Senator Cindy Friedman

Breast cancer accounts for 30 per cent of new cancer diagnoses, approximately 5,000 residents live with Down syndrome 

(BOSTON—10/29/2024) This week the Massachusetts Senate passed two bills expanding services that must be covered by health insurers in the state.  

One requires that insurers provide coverage for the treatment of Down syndrome through speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy and applied behavior analysis services. The other requires insurers provide coverage for diagnostic examinations for breast cancer.  

“I firmly believe that insurance coverage should never be a barrier to seeking and receiving comprehensive and evidence-based medical treatment,” said Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. “One bill passed by the Senate today requires insurance coverage for therapies to treat individuals with a singular diagnosis of Down syndrome, helping to reduce financial stressors for families and ensure these individuals receive necessary interventions to help them thrive. The other bill passed by the Senate covers breast cancer screenings and diagnostic examinations, removing the financial barriers that could otherwise prevent early detection and treatment of beatable cases of breast cancer. The Massachusetts Senate will continue to work to address challenges to equitable health care access to ensure we can improve the lives of those who stand to benefit the most from these life-changing treatments.” 

Requiring Coverage for Breast Cancer Screenings 

H.4918, An Act relative to medically necessary breast screenings and exams for equity and early detection, requires health insurance providers, including the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) and MassHealth, to provide coverage for diagnostic examinations for breast cancer, digital breast tomosynthesis screening, and medically necessary and appropriate screening with breast magnetic resonance imaging.… Read more.

Closes Fiscal Year 2024 with funding for critical statewide programs 

(BOSTON—10/24/2024) Today the Massachusetts Senate passed a supplemental budget closing out Fiscal Year 2024, fulfilling the state’s obligations to critical programs and services used by residents statewide. 

The funding supports treatment for substance and alcohol misuse, public health hospital investments, universal school meals, and targets $12 million for fiscally distressed community health centers, among other investments. Boosting funding for health centers will help provide equitable care in cities and towns across the state.  

“As part of our obligation to close out the fiscal year, we reviewed where we have surplus and needs for the various state programs our residents rely on every day,” said Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “I was happy to see this budget direct funding to address critical health care needs, like the MassHealth caseload and supporting our community health centers, while also covering needs for school meals, housing protection, workforce development, and substance and alcohol use disorder treatment. I am grateful to my colleagues for their recognition of the importance of funding these necessary programs.” 

The bill makes several changes to benefit the state’s veterans, allowing veterans to receive free license plates and clarifying that municipalities can create veteran housing preferences within existing affordable housing frameworks.  

It also ratifies several approved collective bargaining agreements.  

Housing provisions of the bill will allow the Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP) to fund certified housing development projects that include new construction or substantial rehabilitation of an existing property, and allow for the carryover of the $30 million annual HDIP tax credit authorizations if not fully awarded in a given year. … Read more.

New law supports safety and well-being of children, brings national uniformity to child custody cases 

(BOSTON—10/7/2024) Today, the Massachusetts Senate passed legislation to simplify and modernize child custody jurisdiction laws in the Commonwealth.  

An Act relative to the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act would simplify custody jurisdiction laws and bring Massachusetts into conformity with other states around the country. By so doing, the Commonwealth would be creating a more streamlined process for families going through challenging times while supporting the safety and well-being of children who find themselves in custody challenges. 

Under the new law, clear rules would be established for multi-state custody cases, prioritizing the home state of the child and ensuring Massachusetts courts can work effectively with courts in other states nationally and in other countries for international child custody orders. Going forward, once Massachusetts courts have exercised jurisdiction over custody, those courts would maintain jurisdiction over potential changes in the judgment or order, so long as a parent or the child remain in state. This will prevent forum shopping and competing lawsuits in multiple jurisdictions. 

“Today’s action in the Senate will help bring our Commonwealth in line with the practices of many other states to ensure that questions of custody challenges can be resolved in a more efficient way,” said Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “I thank Majority Leader Creem for spearheading this initiative to make these already challenging situations easier for the families and children involved.”… Read more.

Bill recognizes that all good pups can be a family’s best friend, regardless of breed 

(BOSTON—9/26/2024) Today the Massachusetts Senate passed legislation to ensure families can foster a child regardless of the breed of dog in the foster home. 

