Legislative Session Recap

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Mass NOW Legislative Recap 2021-2022
Hannah Wilcove, Mass NOW Summer Fellow
August 1, 2022

Hello friends!

As we wrap up the formal legislative session, it’s critical for us to take a look back at the past year and reflect. The purpose of this report is to help us do so as an organization, so that we can start the next session in a stronger position than ever before.

With a backdrop of federal gridlock and the rollback of civil and reproductive rights by an extreme right-wing minority, Massachusetts has continued to be a leader in inclusive, progressive policies, thanks in part to Mass NOW and our many coalition partners. Out of nearly 40 endorsed bills, we helped pass the Work and Family Mobility Act, a budget amendment to end child marriage in the Commonwealth, and the VOTES Act! 

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, we helped marshall the second major abortion rights bill through the Massachusetts legislature for the second consecutive year. This sweeping legislation would protect patients and providers from prosecution under other states’ draconian restrictions, expand access to emergency contraception, decrease restrictions on abortions occurring after 24 weeks of pregnancy, and mandate broader health insurance coverage for abortions. The bill was signed by Governor Baker on July 29th, meaning that we ended the formal session with a major win!

Additionally, our members helped moved several bills further through the legislative process this year than in previous sessions: in March the I AM bill passed the Senate unanimously, and Common Start, the Healthy Youth Act, and Nonbinary Gender Markers on MA Identification all passed the upper chamber as well. As we shift to the informal session, our work is not done. Bills can still move forward during informal session if they are passed without objection, and the Governor has several pieces of legislation on his desk awaiting his signature.

Here are some ways to stay involved through the fall:

  • Call and email your state Representative and ask them to tell Speaker Mariano to bring the I AM bill to a vote in the House. Let us know if you'd like us to help you reach out

  • Get involved with our PAC to help elect candidates who share our feminist agenda in September's primary elections (and beyond)!

With love and solidarity,

Hannah Wilcove

Racial Justice

School Resource Officers 

Alternatives for Community Emergency Services

Decarceration & COVID-19

Raise the Age

  • H1826 

  • Rep. O’Day & Rep. Khan

  • Increases the age of criminal majority from 18 to 21 over the next 5 years

  • Judiciary

  • Hearing 10/12; reporting date extended to 6/30/22 (no report available)

School Discipline & Expulsion 

Safe Communities Act

Juvenile Justice Data Collection

  • H1795
    S1558

  • Rep. Miranda
    Sen. Creem

  • Collect accurate and comprehensive data on juvenile interaction with law enforcement

  • Senate Ways & Means
    Judiciary

  • Hearing 10/12/21: reported favorably out of Senate Committee (no report available from the House)

Work & Family Mobility Act

  • S2289
    H4805

  • Sen. Crighton 
    Rep. Barber & Rep. Farley-Bouvier

  • Provide drivers licenses for undocumented citizens

  • Transportation

  • PASSEDVeto overridden 6/9/22

Keeping Families Connected 

Moratorium on Prison and Jail construction

Economic Justice

Campaign funds for childcare

  • S475
    H769

  • Sen. Jehlen
    Rep. Connolly & Rep. Meschino

  • Candidates running for public office can use their campaign funds for their childcare needs

  • Senate Ways & Means
    Election Laws Reported favorably out of Senate Committee 6/16/22

  • Hearing 9/15/21

Affordable and accessible childcare for all (Common Start)

Wage transparency

Homelessness Bill of Rights

One Fair Wage Bill

Fair Work Week Bill

Dignity at Work Act

  • S1185
    H3843

  • Sen. DiZoglio (by request—not the sponsor), 
    Rep. Lewis

  • Provides a comprehensive definition of workplace bullying, assuring all workers are protected against infringement against their inherent dignity, and incentive for employers to prevent, detect, remedy, and eliminate workplace bullying before targets suffer irreparable harm. 

  • Labor and Workforce Development
    Senate Rules (Study Order)

  • Accompanied with a Study Order (S2816)
    Hearing 6/22/21

Protection at Work

Reproductive Justice

I AM

Medication Abortion at Public Universities

Healthy Youth Act

  • S2541
    H673

  • Sen. DiDomenico
    Rep. O’Day & Rep. Howard

  • Provide comprehensive and inclusive sex ed in all public schools that teach sexual/health education; changes to an opt-out system rather than an opt-in system

  • House Ways & Means
    Senate Ways & Means
    Senate Rules 

  • PASSED the Senate; stuck in House Ways & Means
    Hearing 5/20/21 

PrEP Access for Youth

Licensed Midwives Out of Hospital Birth Access and Safety Act

LGBTQ Rights

LGBTQ Inclusive History Education

Age of Consent (Also called Romeo & Juliet)

  • H1726

  • Rep. Lewis & Rep. Fernandes

  • Clarifying consent laws for consenting adolescents 

  • Judiciary

  • Accompanied a Study Order (H4844) that was reported favorably and discharged to House Rules
    Hearing 12/7/21

An Act to Stop Profiling Transgender People and Low-Income Women 

  • S992

  • Sen. Cyr

  • To repeal “common nightwalking” and grant limited amnesty to sex workers that seek help.

  • Judiciary

  • Accompanied a Study Order (S2665) that was reported favorably and discharged to Senate Rules 
    Hearing 6/15/21

An Act Relative to Gender Identity on Massachusetts Identification 

  • S2540 H3521

  • Sen. Comerford 
    Rep. Linsky

  • An individual may request a change in the sex designation on their birth record to a sex designation including, but not limited to, “female,” “male,” or “X,” with “X” designating that the person is another gender or an undesignated gender.

  • House Ways & Means
    Transportation

  • PASSED the Senate 9/23/21 but still awaiting report from House Ways & Means
    Hearing 6/24/21

Gender-Based Violence

  • End Child Marriage

  • H1709 S937

  • Rep. Khan Sen. Chandler

  • A magistrate or minister will not marry someone if a person is under the age of 18

  • Judiciary

  • PASSED as part of the budget on 7/28/22
    Accompanied a Study Order (S2976) that was reported favorably and discharged to Senate Rules  
    Hearing 11/16/21

Health and Safety of Sex Workers

  • H1867

  • Rep. Sabadosa

  • Promote the health and safety of people working in the sex trade by expunging certain prostitution-related offenses from records

  • Judiciary

  • Accompanied a Study Order (H4844) that was reported favorably and discharged to House Rules
    Hearing 12/14/21

Student Mental Health

Body Size Discrimination 

Constitutional Equity

  • VOTES Act H805
    S2924 Rep. Lawn
    Sen. Creem

  • Expand and improve mail-in voting, and lengthen in person-voting

  • Election Laws

  • PASSED 
    Signed by the Governor 6/22/22

Parity on Boards

Protect the Voting Rights of Eligible Incarcerated People

  • H836  S474 

  • Rep. Tyler & Rep. Miranda
    Sen. Hinds

  • Providing assistance to eligible incarcerated persons to register as voters and apply for mail ballots in all primaries and elections

  • Election Laws

  • Hearing 10/6/21 (no movement from Committee)

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