Author: Cindy Friedman

$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.

(BOSTON—8/1/2024) — Governor Maura T. Healey signed into law An Act relative to disability pensions and critical incident stress management for violent crimes. This legislation ensures that first responders who are seriously injured in the line of duty can receive their full compensation until retirement. This applies to police officers, firefighters, public and municipal EMTs, and public and municipal licensed health care professionals. 

“Our first responders go above and beyond to keep our communities safe and respond to emergencies. That’s why it’s critical that we support them when they experience emergencies of their own,” said Governor Healey. “This legislation ensures that first responders who are injured in the line of duty have access to the pay and health care, including mental health care, that they need to support their families and their road to recovery. I’m grateful to the Legislature for prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of our first responders and proud to sign this bill.” 

“First responders always have our backs – we need to make sure we have theirs,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “This legislation sends a clear message that our heroes aren’t alone when they sustain serious injuries. Massachusetts will make sure they have the resources and support needed to get through this difficult time.” 

“We depend on our emergency responders to bravely run toward danger when others are running away. It is imperative they have our full support in the event they are seriously injured while performing their duties,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy.… Read more.

Legislation expands harm reduction programs, sober home resources, access to naloxone 

(BOSTON—7/30/2024) Today the Massachusetts Senate passed legislation expanding support for residents coping with substance use disorder to stem the toll of an opioid crisis that takes thousands of lives each year.  

S.2898, An Act relative to accessing harm reduction initiatives, enables cities and towns to establish a wide range of measures proven to reduce the harms of drug use, including needle exchange programs, drug screenings, and overdose prevention facilities. It makes strides in studying sober home oversight and resources to support those in recovery, and widely expands access to overdose reversal drugs like naloxone.  

“As the former Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery, I know all too well that drug use is a persistent issue that we cannot jail our way out of — we need more tools to reduce deaths from overdose,” said Senator Friedman, Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. “The opioid crisis continues to grip our communities, and having more options at our disposal to help keep those struggling with substance use disorder alive and safe so that we can get them into evidence-based treatment is so important. I hope to see the legislature come to a resolution on this legislation soon.” 

The bill allows cities and towns to opt in to a number of new harm reduction programs. Those programs include:  

• Needle exchange programs 

• Primary care services, including disease prevention and health screenings 

• Access to, or referrals for, evidence-based treatment options 

• Drug testing services 

• Overdose reversal care 

• Supervision of individuals who consume pre-obtained substances  

Programs that provide overdose reversal care and supervision of individuals who consume pre-obtained substances would require approval by the local board of health, select board or city council, and the state Department of Public Health (DPH).… Read more.

Legislation expands mental health, midwifery, doula offerings

(BOSTON—7/30/2024) Today the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed legislation to strengthen access to physical and mental health care for pregnant people and new parents in Massachusetts, an expansion of support systems that is intended to keep parents and newborns healthy as they are welcomed into the world.

S.2899, An Act relative to increasing access to perinatal health care, builds on and improves existing perinatal health resources across the Commonwealth, including mental health resources, midwifery, and doula services.

“Far too often, we see and hear stories that demonstrate how important it is that we act to reduce maternal health disparities and barriers to accessing safe and adequate maternal health care,” said Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing and Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “While we still have a long way to go, this legislation makes important strides towards these efforts from the moment pregnancy starts through a year after birth, while increasing access to perinatal health care with reforms to midwifery licensure and birthing centers.”

In an effort to proactively address mental health needs, the legislation requires MassHealth and commercial insurance coverage for post-pregnancy depression screenings. It also mandates the Department of Public Health (DPH) to develop and maintain a comprehensive digital resource center on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. 

It requires postnatal individuals receiving care from a postnatal professional to be offered a screening for post-pregnancy depression. Pediatricians will also offer screenings to postnatal individuals during infant wellness visits.… Read more.

