commonwealth's debt service, $2.4 billion for the Commonwealth's share of group insurance, $617.6 million for MassDOT, and $687 million for the MBTA. This proposal also accounts for a total of $1.95 billion in spending financed by expected “fair share” revenue, including a $765 million transfer to the Commonwealth Transportation Fund, $275 million for grants to childcare providers, $225 million for Student Opportunity Act expansion, $170 million for universal free school meals, $94 million for a free community college program, and several other items.  The outside sections would authorize automated traffic enforcement through the use of speed cameras; impose penalties on drug manufacturers for excessive price increases; provide for broker's fees to be paid by the party that originally engaged the broker for residential rental transactions; impose an assessment on pharmacies operating in Massachusetts; facilitate the closure of the Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children; and make a variety of tax changes, including the elimination of a sales tax exemption for candy.

Makes several technical changes to the provisions of GL c.138 relative to licenses authorizing sale of beverages to be drunk on premises, including: Amending references to premises that are operated as “appurtenant and contiguous to and in conjunction with each other” to strike out the reference to contiguous;  Eliminates the provision that no license may be issued to any applicant who has been convicted of a violation of a federal or state narcotic drugs law, or of a felony in general;  Establishes that no applicant shall be issued a license unless their character is satisfactory to the licensing authorities; and Expands the time to appeal a licensing authority decision from 5 to 10 days.

No summary available yet.

This bill, weighing in at 392 sections and 66 printed pages, is intended to modernize a language and terminology related to disabilities. It aims to revise numerous existing statutes in the Massachusetts General Laws to use more modern, respectful, and person-first language when referring to disabilities, replacing terms like “handicapped,” “mentally retarded,” etc., with phrasing such as “person with a disability,” “intellectual or developmental disability,” etc. In particular: It amends language across many chapters and sections of the General Laws, including chapters 6, 6A, 6C, 7, 8, 10, 15, 18, 19B, 19C, 21H, 22C, 23B, 23E, 29, 30, 31, 32, 32A, 33, 34, 38, 40, 40A, 40R, 41, 54, 59, 60, 64G, 64H, 69, 71A, 71B, 74, 75, 76, 78, 90, 92, 93, 93B, 94, 111, 111G, 112, 118A, 118E, 121A, 121B, 121C, 121D, 121E, and more. The edits are purely terminological:   • It strikes outdated or stigmatizing terms (e.g. “handicapped,” “mentally retarded,” “disabled person,” “handicap,” “the disabled,” “retarded,” “developmentally disabled”)   • It inserts person-first or more precise language (e.g. “person with a disability,” “persons with disabilities,” “intellectual or developmental disability,” “has a disability,” “veteran with a disability,” etc.)   • It also defines a new term in Chapter 121B for “Persons with disabilities of low income” and inserts that definition into housing law context. The bill does not appear to change the substantive rights, responsibilities, or benefits described in those laws — it is about updating how the laws refer to people with disabilities, aligning legal language with more respectful and current usage.  

No summary available yet.

No summary available yet.

Amends a 2014 enactment allowing additional liquor licenses in Holyoke in an area known as TOD West  by updating the description of what is included in that area, and makes technical cross-reference corrections.

Amends provisions of GL Chapter 138, governing alcohol, to allow municipalities to set the total number of licenses in their communities pursuant to a plan approved after at least one public hearing; excludes the City of Boston, for which there are specific statutes in place.

No summary available yet.

Amends several sections of GL Chapter 138 to specify that licenses for the sale of alcoholic beverages to be drunk on premises are prohibited for applicants who have been convicted of a felony, unless said applicant was convicted before the ten-year period and has demonstrated rehabilitation. 

Authorizes the town of Williamstown to allow for an additional alcoholic beverage license for the sale of all alcoholic beverages to be drunk off the premises to Asnit LLC, dba Gold Leaf Shop, located at 240B Main Street.

Amends provisions of GL Chapter 138 (Alcoholic Liquors) to strike out provisions that currently cap the number of liquor licenses that a city or town may issue based on the size of the population. In its place, the bill gives cities and towns essentially unfettered discretion to determine the number of licenses the city or town wants to issue, so long as it is done so pursuant to a plan that has been approved by the mayor, city council or board of selectmen. These plans have to be adopted after the city or town has held public hearings on the matter; licenses issued to registered pharmacists are to be exempt from the calculation of the number of licenses. NOTE: Without the adoption of a plan, cities and towns will be limited to 1 license for each 5000 residents.

