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League-Supported/Opposed Legislation 2017-2018

The legislative advocacy efforts of the LWVMA are led by the Legislative Action Committee (LAC), composed of the League’s legislative specialists.  Each legislative specialist follows one or more focus areas.  For those areas, the specialist researches bills filed with the Massachusetts legislature, recommends League action on them to the LAC, writes testimony on the League’s position to submit to the relevant committee of the legislature, and follows the progress of the bill. The bills LWVMA acts on must be consistent with LWVMA or LWVUS positions. The specialist may also join with approved coalition partners or advocacy groups to work together to support or oppose bills. The Legislative Action Committee decides on support or opposition for a bill, with the LWVMA board of directors retaining final authority on those decisions.

Legislative specialists encourage League members who are interested in closely following an area of legislation or a specific bill to contact them and be added to that specialist’s “team” for notifications of committee hearings and other activities related to specific legislation.

To contact any of the legislative specialists, email specialists@lwvma.org.

Bills Followed by LWVMA in the 2017-2018 Legislative Session, listed by subject area

The bill numbers listed are the numbers initially assigned.  Those numbers will change several times during the legislative process.  You can find the new numbers by clicking on the numbers below, then following the links under “Bill History” on a bill’s page on the legislature’s website.

Affordable Housing, Clare Gordon

Bill #TopicBill TitleLWVMA Action
H675

Summary

Bonds to produce new affordable housing and purchase existing unitsAn Act financing the production and preservation of housing for low and moderate income residentsSupport
Testimony
Testimony
H673/S723

Summary

Increase housing productionAn Act relative to housing productionSupport
Testimony

Agriculture, Louise Haldeman

Casino Gambling, Louise Haldeman

Child Safety, Palma McLaughlin

 Bill #TopicBill TitleLWVMA Action
 S34

Summary
Repeal family cap on welfare benefitsAn Act to lift the cap on kidsSupport
Testimony
S862

Summary

Domestic violence trainingAn Act relative to improving training for child advocates to recognize the indictors of domestic violenceSupport
H811Child-centered family lawAn Act relative to shared parentingOppose
H85

Summary

Repeal family cap on welfare BenefitsAn Act relative to the care and well-being of a childSupport
S48

Summary

Raises age of juvenile jurisdictionAn Act to promote the appropriate treatment of young childrenSupport
Testimony

Criminal Justice and Courts, Colleen Kirby

Bill #TopicBill TitleLWVMA Action
S.2200/H.4043

Summary

Criminal Justice omnibus bill, with provisions from many of the bills belowAn Act relative to criminal justice reformSupport
S777 / H2359

Summary

Deals with having to serve jail time because unable to pay court fees and finesAn Act to reduce the criminalization of povertySupport
Testimony
S874

Summary

Conditional medical paroleAn Act relative to medical placement of terminal and incapacitated inmatesSupport
Testimony
S779 /H3121

Summary

Increases participation in rehabilitation programs, adds to parole board membershipAn Act related to paroleSupport
Testimony
S770/H3072

Summary

Allow alternative sentences for primary caregivers of minor childrenAn Act providing community-based sentencing alternatives for primary caregivers of dependent children convicted of non-violent crimesSupport
Testimony
H74

Summary

Reduce RecidivismAn Act implementing the joint recommendations of the Massachusetts criminal justice reviewSupport
Testimony
S944/H2309

Summary

Remove records of mistaken and juvenile arrestsAn Act relative to sealing juvenile records and expungement of court recordsSupport
Testimony
S873/H967

Summary

Felony larceny amountAn Act relative to larcenySupport
Testimony
S834/H3120

Summary

Pretrial and bail reformAn Act reforming pretrial processSupport
Testimony
S847/H793

Summary

Restorative justiceAn Act promoting restorative justice practicesSupport
Testimony
S1306/H3071

Summary

Solitary confinement restrictionsAn Act reducing recidivism, curbing unnecessary spending and ensuring appropriate use of segregationSupport
Testimony
S819/H741

Summary

Repeal certain mandatory minimum sentencesAn Act to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences related to drug offensesSupport
Testimony
S773

Summary

Increase program participationAn Act to expand sentencing optionsSupport
Testimony