Bill enhances oversight, requires outbreak planning, and creates an LGBTQ+ Bill of Rights 

(BOSTON—7/25/2024) The Massachusetts Senate today approved sweeping reforms to the Commonwealth’s long term care and assisted living sectors, taking a powerful step towards delivering the high quality and safe care that Massachusetts seniors deserve. S.2889, An Act relative to long term care and assisted living, substantially strengthens oversight and enforcement while also requiring facilities to create outbreak plans should a health issue arise. 

The bill also creates an LGBTQ+ bill of rights for aging residents to prohibit discrimination based on their LGBTQ+ identity or HIV status. After robust debate, Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington) joined her colleagues in unanimously passing the bill. 

“Long term care and support of our aging population are essential to the sustainability of our state’s health care system,” said Senator Friedman, Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. “This legislation contains so many important reforms that continue the Senate’s work to promote accessible, affordable, and high-quality care, a goal that cannot be limited to hospital care. I thank Senator Jehlen for her dedicated work on this legislation and for her collaboration while the bill was in the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing.” 

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

Assisted Living Basic Health Services. The bill makes it easier for residents of nursing homes and long term care facilities to get timely and efficient care by allowing Assisted Living Residences (ALRs) to offer basic health services such as helping a resident administer drops, manage their oxygen, or take a home diagnostic test.… Read more.

Legislation directs $432 million in appropriations to fill gaps in essential services 

(BOSTON—7/24/2024) Today the Massachusetts Senate passed a supplemental budget directing funding to childcare assistance, community services, and workforce initiatives vital to the wellbeing of Massachusetts residents. The legislation directs funding to deficiencies outlined by the Healey-Driscoll Administration and makes numerous clarifications to state policies to cut red tape and create efficiencies in state government.  

“The Senate’s supplemental budget allocates funding that will be injected directly into our struggling healthcare system,” said Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “I am especially excited that an amendment I filed was adopted, which would require commercial health insurance plans to reimburse the health care facilities treating our most vulnerable residents at a fair rate. I look forward to swift compromise legislation between the two chambers so that we can get a final product to the Governor’s desk.” 

The legislation appropriates $432 million in funding from Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations that would be made available through Fiscal Year 2025. It directs $228 million in funding for the American Rescue Plan Act Home and Community Based Services (ARPA HCBS) Reserve to promote innovative services that enhance the quality of life and independence of people in their home and community, an investment that comes at no net cost to the state.  

It includes $61 million for a critical health and human services and workforce reserve to cover projected deficiencies in Fiscal Year 2024 related to the continued need for direct care staffing to respond to health needs in nursing homes, group care settings, state hospitals, and veterans’ homes, as well as other patient health and safety supports.… Read more.

Bill boosts salary transparency, tackles unfair compensation for women and people of color 

*Update: On July 31, 2024, Governor Maura Healey signed this legislation into law. You can view that law here.

(BOSTON—7/24/2024) Today the Massachusetts Legislature took a powerful step towards closing the gender and racial wage gap in the Commonwealth by passing An Act relative to salary range transparency. The legislation requires employers with 25 or more employees to disclose a salary range when posting a position and protects an employee’s right to ask their employer for the salary range for their position when applying for a job or seeking a promotion. 

When signed into law H.4890 would make Massachusetts the eleventh state to mandate pay transparency by requiring employers to disclose salary ranges, according to the National Women’s Law Center. H.4890 builds on the Legislature’s 2016 passage of the Massachusetts Equal Pay Act, which prohibited wage discrimination based on gender and brought long-sought fairness and equality to workplaces in the state. 

“I am proud of the Legislature’s work to address pay inequities in the Commonwealth with this bill,” said Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “The statistics speak for themselves: women, especially women of color, face significant disparities in the level of pay they receive for the same work as their white, male counterparts. Thanks to the steadfast efforts of Senate President Karen Spilka to bring the business community into the conversation, we will be able to provide the transparency and protections our workers and job seekers need to live, succeed, and grow in the Commonwealth.”… Read more.