No summary available yet.

Makes several technical changes to the provisions of GL Chapter 138 relative to licenses authorizing sale of beverages to be drunk on premises, including: Amending references to premises that are operated as “appurtenant and contiguous to and in conjunction with each other” to strike out the reference to contiguous;  Eliminates the provision that no license may be issued to any applicant who has been convicted of a violation of a federal or state narcotic drugs law, or of a felony in general;  Establishes that no applicant shall be issued a license unless their character is satisfactory to the licensing authorities; and Expands the time to appeal a licensing authority decision from 5 to 10 days.

Adds new section 20A to GL Chapter 23K to allow the commission to issue a limited video gaming terminal (VGT) to eligible veterans’ organizations; prohibits video gaming machine licenses from being transferred and asserts they may be suspended or revoked at any time and must be renewed every five years; outlines VGT limitations; and directs the commission to promulgate regulations for the implementation, administration, and enforcement of this section. 

No summary available yet.

Amends GL 71:95 relative to suicide awareness and prevention training in public schools, by reducing from 3 years to 1 year how frequently school districts must provide a mandated 2 hour suicide prevention training; by reducing from 6 months to 60 days how  quickly new any new hire must receive the training; and by requiring DESE to adopt rules to require that all public school districts and commonwealth charter schools adopt a policy to identify and develop partnerships with community organizations and agencies for referring students to health, mental health, substance use and social support services. NOTE: There are two different and completely unrelated sections at GL 71:95, one relating to reimbursement aid to municipalities for costs incurred for federal military reservation students, and the other relating to suicide awareness and prevention training.

Establishes and regulates the Office of Outdoor Recreation within the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, and the Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund, which will provide competitive grants for programs, projects, and initiatives aligned with the objectives of the Office of Outdoor Recreation.

No summary available yet.

No summary available yet.

Rewrites and restructures language from over 20 sections of GL Chapter 90 addressing the definition of and penalties for various motor vehicle offenses; specific topics addressed include, but are not limited to operation of motor vehicles after suspension or revocation of a license; driving under the influence of alcohol or other substances; cell phone usage while operating a motor vehicle resulting in injury; leaving the scene of an accident; implied consent to breath or blood tests while operating a motor vehicle; ignition interlock devices; motor vehicle forfeitures due to operating under the influence; aggravated OUI; child endangerment due to driving under the influence; bodily injury resulting from driving under the influence; misdemeanor motor vehicle homicide; manslaughter by motor vehicle; use of a motor vehicle without authority; use of a motor vehicle for street racing; and others; additionally bans operating a vessel on the water while under the influence.

Amends GL 149:26 (Employment in Public Works) to set a schedule by which an increasing amount of employment in public works shall be performed by apprentices in bona fide apprentice training programs.

Amends GL 149:26 (Employment in public works) to set a schedule by which an increasing amount of employment in public works shall be performed by apprentices in bona fide apprentice training programs.

Amends various sections in GL Chapter 149 to require that payments by employers to bona fide apprenticeship and training programs be included for the purpose of establishing minimum wage rate compliance.

Amends GL Chapter 151A (Unemployment Insurance) to require Department of Unemployment Assistance to waive overpayments of benefits (including dependency allowances) where claimant is without fault and where state or federal law permits waiver; allows overpayments to be collected through interception of state or federal tax refunds only where claimant has been found to have been at fault in collection of benefits and decision determining overpayment has become final.

Amends provisions of GL Chapter 149 (Labor and Industries) to establish that for any offsite fabrication work, the contractor, subcontractor or public body must include a section in their weekly certified prevailing wage records that provides the name and address of the manufacturer, shop or other type of prefabrication facility where the fabrication work was performed, and the name, address, and occupational classifications of each mechanic, apprentice, laborer or other employee employed in the performance of such work, the hours worked by, and wages paid to, each such employee.

No summary available yet.

No summary available yet.

Amends laws pertaining to burial and cremation of the deceased to additionally authorize alkaline hydrolysis and natural organic reduction upon bodies of the dead; defines alkaline hydrolysis as the reduction of human remains to bone fragments and essential elements in a licensed hydrolysis facility using heat, pressure, water, and base chemical agents; further defines the contained, accelerated conversion of human remains to soil; bans alkaline hydrolysis and natural organic reduction upon the body of a deceased person within 48 hours after death, unless the person died of a contagious or infectious disease.