Education, Terry Yoffie

Bill #TopicBill TitleLWVMA Action
S2071/H3704

Summary

Sexual Health educationAn Act relative to healthy youthSupport
Testimony
Testimony
S223

Summary

Revise funding formula for educationAn Act modernizing the foundation budget for the 21st centurySupport
Testimony
S215/H2016

Summary

Civics engagement and learningAn Act to promote and enhance civic engagementSupport
Testimony

Elder Affairs, Pat Costello

Elections and Voting, Linda Freedman

Bill #TopicBill TitleLWVMA Action
S371

Summary

 

Election Day RegistrationAn Act to establish election day registrationSupport
Testimony
H353An Act to establish election day registration
H2093An Act relative to same day voter registration
S373/H2091

Summary

Automatic voter registrationAn Act automatically registering eligible voters and enhancing safeguards against fraudSupport
Testimony
HD2379Boston reprecinctingAn Act regarding decennial division of wards and precincts in the city of BostonSupport
S365

Summary

Disclosure of presidential candidate tax returnsAn Act restoring financial transparency in presidential electionsSupport
Testimony
H.2102Allow overseas ballotAn Act relative to UOCAVA votingOppose
Testimony
S374

Summary

Require photo ID to voteAn Act establishing voter identification proceduresOppose
Testimony
S397An Act requiring photo identification to
H363An Act ensuring election integrity through voter identification
H372An Act requiring photo identification for voting
H386An Act relative to valid identification at voting polls

Environment—Energy and Resource Conservation, Launa Zimmaro

Bill #TopicBill TitleLWVMA Action
S.2302

Summary

Energy omnibus bill, with provisions from many of the bills belowAn Act to promote a clean energy futureSupport
H1726

Summary

Carbon pricingAn Act to promote green infrastructure, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create jobsSupport
Testimony
S1821

Summary 

Carbon pricingAn Act combating climate changeSupport
Testimony
S1876/H2700

Summary

Increase minimum use of renewable energy by electric utilitiesAn Act relative to enhancing RPS standardsSupport
Testimony
S1846/H2706

Summary

Solar net metering, solar targets, renewable energy standardsAn Act relative to solar power and the green economySupport
Testimony
H2683 /S1845

Summary

Gas leaksAn Act relative to protecting consumers of gas and electricity from paying for leaked and unaccounted for gasSupport
Testimony
H2148

Summary

Electronic products wasteAn Act to require producer responsibility for collection, reuse, and recycling of discarded electronic productsSupport
Testimony
S1849/H3395

Summary

Goals for renewable energy useAn Act transitioning Massachusetts to 100% renewable energySupport
Testimony
S1875/H1725

Summary

Modernize electric gridAn Act relative to local energy investment and infrastructure modernizationSupport
Testimony
S.479/H.2149

Summary

To implement 2008 Global Warming Solutions ActAn Act relative to 2030 and 2040 emissions benchmarks (Global Warming Solutions Implementation Act)Support
H.3400/S.1847

Summary

Block electricity customers paying for gas pipelines, more open DPU processAn Act clarifying authority and responsibilities of the department of public utilitiesSupport
H.2913/S.426

Summary

Promote environmental justice, reduce disparities in exposure to toxinsAn Act relative to environmental justice and toxics reductions in the CommonwealthSupport

Environment—Natural Resources, Carolyn Lee, Loring Schwarz

Bill #TopicBill TitleLWVMA Action
H1744, H2686, S1865

Summary

Repeals bottle deposit lawsAn Act improving recycling in the CommonwealthOppose
Testimony
H1245

Summary

Ban toxic flame retardantsAn Act to protect children, families, and firefighters from harmful flame retardantsSupport
Testimony
H.3662Increases funding for Community Preservation ActAn Act to sustain Community preservation communitySupport
H.3855Tax credits for donating land for conservationAn Act relative to land conservation incentivesSupport

Fiscal Policy, June Michaels

Good Governance, Carolyn Lee

Bill #Topic Bill TitleLWVMA Action
S787/H873

Summary

Prohibit registries based on religion, national origin, etc. and prevent collection of information based on First Amendment activitiesAn Act to protect fundamental freedoms and prohibit discriminatory registration programsSupport
Testimony