Under the new law, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) would consider factors such as a pet’s history of dangerous behavior and their health records, instead of a pet’s breed. Currently, a family who is thinking of adopting cannot do so if they own breeds including Rottweilers, pit bulls, German shepherds, or a dog which mixes at least two of these three breeds. 

“Given all that we know about animal science, this is the right time to make this needed policy change,” said Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington). “By relying on the history of a dog’s behavior instead of the dog’s breed, this new process will prevent the automatic disqualification of foster families who can provide a loving and supportive home and, instead, ensure that we are not leaving out foster families who could make a positive impact on a child’s life.” 

According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a dog’s breed is a poor predictor of behavior, and is uninformative with regard to how easily a dog is provoked by something frightening or uncomfortable.  

According to 2021 census data, nearly one in every three households (30%) in Massachusetts has a dog. Boston ranked eleventh nationally among metro areas with the highest pet ownership ranks, with 38.7% of households owning a pet.  … Read more.

Transportation, housing, climate projects could benefit from up to $17.5 billion in investment 

BOSTON (9/19/2024) — Today, the Massachusetts Legislature passed a bill that will allow the Commonwealth to more effectively compete for federal funding that could be invested in transformative projects related to transportation, housing, climate, economic development, and technology.  

S.2954, An Act to provide for competitiveness and infrastructure investment in Massachusetts, takes advantage of the interest accrued from the Commonwealth’s Stabilization Fund and leverages that interest to ensure the state receives the maximum possible share of federal funds. The Commonwealth’s Stabilization Fund has an all-time high balance of over $8 billion. It is currently estimated that Massachusetts could receive up to $17.5 billion through historic, once-in-a-generation federal funding opportunities. 

“This legislation allows our Commonwealth to draw down a significant amount of federal funding, supplementing projects in every corner of our state, simply through using interest generated from our stabilization fund,” said Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “Unlocking this tool will provide extra funds for the state and our municipalities, reducing the amount needed to be funded by taxpayers. This innovative approach will ensure that Massachusetts can take full advantage of the federal grant opportunities that allow us to stay competitive and invest in our future.” 

The initiative requires the Comptroller to transfer interest from the Stabilization Fund to the Commonwealth Federal Matching and Debt Reduction Fund on a quarterly basis if the stabilization balance reaches certain benchmarks.… Read more.

New name centers skills and strengths of people with disabilities, removes offensive terminology 

(BOSTON—9/5/2024) Today the Massachusetts Legislature passed legislation to rename the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) to MassAbility, a change that will define the agency’s role in supporting residents with disabilities live independently. 

The name change reflects the intention to empower individuals living with disabilities and move away from outdated terminology as the office undergoes broad changes towards a more expansive model for disability employment services and independent living. 

The legislation also removes offensive terminology in the Massachusetts General Laws referring to people with disabilities in sections of the law that pertain to MassAbility. 

“Renaming the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission to MassAbility reflects the important mission of the agency, and more accurately represents the role of government that I work towards for our residents, which is to help people,” said Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. “This agency works with individuals to provide the tools that make the ability to live an independent life so much easier in Massachusetts, and I am glad to see a name change and archaic language changes that reflect this positive vision for all residents of the Commonwealth.” 

Having passed both chambers of the Legislature, the measure will now be sent to the Governor’s desk for her signature.  

### 

Bill increases oversight, allows for basic health services to be offered at assisted living residences, and boosts workforce for care of older adults in Massachusetts 

(BOSTON—8/29/2024) Today, the Massachusetts Legislature passed sweeping reforms to the long-term care and assisted living sectors, taking a powerful step towards delivering high quality and safe care for older residents across the Commonwealth.  

An Act to improve quality and oversight of long-term care strengthens the Commonwealth’s oversight of nursing homes, provides critical anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ nursing home residents, and permanently allows assisted living residences to offer basic health services. 

“Our long-term care and assisted living facilities and the care models they employ are integral components of our overall health care system,” said Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. “This legislation offers sweeping reforms that will modernize and improve the experience for those needing long-term care and for their families, in part by bolstering the workforce and expanding state oversight to ensure that patients are being provided high-quality care in a safe setting. I appreciate the great work of my colleagues in the Legislature and the many advocates from the community who have brought forward these strong policy proposals, and  I look forward to seeing the successful implementation of these reforms.”  