This substantial legislation, comprising 20 sections, proposes multiple amendments to various chapters of the General Laws that in general are intended to provide greater transparency in policing, and substantially increased collection of demographic data in the criminal justice system overall. In particular, the bill: Establishes news standards for “noncustodial questioning,” requiring police officers, inter alia, (i) identify themselves, (ii) provide an explanation of the stop, and (iii) offer a business card to the person at the conclusion of the stop, with limited exceptions; Establishes a permanent task force to investigate demographic statistics of state, county, municipal, and public departments; Mandates diversity in committee-certified academies' staff; Adds implicit bias and inclusion training to law enforcement officer requirements; Requires state, county, municipal, and public departments to have staff reflecting the demographic composition of the Commonwealth; Requires law enforcement agencies to provide various data on publicly accessible websites; Imposes civil liability on anyone for intentionally summoning a law enforcement officer without a valid reason and based on discriminatory beliefs; Introduces proportional placement of non-veteran community members on eligible lists for each veteran placed; Requires police officers and firefighters to complete 10 hours of community service per month within the community; Requires schools to provide student discipline data on publicly accessible websites; Requires the RMV to collect and report data on traffic stops, including racial and gender information; Requires the DOC to provide demographic information on prisoner attendance and correctional officer grievances on publicly accessible websites; Mandates the use of body-worn cameras by officers responding to emergencies, incidents, or altercations within correctional facilities; Expands the authority of the judiciary to collect and review demographic data related to criminal proceedings; Develops a uniform protocol for law enforcement officers to record the race and sex of each officer issuing citations.

Amends GL Chapter 32C (Retirement Systems and Pensions) to establish that any condition of impairment caused by Parkinson's Disease resulting in total or partial disability or death will be presumed to have been suffered in the line of duty, unless it is shown by a preponderance of the evidence that non-service connected risk factors or non-service connected accidents or hazards caused the incapacity. These provisions apply to a very specific set of public employees, including to a uniformed member of a paid fire department, or a member of the state police assigned to the fire investigation unit of the Department of Fire Services, or a member of the state police K9 Unit, or to any permanent crash crewman, crash boatman, fire controlman or assistant fire controlman employed at the General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport, members of the 104th fighter wing fire department or members of the Joint Base Cape Cod fire department. The member must have successfully passed a physical examination upon entry into such service in order to be eligible, and must have served in their public-safety related position for at least five years.

Amends GL 32:26 (Civil service order list) to designate members of the Massachusetts National Guard or Reserves of the United States Armed Forces with no less than two years of continuous service as holding fourth position on order list.

No summary available yet.

Establishes a personal income tax credit for costs related to the adoption of a pet from an animal shelter; defines the credits according to whether the adopted pet is a dog or a cat, disabled, and age; allocates the credit over three years, provided the owner still has the adopted pet; establishes and regulates the use of the adopt a shelter pet fund, for the purpose of reimbursing the Commonwealth for the cost of the adoption pet credit; allocates monies collected for the "I'm Animal Friendly" license plate, issued for an additional fee of $30, to the fund; authorizes the registrar to furnish such plates.

No summary available yet.

No summary available yet.

Adds a new Chapter 28B to the General Laws, entitled Executive Office of Food Resources and Security. Under the chapter, food producers are essentially farmers and commercial fishermen, and there is an Executive Office established to look after and regulate their needs. The new Secretariat is to carry out policy relative to food production, including fostering and supporting food producers so they are able to effectively and safely produce, market and sell food in a sustainable manner throughout the Commonwealth; promote job creation and economic development in food production and local food distribution; develop and administer programs and incentives to improve nutrition and promote healthy eating habits across all age groups; and undertake other enumerated initiatives. The bill separately establishes a eight new departments within the Secretariat, including a Department of Food Labor and Workforce Development, a Department of Food Innovation, Development and Research, a Department of Investment and Financial Planning for Food Production, a Department of Food Security, Identification and Labeling, Department of Economic Development for Locally-Produced Food a Department of Nutrition and Food Health, and a Department of Self-Sufficiency for Food Production.

No summary available yet.

