Massachusetts lawmaker pass -- and pass on -- flurry of bills in final hours of formal session
BOSTON (AP) — The Massachusetts Legislature ended its 19-month formal session early Thursday morning, approving a housing bond bill, but leaving other major pieces of legislation in limbo including an economic development bill, a renewable energy bill and a hospital bill.
The Legislature is now in an informal session for the rest of the year where a single lawmaker can block any bill from passing.
Here’s a look at some of the new laws and bills left unfinished:
PARENTAGE
Massachusetts lawmakers approved and sent to Gov. Maura Healey for her signature Wednesday a bill aimed at updating the state’s parentage laws to include LGBTQ+ parents and families that used methods such as assisted reproduction and surrogacy.
The bill would remove one of the last vestiges of Massachusetts law that treats same-sex parents and those who engage in assisted reproduction differently from every other parent, according to supporters
Parental rights include the ability to attend and make decisions during medical appointments, manage a child’s finances, participate in educational decisions and provide authorizations for a child’s travel.
WAGE TRANSPARENCY
Massachusetts businesses with more than 25 employees must disclose salary ranges when posting jobs, under a new bill signed into law by Healey on Wednesday, putting the commonwealth in line with 10 other states that already require pay transparency.
The law also protects a worker’s right to ask their employer for the salary range when applying for a job or seeking a promotion.
The Attorney General’s Office will also be given the authority to impose fines or civil citations for violations of the law, and employees will receive protections against retaliation for asking for salary ranges when applying for a job or promotion.
HOUSING PACKAGE
One of the few major pieces of legislation approved in the final hours of the session was a $5.2 billion housing bond package that Healey had said was one of her priorities.
The bill would make changes to zoning laws to make it easier for homeowners to create accessory dwelling units, sometimes referred to as “granny flats,” and authorize billions for the state’s affordable housing system.
Healey has pushed for the bill as a way to address the state’s housing crunch, which has driven up costs for renters and prospective homeowners.
INJURED FIRST RESPONDERS
Healey said Thursday that she signed a bill ensuring first responders seriously injured in the line of duty can receive full compensation until retirement. This law applies to police officers, firefighters, public and municipal EMTs, and public and municipal licensed health care professionals.
The legislation allows first responders who cannot perform the essential functions of their job due to a violent injury to receive a disability pension equal to 100 percent of their regular compensation. This amount will be reduced to 80 percent when they reach the mandatory retirement age.
A first responder is eligible if they sustained a catastrophic, life-threatening or life-altering and permanent bodily injury due to a violent attack.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
One major piece of legislation that lawmakers failed to get across the finish line was an economic development package.
The bill would have helped pave the way for a new soccer stadium for the New England Revolution in Everett and would also have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into another Healey priority — the state’s life sciences and climate technology sector.
A push to once again allow restaurants to offer happy hours, which were banned in 1984, also fell short.
HOSPITALS
Another bill that failed to reach Healey’s desk aimed to address some of the issues raised after Steward Health Care announced its bankruptcy May 6 and two days later said it planned to sell off the 30 hospitals it operates.
The bill would have strengthened the state’s tools to safeguard the health care system by focusing on the major players in the health care market — including providers, insurers, pharmaceutical manufacturers and for-profit investment firms, supporters said.
The bill would also have expanded the authority of state agencies charged with measuring and containing health care costs.
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Another bill that collapsed in the final hours was intended to help boost the state’s reliance on renewable energy, in part by streamlining the state and local permitting process for projects that shift the state away from using fossil fuels, backers said.
Massachusetts Senate approved its version of the bill which it said would help the state meet its climate goals, including reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Democratic Speaker Ronald Mariano said the House version aimed to increase the supply of clean energy through new renewable energy projects, more storage capacity and streamlined permitting.
SUPERVISED INJECTION SITES
Another bill that failed to clear a final legislative hurdle would have allowed supervised injection sites where people could use illegal drugs in the presence of staff trained in helping to reverse overdoses.
Democratic House Speaker Ronald Mariano on Tuesday blamed the Senate for waiting until the second-to-last day of the 19-month session to approve its version of the bill.