Gun Control, Jennifer Muroff, Sue McCalley

Bill #TopicBill TitleLWVMA Action
H.3610

Summary

Temporarily remove guns from people at risk of harmAn Act temporarily preventing firearm access for extremely dangerous or suicidal individualsSupport
Testimony

Health Care, Janice Goodell

Bill #TopicBill Title LWVMA Action
S591/
H2960Summary
Health insurance reports sent to patientAn Act to protect access to confidential health careSupport
Testimony
S619

Summary

Single-payer health careAn Act to establish Medicare for all in MassachusettsSupport
Testimony
H2987

Summary

Single-payer health careAn Act establishing improved Medicare for all in MassachusettsSupport
Testimony
S610/H596

Summary

Study costs of single-payer health care systemAn Act to ensure effective health care cost controlSupport
Testimony
S1169/H2474

Summary

Create advanced dental practitioner level
An Act auth
orizing dental therapists to expand access to oral health
Support
Testimony
H1189/S1206

Summary

License midwivesAn Act relative to out-of-hospital birth access and safetySupport
Testimony

Immigration, Karen Price

Bill #TopicBill Title LWVMA Action
S1305/H3269

Summary

“Safe Communities Act” on immigration enforcementAn Act to protect the civil rights and safety of all Massachusetts residentsSupport
Testimony
H644

Summary

In-state tuition for some non-citizen studentsAn Act relative to equal opportunity for high school graduates in the commonwealthSupport
Testimony
H3033

Summary

Require costs of state and local immigration law enforcement be covered by federal fundsAn Act relative to enforcing federal lawSupport

Meeting Basic Human Needs, Clare Gordon

Bill #Topic Bill TitleLWVMA Action
H659

Summary

Remove requirement for families to spend one night in places not fit for sleepingAn Act to protect families experiencing homelessness from having to sleep in unsafe placesSupport
Testimony
S612/H101

Summary

Common application for safety-net servicesAn Act improving public health through a common application for core food, health and safety-net programSupport
Testimony
H695

Summary

HomelessnessAn Act providing a homeless bill of rightsSupport
Testimony
S46

Summary

HomelessnessAn Act creating a bill of rights for people experiencing homelessnessSupport
Testimony
H1504

Summary

Earned income tax creditAn Act improving the Earned Income Tax Credit for working familiesSupport
Testimony
S1521

Summary

Earned income tax creditAn Act improving the Earned Income Tax Credit for healthier familiesSupport
Testimony

Transportation, Lois Levin

Bill #TopicBill TitleLWVMA Action
S1905/H2877

Summary

Reduce bicycle and pedestrian accidentsAn Act to reduce traffic fatalitiesSupport
Testimony

Water Resources, Carolyn Lee

Bill #TopicBill TitleLWVMA Action
S1126/H2116

Summary

Permit “water-banking” fee on large-scale water usersAn Act providing for the establishment of sustainable water resource fundsSupport
Testimony
Testimony
S420/H2711

Summary

Maintain streamflow and water levelsAn Act relative to streamflow standardsSupport
Testimony
S425/H2115

Summary

Water conservation during droughtsAn Act relative to drought managementSupport
Testimony
H2139

Summary

Requires water quality and pollution control reportAn Act to improve water quality and pollution control programsSupport
Testimony
H2777

Summary

Shift Water pollution oversight from EPA to Mass DEPAn Act to enable the commonwealth’s administration of the Massachusetts pollutant discharge elimination systemOppose
Testimony

Women’s Issues, Jessica Sullivan, Tanya Roy

Bill #Topic Bill TitleLWVMA Action
S1023/H1038

Summary

Rights for pregnant workersAn Act establishing the Massachusetts pregnant workers fairness actSupport
Testimony
S545/H482

Summary

Disability insurance equityAn Act providing for equitable coverage in disability policiesSupport
Testimony
S499/H536

Summary

Insurers provide contraceptives without copays or deductiblesAn Act relative to advancing contraceptive coverage and economic securitySupport
Testimony
S784      

Summary

Contraception and abortionAn Act negating archaic statutes targeting young womenSupport
Testimony
S805      

Summary

Contraception, abortion adultery and other issuesAn Act relative to archaic crimesSupport
Testimony