Establishes the Massachusetts Bureau on Social and Economic Equity in Recovery and Reconstruction responsible for ameliorating racial inequality during the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic; sets out the structure of the Bureau, including an advisory council, and an administrator appointed by the Governor; authorizes the Bureau to manage the new Commonwealth Health, Economic, Education, and Equity Recovery and Reconstruction Fund as well as advise state agencies in their COVID-19 recovery efforts; establishes several additional programs and funds within the Bureau, including a Small Business Stabilization and Support Fund, an Incarceration to Incorporation Entrepreneurship Program, and a Commonwealth Housing, Economic, Education and Equity in Recovery and Reconstruction Service Corps responsible for supporting small businesses, reintegrating the formerly incarcerated into their communities, and addressing a variety of other unmet community needs. 

Establishes the Massachusetts Bureau on Social and Economic Equity in Recovery and Reconstruction responsible for ameliorating racial inequality during the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic; sets out the structure of the Bureau, including an advisory council, and an administrator appointed by the Governor; authorizes the Bureau to manage the new Commonwealth Health, Economic, Education, and Equity Recovery and Reconstruction Fund as well as advise state agencies in their COVID-19 recovery efforts; establishes several additional programs and funds within the Bureau, including a Small Business Stabilization and Support Fund, an Incarceration to Incorporation Entrepreneurship Program, and a Commonwealth Housing, Economic, Education and Equity in Recovery and Reconstruction Service Corps responsible for supporting small businesses, reintegrating the formerly incarcerated into their communities, and addressing a variety of other unmet community needs. 

Establishes the Massachusetts Bureau on Social and Economic Equity in Recovery and Reconstruction responsible for ameliorating racial inequality during the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic; sets out the structure of the Bureau, including an advisory council, and an administrator appointed by the Governor; authorizes the Bureau to manage the new Commonwealth Health, Economic, Education, and Equity Recovery and Reconstruction Fund as well as advise state agencies in their COVID-19 recovery efforts; establishes several additional programs and funds within the Bureau, including a Small Business Stabilization and Support Fund, an Incarceration to Incorporation Entrepreneurship Program, and a Commonwealth Housing, Economic, Education and Equity in Recovery and Reconstruction Service Corps responsible for supporting small businesses, reintegrating the formerly incarcerated into their communities, and addressing a variety of other unmet community needs. 

No summary available yet.

Amends GL c.164 (Manufacture and Sale of Gas and Electricity) by requiring the Department of Energy Resources to ensure equity, accessibility, and promote participation by renters and low-income retail electric customers in the Solar Incentive Program established in SL 2016:75 §11. In order to do this, the Department is to implement a low-income customer verification process in which (1) low income customers will be persons whose income is at or below 80% of the area median income or 200% of the federal poverty level (2) a small business meeting certain requirements will be eligible; or (3) where customers who are residents of a low-income multi-unit building within the definition of 40B:20 will also be eligible.

Amends GL 90:2 by authorizing municipalities to issue special temporary parking identification placards to residents suffering temporary disability, as defined, which limits the ability to walk a certain distance; directs the police department of a municipality to be the issuing authority of the placards; directs that the placards will be effective for 90 days, and can be renewed with proper medical documentation for an additional 90 days; directs the police chief of a municipality to establish rules governing the issuance and oversight of the placards.

No summary available yet.

No summary available yet.

Amends GL 60:3F (Municipal Veterans' Assistance Funds) to authorize expenditures from said Funds for legal and rental expenses of veterans and their dependents.

Amends GL 115:10 to direct cities and towns with populations over 12,000 and with a part-time veterans’ agent or director of veterans’ services to appoint a full-time veterans’ agent or director of veterans’ services; and penalizes cities and towns in violation of this section. 

No summary available yet.

Amends GL 115 (Veterans' Benefits) to include an actively serving member of the Army or Air Force National Guard who resides in Massachusetts or an actively servicing member of the Reserve component residing in Massachusetts in the definition of veteran under the statute.

Adds a new Section 16 to GL Chapter 115, the statute governing Veterans Benefits, to honor and recognize reserve veterans but does not make such veterans eligible for benefits; adds definition of reserve veteran to GL 4:7.

No summary available yet.

No summary available yet.

No summary available yet.

No summary available yet.

