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Legislation Progress Update

The deadline for reporting bills out of the joint committee to which they were assigned has passed.  There were three common actions. 

Some bills were reported out of committee and have begun the process of moving toward a vote.  Most will first be assigned to the Rules or Ways & Means Committees in either the House or Senate. Bill numbers will have changed from the original number, but you can follow the “Bill History” on the legislature website starting with the original numbers listed below. For our testimony on bills, see our website here.

Other bills received an extension of time for the joint committee to make a decision. Three League priority bills are in that category:  Election Day registration, the ROE Act to expand abortion access, and the Safe Communities immigration bill. The longer those bills stay in committee, the less time they will have to be passed this session.

The third option was for bills to be “sent to study,” which means they will not proceed any further this legislative session.  

Bills reported out of joint committee:

H410/S263 – An Act relative to healthy youth, the sex education bill.  Senate version has passed the Senate and is in House Ways & Means.  House version is in joint committee on health care financing.
H1949/S1334– An Act to reduce racial disparities in maternal health  

H2522/S1767 – An Act increasing the land conservation tax credit 

H197/S125 – An Act to mandate domestic violence and sexual assault awareness education for aestheticians, barbers, cosmetologists, electrologists, hairdressers, manicurists, and massage therapists 

H3012/S2061– An Act relative to work and family mobility–To allow drivers’ licenses regardless of immigration status

H3075/S2035 – An Act relative to congestion relief in East Boston- To create a variable-toll pilot program for tunnels. 

H2045/S1388 – An Act relative to crime gun data reporting and analysis 

H3661– An Act relative to the reduction of certain toxic chemicals in firefighter personal protective equipment

H585/S256– An Act to promote student nutrition – To specify how schools deal with meal debt

H1264 – An Act to further provide a rental arrearage program

H1305 – An Act codifying the Massachusetts rental voucher program

H1265  – An Act to protect families experiencing homelessness from having to sleep in unsafe places

S834 – An Act relative to female genital mutilation

H3457 – An Act relative to parole

S1379 – An Act to strengthen inmate visitation 

H853  – An Act to assure the attainment of greenhouse gas emissions goals in the alternative portfolio standard- To remove biomass from allowed renewable heating options

H3208/S2163 – Resolutions for a United States Constitutional Amendment and a limited amendment proposing convention (LWVMA opposes) 

Bills that have been granted an extension to indicated date and are still in joint committee:

H3320/S1209 – An Act removing obstacles and expanding access to women’s reproductive – The ROE Act, to 5/12

H1343/S937 – An Act relative to treatment, not imprisonment, to 5/12 

H3420/S825 – An Act to promote public safety and better outcomes for young adults, to 5/12 

H2047 – An Act to strengthen inmate visitation, to 5/1

H1538/S1385 – An Act establishing a moratorium on face recognition and other remote biometric surveillance systems, to 5/12

H3422/S861 – An Act to protect electronic privacy, to 5/12 

H1214/S741 – An Act committing to higher education the resources to insure a strong and healthy public  higher education system, to 3/20 

H150/S76 – An Act relative to the safety, dignity, and civil rights of persons experiencing homelessness, to 3/18 

H685/S396– An Act relative to election day registration, to 4/30 

H636– An Act relative to election day registration (satellites), to 4/30

H635– An Act providing a local option for ranked choice voting in municipal elections, to 4/30

H719/ S414 – An Act relative to ranked  choice voting, to 4/30

H2849/S1940 – An Act for utility transition to using renewable energy (FUTURE), to 6/4

H2836/S1958 – An Act re-powering Massachusetts with 100 percent renewable energy, to 6/4

H2810, S1924– An Act to promote green infrastructure and reduce carbon emissions, to 6/4 – carbon pricing bills

H3573/S1401 – An Act to protect the civil rights and safety of all Massachusetts residents, to 5/1 -The Safe Communities Act

H2653/S1694 – An Act relative to regional transportation ballot initiatives, to 3/16 

H639/S408 – An Act supporting parents running for public office – To allow campaign funds to be used for child care

Bills that have been “sent to study” and are no longer active:

In some cases, provisions in the bills below have been incorporated into other active bills.

H1486/S940 – An Act to reduce recidivism among emerging adults 

H3358/S826 – An Act to reduce mass incarceration 

H1386/S900 – An Act relative to expungement 

H1493/S1014  – An Act relative to consensual adolescent sexual activity 

H1541 – An Act establishing presumptive parole

H3334/S865– An Act relative to improving training for child advocates to recognize indicators of domestic violence 

H842/S2014– An Act to sustain natural and working lands carbon in communities 

H762/S535 – An Act relative to maintaining adequate water supplies through effective drought management 

H2463/S1618  – An Act to preserve community preservation revenue 

S1645 – An Act mitigating water resource impacts

H1368 – An Act relative to enforcing federal law – To require costs of state and local immigration law enforcement be covered by federal funds

S240 – An Act relative to universal prekindergarten access

H3010/S2114  – An Act to explore alternative funding sources to ensure safe and reliable transportation – To create a pilot program for revenue based on vehicle miles 

H3008/S2106 – An Act to advance modern and sustainable solutions for transportation – Regional Transportation and Climate Initiative agreement 

H687/S388/H721 – An Act relative to post-election audits

H684/S387 – An Act relative to early voting in the Massachusetts 2020 presidential primary 

S397, H681 – An Act to extend early voting for all elections

S420 – An Act providing a local option for ranked choice voting in municipal elections 

H3572/S1898  – An Act promoting equality and respect in the legislature 

H2802/S2005 – An Act to secure a clean energy future 

H2873– An Act promoting zero-emission vehicles

H2865 – An Act to establish a net zero stretch energy code

H2869 – An Act relative to a clean transportation future

H1236/S739 – An Act to ensure tuition equity for Massachusetts residents 

H1239/S740 – An Act relative to equal opportunity for high school graduates in the Commonwealth 

H677  – An Act relative to the elimination of public campaign financing (LWVMA opposes)

H705 – An Act relative to valid identification at voting polls (LWVMA opposes)

H658– An Act ensuring the election integrity through voter identification (LWVMA opposes)

H704 – An Act relative to voting overseas (LWVMA opposes) 

H709– An Act relative to UOCAVA voting (LWVMA opposes)