Legislation authorizes $1.26B in bonds, allocates $400M in federal funds 

(BOSTON—7/24/2024) Today the Massachusetts Legislature enacted the FutureTech Act, taking action on a $1.26 billion bond authorization to modernize the Commonwealth’s digital infrastructure and create safer and more accessible experiences for residents and employees alike. 

Funding and projects included in H.4889, An Act to provide for the future information technology needs of Massachusetts, would allow state agencies to deliver services more efficiently to residents, enhance cybersecurity on statewide platforms, and broaden access to services used by hundreds of thousands of residents statewide. The bill would also invest in emerging technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) and create a fund to secure anticipated federal funding to bolster health and human services-related projects. 

“The Legislature’s action on the FutureTech Act puts the Commonwealth in a position to grow technology adoption and ensure our systems will improve user experience and accessibility at the state and municipal levels,” said Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “I am especially excited to see the inclusion of a targeted fund to draw federal investments into our health and human services sector.”   

The FutureTech Act lays a foundation for technology innovation in the Commonwealth by implementing transformative projects like the Business Enterprise Systems Transformation (BEST) and the Commonwealth Digital Roadmap, both of which would be targeted at streamlining state operations and making essential government services quicker and more efficient. 

It would support a new project to consolidate and modernize the Division of Occupational Licensing’s (DOL) licensing database, which currently relies on outdated infrastructure, paper files, and manual data entry.… Read more.

Bill ensures firefighters, police officers, and EMTs receive pay after injury from violent acts 

(BOSTON—7/24/2024) Today the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed legislation to ensure that first responders who are permanently injured by violent acts in the line of duty receive their full regular compensation until they reach retirement age. S.2887, An Act relative to disability pensions and critical incident stress management for violent crimes, enshrines into law financial security for first responders and their families after a critical or life-threatening injury occurs while serving their state, county, city, or town. The legislation, sponsored by Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), had been filed for multiple sessions, originally introduced by the late Senator Ken Donnelly when Senator Friedman served as his chief of staff.

“The push for authorizing full disability pensions for first responders violently injured on duty dates back to my time working with and for my predecessor, Senator Ken Donnelly,” said Senator Friedman, Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “As a former firefighter, there was no bigger advocate of honoring the service and sacrifice of Massachusetts’ first responders than Ken, and I am honored to have been able to play a role in getting this bill through the Senate, further cementing Ken’s incredible legacy. This legislation will change the lives of first responders and their families in the Commonwealth who have had to suffer through tremendous hardship.” 

The legislation authorizes any employee considered a member-in-service of a retirement board to be eligible for accidental disability retirement if they sustain a catastrophic, life-threatening, or life-altering and permanent bodily injury, and are no longer able to perform their duties.… Read more.

Bill strengthens health care market oversight and imposes guardrails on private equity investments

(BOSTON—7/18/2024) Today the Massachusetts Senate passed urgent reforms to the Commonwealth’s health care system to boost oversight and transparency in the market and improve patient access to prescribed medication and treatment.

Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington) took the lead role in developing the Senate’s version of the legislation, which was approved following debate by a vote of 38-2.

The reforms in S.2871 come as Massachusetts continues to manage challenges related to private equity’s mismanagement in health care, which has created uncertainties for patients receiving care and the communities that the healthcare facilities serve. The legislation passed by the Senate would create strong systemic safeguards around private equity in healthcare, a significant step towards preempting future mismanagement.

“The Senate’s comprehensive health care market legislation passed today puts patients and providers back into the focus of the delivery of healthcare, rather than profits,” said Senator Friedman, Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. “To ensure that a crisis similar to that surrounding Steward Health Care does not infiltrate our state’s health care system ever again, this bill modernizes and strengthens the health care oversight and transparency tools we have in the Commonwealth. This bill also provides protections for patients and providers, affords our health care regulatory agencies the needed flexibility and scope to oversee the industry as it evolves, and increases the financial transparency of major market players. I thank Senate President Spilka, Chair Rodrigues, and my Senate colleagues for their attention to these issues.… Read more.