Directs the Commissioner of Public Health to develop information to advise veterans exposed to open burn pits; directs the Commissioner of Veterans' Services to contact any known veteran who may be eligible to participate in the federal Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry; establishes the National Guard family education program to allow for National Guard members to share tuition credits with dependents; declares state holidays for the anniversaries of the founding of the United States Army, Air Force, National Guard, and Coast Guard; prohibits the publication by municipalities of identifying information for veterans owing taxes; requires funeral director provide information to veterans on funeral and burial benefits available to them; authorizes veterans' organizations to hold limits slot machine licenses; regulates the operation of those slot machines; directs UMass Medical School to develop continuing education for counselors on mental health needs specific to service members and veterans; establishes a special commission for the commemoration of Deborah Samson; establishes a veteran equality review board to award veterans benefits to veterans discharged under Don't Ask, Don't Tell. 

No summary available yet.

No summary available yet.

No summary available yet.

Transfers responsibility for the payment of veterans' benefits from muncipalities to the state.

Amends GL 115:8 (Payment and Reimbursement of Burial Expenses) to increase the maximum benefit from $4,000 to $8,000 in cases where a veteran’s estate has insufficient resources to cover the costs of a funeral and burial; and increases the cap on total expenses from $5,000 to $9,000 when determining eligibility for the benefit.  

Amends GL Chapter 115 (Veterans’ Benefits) to establish that the dependents of veterans who meet all eligibility criteria except for the one day residence in the Commonwealth requirement, are to be eligible for benefits so long as the dependent (as opposed to the veteran) provides proof of residency in Massachusetts for no less than one year prior to application of benefits.

Amends GL 115:6B relative to the annuities for blind, paraplegic or disabled veterans by doubling the bi-annual annuity for such veterans from $2000 to $4000.

No summary available yet.

No summary available yet.

Establishes a new GL 115:9A, requiring the Commission of Veterans Services to provide headstones for deceased members of the Massachusetts National Guard who served 10 or more years, and who died in the line of duty; requires the headstones to be similar to those furnished by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. 

No summary available yet.

Amends GL 115:5 to clarify that the effective date of a veteran’s disability compensation is the day following their discharge or release, provided that their application for benefits was received within one year of their discharge or release. 

Requires the Department of Veteran Services to 'consider' the full reimbursement of expenses incurred by a veteran with 100% disability rating for emergency medical transportation services to local hospitals or veteran's affairs hospitals.

Amends GL 115:6B by directing that the surviving spouse of a deceased member of the armed forces who receives Dependency Indemnity Compensation from the Veterans Administration, and is not re-married, will also be paid the sum of $1,500 annually in two payments on August 1 and February 1.

Updates the definition of “veteran” in GL Chapter 115 on Veteran's Services by including anyone how has served in the National Guard or reserve for 20 or more years as a veteran.

No summary available yet.

Authorizes the town of Lexington’s licensing authority to issue 10 additional licenses specifically for the on-premise sale of wine and malt beverages. These licenses will be distributed to designated businesses, including Pinot’s Palette, Gallery House Art Gallery, Lexington Venue Theater, Fable Brewing, and six other businesses situated within defined economic development zones, including the “Village Overlay District,” “Multifamily Overlay District,” and “Village High-Rise Overlay District.” Each license will clearly indicate the applicable zone. In addition: Authorized licenses are to be used only in dining areas of common victuallers or in other public spaces approved by the licensing authority. The transfer of a license to a different location is prohibited; however, transfers to a new applicant at the same establishment are allowed provided the applicant is compliant with the Department of Revenue and the Department of Unemployment Assistance. If any license becomes inactive, it must be returned to the licensing authority and may be reissued to a new compliant applicant within three years of its return. All licenses must be issued within three years of the bill’s enactment, although they can subsequently be reassigned to new applicants under the outlined conditions.

No summary available yet.