The bill includes provisions related to basic health services administered in assisted living facilities and oversight of long-term care facilities, including the following: 

Inclusion for LGBTQ+ Residents. The legislation requires each long-term care facility to provide staff training on the rights and care of LGBTQ+ older adults and older adults living with HIV.… Read more.

Comprehensive maternal health legislation expands physical and mental health care options for all pregnant women

BOSTON — Today, Governor Maura Healey signed An Act promoting access to midwifery care and out-of-hospital birth options. This comprehensive legislation will overhaul maternal health practices in Massachusetts and expand coverage for midwifery, birth centers, doulas and screening and treatment for postpartum depression, among several other initiatives to save lives.    

“Massachusetts is home to the best health care, but there was work to be done to improve birth options and health equity for families across the state,” said Governor Healey. “These important expansions in the law will help make it both safer and easier to start and grow a family here in Massachusetts, while making sure that women can make the best health care decisions for themselves.”  

“Midwife services and doula services are essential family planning tools that should be guaranteed for everyone in Massachusetts,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “At a time when this country faces a maternal health crisis, I am proud to stand alongside Governor Healey to sign these significant initiatives into law.” 

This legislation would require MassHealth to cover doula services for pregnant people up to 12 months postpartum while mandating insurance coverage for postpartum depression screenings for any member who recently became a parent or lost a pregnancy. MassHealth will also be required to cover midwifery services. This legislation establishes the Board of Registration in Midwifery within the Department of Public Health, a nine-member board appointed by the Governor, charged with establishing regulations to govern the practice of midwifery and overseeing the licensure of midwives.   … Read more.

Bill expands access to midwifery care and out-of-hospital birth options

(BOSTON – 8/15/2025) Today, The Massachusetts Legislature passed a comprehensive maternal health bill which creates a state licensure pathway for midwives and lactation consultants, encourages the creation of more freestanding birth centers, establishes a grant program to address maternal mental health and substance use disorder, and expands the statewide universal postpartum home visiting program. This legislation also mandates that insurers provide coverage for postpartum depression and major depressive disorder screenings for perinatal individuals.

“Today we made important strides to reduce maternal health disparities by breaking down barriers to safe, adequate and equitable maternal health care,” said Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing and of the conference committee. “This bill takes significant steps to expand coverage and protections for essential health services that are key to improving maternal and perinatal health outcomes, as well as increasing access to care for those whose needs and pain have often been ignored. While we still have work to do to cover and protect the full spectrum of pregnancy care, this legislation addresses some of the most pressing needs and improves the health care system statewide.”

The legislation passed today creates a state license that certified professional midwives must receive in order to practice midwifery, and requires certain insurance providers, such as MassHealth, to cover doula and midwifery services including prenatal care, childbirth, and postpartum care. The bill creates the Board of Registration in Midwifery within the Department of Public Health (DPH) to license and provide oversight of licensed certified professional midwives.… Read more.

$5.16B housing bond bill adds resources for new units, makes sweeping policy changes to simplify and incentivize development  

(BOSTON—8/5/2024) The Massachusetts Legislature has passed the Affordable Homes Act, the largest housing investment in Massachusetts history and a powerful first step in tackling the state’s housing affordability crisis.  

The legislation authorizes $5.16 billion in bond authorizations and tax credits to spur housing production in Massachusetts, while implementing sweeping policy initiatives to facilitate the development of affordable housing and preserve public housing in Massachusetts.  

“The Affordable Homes Act continues the work of the Legislature to address one of the most pressing needs in the Commonwealth: availability of and accessibility to affordable housing,” said Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “This legislation, which features billions in investments from bond authorizations coupled with necessary policy updates, will help to rejuvenate the housing stock across our state. I hear far too often that the lack of affordable housing is hurting our state immeasurably on different levels. We need affordable housing to be in reach to allow our young residents to stay and build their lives in Massachusetts, to prevent our senior citizens and longtime residents from having no way to afford downsizing a house, and to ensure our public safety workers and health care professionals all have access to housing in the areas where they work. This bill will drive the creation and renovation of private and public housing and help remove barriers to stable housing for families across Massachusetts.… Read more.