This bill is a complete rewrite of the 1961 session law that created the Massachusetts Credit Union Share Insurance Corporation (SL 1961:294). The bill amends the constitution of the Corporation, the purpose of which is to create and maintain a fund for the insurance of shares and deposits of members of the Central Credit Union Fund, Inc. and credit unions established under specific laws. In particular: Establishes that an "Excess member" as an inactive member, federally chartered credit union, or state-chartered credit union whose excess shares and deposits become insured by the corporation; Removes the requirement that the credit union should be located within the commonwealth; Specifies that an excess member can only have its excess shares and deposits insured up to the maximum limitations applicable to Massachusetts state-chartered credit unions; Specifies additional requirements and provisions for excess members, including the submission of examination reports and other information, supervision and examination by the commissioner, approval for mergers, consolidations, and branch office establishment, and the existence of agreements with primary insurers and other regulators; Mandates that the board of directors of the corporation must meet at least quarterly, and a majority of the directors present will constitute a quorum; Grants the corporation the authority, through a vote of the board of directors, to borrow money and pledge its assets as security from members and others; Declares that the corporation will be considered an organization member of credit unions within the meaning of GL c.171; Allows the corporation, with a 2/3 vote of its board of directors and proper risk management policies and procedures in place, to apply to the commissioner for permission to make investments not specifically mentioned in the section; Specifies the maximum percentage of assets the corporation can invest in such investments and allows the use of investment advisers; Gives the commissioner the authority to impose conditions, limitations, and modify the corporation's investment authority; States that one or more mutual banks or subsidiary banking institutions, along with one or more credit unions, can merge or consolidate into a single credit union upon approval by the boards and written approval from the commissioner; Makes additional changes to the existing law regulating the Massachusetts Credit Union Share Insurance Corporation.

Submits the House Ways & Means fiscal year 2026 budget, appropriating a total of roughly $61.4 billion — major appropriations include $22.4 billion for the various MassHealth accounts, $7.36 billion for Chapter 70 aid to school districts, $1.31 billion in unrestricted local aid, $1.61 billion for the University of Massachusetts, state universities and community colleges, $2.25 billion for the Commonwealth's debt service, $2.4 billion for the Commonwealth's share of group insurance, $687 million for an operating transfer to the MBTA, and $577.62 million for MassDOT.  This proposal also accounts for a total of $1.95 billion in spending financed by expected “fair share” revenue, including a $500 million transfer to the Commonwealth Transportation Fund, and 15 line-items in Section 2F. Other expenditures include $360 million in operational grants to childcare providers, $240 million to support an increased per pupil reimbursement to school districts, $190 million for the universal free school meals program, and $94 million for a free community college program, among several other items. See our line-item comparison for more information on the budget's spending provisions. 

Submits the final House fiscal year 2026 budget, appropriating a total of roughly $61.48 billion — major appropriations include $22.4 billion for the various MassHealth accounts, $7.36 billion for Chapter 70 aid to school districts, $1.31 billion in unrestricted local aid, $1.61 billion for the University of Massachusetts, state universities and community colleges, $2.25 billion for the Commonwealth's debt service, $2.4 billion for the Commonwealth's share of group insurance, $687 million for an operating transfer to the MBTA, and $577.62 million for MassDOT.  This proposal also accounts for a total of $1.95 billion in spending financed by expected “fair share” revenue, including a $500 million transfer to the Commonwealth Transportation Fund, and 15 line-items in Section 2F. Other expenditures include $360 million in operational grants to childcare providers, $240 million to support an increased per pupil reimbursement to school districts, $190 million for the universal free school meals program, and $94 million for a free community college program, among several other items. See our line-item comparison for more information on the budget's spending provisions. Printed as amended version of HB4000, incorporating the text of 7 Consolidated Amendments adopted by the House — the amendments added roughly $81 million to the budget, including a number of earmarks for local projects. Other new provisions include the establishment of a small business ombudsperson, the creation of a Massachusetts Secure Choice Savings Program to provide employees at eligible businesses with access to retirement plans, and the creation of special commissions tasked with studying future plans for the Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children, and to study factors leading individuals and businesses to relocate from Massachusetts. 

No summary available yet.

No summary available yet.

No summary available yet.

No summary available yet.

Submits the Senate Ways & Means fiscal year 2026 budget, appropriating a total of roughly $61.3 billion — major appropriations include $22.41 billion for the various MassHealth accounts, $7.36 billion for Chapter 70 aid to school districts, $1.34 billion in unrestricted local aid, $1.65 billion for the University of Massachusetts, state universities and community colleges, $2.25 billion for the Commonwealth's debt service, $2.4 billion for the Commonwealth's share of group insurance, $500 million for an operating transfer to the MBTA, and $572.62 million for MassDOT.  This proposal also accounts for a total of $1.95 billion in spending financed by expected “fair share” revenue, including 12 line-items in Section 2F. Major expenditures include $325 million in operational grants to childcare providers, $265 million to support an increased per pupil reimbursement to school districts, $170 million for the universal free school meals program, $120 million for a free community college program, among several other items. See our line-item comparison for more information on the budget's spending provisions. The outside sections would require EOHLC to maintain a Housing Production Dashboard to track progress on projects supported with public funds; provide for broker's fees to be paid by the party that originally engaged the broker for residential rental transactions, typically the landlord; require regional transit authorities — subject to appropriation — to provide fare-free trips on regularly scheduled fixed-route service; and establish a special commission tasked with evaluating the distribution method for unrestricted local aid.

Appropriates $425 million in a single line-item from the Transitional Escrow Fund to support the operation of the emergency shelter program through FY25. Additionally, takes several steps to restrict eligibility for the program, reducing the amount of time that eligible families may benefit from 9 to 6 months, excluding those who earn more than 200% of the federal poverty level, repealing language authorizing two 90-day extensions, limiting the capacity of the program to a total of 4,000 families, and requiring verification that applicants are Massachusetts residents. The bill also requires CORI checks for applicants, and directs EOHLC to issue regulations restricting eligibility for those charged or convicted of serious crimes. And lastly, modifies a number of reporting requirements, and directs A&F to submit a plan to the legislature phasing out the use of hotels and motels as part of the emergency shelter program.  New text of HB58 from Senate Ways & Means, largely aligned with previous versions from the House and Governor in restricting eligibility for emergency housing services, but adding language overhauling reporting requirements, and allowing funds to be expended to support 30-day stays at temporary respite sites for families arriving in the Commonwealth.

No summary available yet.

Amends multiple GLs to replace archaic terms such as "handicapped" or "mentally retarded," with the phrase "persons with disabilities" or other similar language. 

Makes several technical changes to the provisions of GL c.138 relative to licenses authorizing sale of beverages to be drunk on premises, including: Amending references to premises that are operated as “appurtenant and contiguous to and in conjunction with each other” to strike out the reference to contiguous;  Eliminates the provision that no license may be issued to any applicant who has been convicted of a violation of a federal or state narcotic drugs law, or of a felony in general;  Establishes that no applicant shall be issued a license unless their character is satisfactory to the licensing authorities; and Expands the time to appeal a licensing authority decision from 5 to 10 days.

No summary available yet.

No summary available yet.

No summary available yet.

No summary available yet.

Amends provisions of GL Chapter 138 (Alcoholic Liquors) to strike out provisions that currently cap the number of liquor licenses that a city or town may issue based on the size of the population. In its place, the bill gives cities and towns essentially unfettered discretion to determine the number of licenses the city or town wants to issue, so long as it is done so pursuant to a plan that has been approved by the mayor, city council or board of selectmen. These plans have to be adopted after the city or town has held public hearings on the matter; licenses issued to registered pharmacists are to be exempt from the calculation of the number of licenses. NOTE: Without the adoption of a plan, cities and towns will be limited to 1 license for each 5000 residents.

No summary available yet.

No summary available yet.

No summary available yet.

No summary available yet.

Amends GL Chapter 151A (Unemployment Insurance) to require Department of Unemployment Assistance to waive overpayments of benefits (including dependency allowances) where claimant is without fault and where state or federal law permits waiver; allows overpayments to be collected through interception of state or federal tax refunds only where claimant has been found to have been at fault in collection of benefits and decision determining overpayment has become final.

Amends GL 149:26 (Employment in Public Works) to set a schedule by which an increasing amount of employment in public works shall be performed by apprentices in bona fide apprentice training programs.

No summary available yet.

No summary available yet.

No summary available yet.

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No summary available yet.

Adds a new GL Chapter 6F, establishing the Massachusetts Correctional Officer Accountability and Standards Training Commission, with authority to act as the primary civil enforcement agency for violations of standards for correction officer conduct, establish, in consultation with the Department of Corrections and the Massachusetts Sheriffs Association, minimum correctional officer certification standards, and approve Department of Corrections training curriculum for correctional officers,

Amends GL 32:26 (Civil service order list) to designate members of the Massachusetts National Guard or Reserves of the United States Armed Forces with no less than two years of continuous service as holding fourth position on order list.

Amends GL Chapter 32C (Retirement Systems and Pensions) to establish that any condition of impairment caused by Parkinson's Disease resulting in total or partial disability or death will be presumed to have been suffered in the line of duty, unless it is shown by a preponderance of the evidence that non-service connected risk factors or non-service connected accidents or hazards caused the incapacity. These provisions apply to a very specific set of public employees, including to a uniformed member of a paid fire department, or a member of the state police assigned to the fire investigation unit of the Department of Fire Services, or a member of the state police K9 Unit, or to any permanent crash crewman, crash boatman, fire controlman or assistant fire controlman employed at the General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport, members of the 104th fighter wing fire department or members of the Joint Base Cape Cod fire department. The member must have successfully passed a physical examination upon entry into such service in order to be eligible, and must have served in their public-safety related position for at least five years.

No summary available yet.

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No summary available yet.

No summary available yet.

Adds a new Chapter 28B to the General Laws, entitled Executive Office of Food Resources and Security. Under the chapter, food producers are essentially farmers and commercial fishermen, and there is an Executive Office established to look after and regulate their needs. The new Secretariat is to carry out policy relative to food production, including fostering and supporting food producers so they are able to effectively and safely produce, market and sell food in a sustainable manner throughout the Commonwealth; promote job creation and economic development in food production and local food distribution; develop and administer programs and incentives to improve nutrition and promote healthy eating habits across all age groups; and undertake other enumerated initiatives. The bill separately establishes a eight new departments within the Secretariat, including a Department of Food Labor and Workforce Development, a Department of Food Innovation, Development and Research, a Department of Investment and Financial Planning for Food Production, a Department of Food Security, Identification and Labeling, Department of Economic Development for Locally-Produced Food a Department of Nutrition and Food Health, and a Department of Self-Sufficiency for Food Production.

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No summary available yet.

Amends the provisions of GL 6A:18AA and the requirement that EOHHS develop a secure common application portal for individuals to simultaneously apply for state-administered needs-based benefits and services, by adding veteran’s benefits to the type of benefits which must be included in the portal.

Establishes a new GL 115:9A, requiring the Commission of Veterans Services to provide headstones for deceased members of the Massachusetts National Guard who served 10 or more years, and who died in the line of duty; requires the headstones to be similar to those furnished by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. 

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No summary available yet.

Amends GL 31:26 (Civil Service) to clarify that language restricting the ability of municipal hiring authorities to request military medical or service records applies to both civil and non-civil service municipalities. 

Includes spouses or parents of deceased service members who are recieving Dependent Indemnity Compensation from the Veterans Administration among those who may recieve a $2,000 annual veteran payment.

Amends GL c.115 (Veterans’ Benefits) to require the Secretary of Veterans’ Services to promulgate regulations ensuring that no deposits under $300/month may be counted as income for the purposes of determining eligibility for veteran’s benefits.

Amends GL Chapter 115 (Veterans’ Benefits) to establish that the dependents of veterans who meet all eligibility criteria except for the one day residence in the Commonwealth requirement, are to be eligible for benefits so long as the dependent (as opposed to the veteran) provides proof of residency in Massachusetts for no less than one year prior to application of benefits.

Amends GL c.115 (Veterans’ Benefits) to require the Secretary of Veterans’ Services to promulgate regulations ensuring that should any applicant or recipient of  veteran's benefits be determined to be under 300% of the current Federal Poverty Level (FPL), and is otherwise qualified, the applicant or recipient will be eligible for a Medical Only budget.

Amends GL c.115 (Veterans’ Benefits) to require the Secretary of Veterans’ Services to promulgate regulations to reimburse municipalities for outreach costs by local departments of veterans’ Services up to 75% of all outreach expenses, not to exceed $2,000 annually.

Establishes that the Commissioner of Veteran's Services may authorize reimbursement to veterans for costs associated with taking municipal civil service exams; the costs of up to three exams may be authorized.

Amends provisions relative to the various municipal departments of veterans’ services by expanding from 60 to 180 days the number of days before which a city or town may withdraw from a joint district that has been previously established.

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Amends GL 115:5 to clarify that the effective date of a veteran’s disability compensation is the day following their discharge or release, provided that their application for benefits was received within one year of their discharge or release. 

Amends GL c.12A (Office of Inspector General) to establish and regulate a Veteran Employment and Reemployment Rights division within the OIG to assist veterans and service members with employment disputes. If attempts to resolve a dispute, including mediation, are unsuccessful, the Office of the Inspector General is to refer the case to the Attorney General for further action.

Amends GL c.115 (Veterans’ Benefits) relative to payment of veterans' benefits by a city or town by removing the proviso — with respect to the requirement that the “basic budget” be increased annually commensurate with increases in the United States Consumer Price Index — that this increase be “subject to appropriation.”

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