Author: Cindy Friedman

Upper chamber builds on and approves historic commitment to people who have served  

(BOSTON—6/13/2024) Today the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed legislation to boost support for hundreds of thousands of individuals across the state who have served in the United States military, including nearly 30,000 women veterans and thousands of LGBTQ+ veterans.  

The comprehensive legislative package, H.4671, An Act Honoring, Empowering and Recognizing Our Servicemembers and Veterans (the HERO Act), would increase benefits for disabled veterans, bolster support for businesses that hire veterans, update the definition of a veteran, expand the scope of the Veterans Equality Review Board, and codify medical and dental benefits. 

“Massachusetts owes a debt of gratitude to the people who have served in our armed forces since the first shots of the American Revolution rang out in the 4^th Middlesex district almost 250 years ago,” said Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “The HERO Act passed today continues our dedication to serve those who served us by improving supports, providing flexibility, and lowering cost barriers to needed programs and services. I am especially glad to see expanded access for mental health care for veterans, knowing that we have a long way to go in understanding the unique challenges our veterans face. I look forward to approving final legislation and getting this to the governor’s desk before the end of the session.” 

The Senate’s legislation builds on the historic legislative package filed by the Healey-Driscoll Administration by including additional provisions which would:  

• Require a public school district to provide support services to a military-connected student when a parent or guardian is called to active duty. 

… Read more.

The FutureTech Act authorizes $1.24B in bonds, allocates $400M in federal funds 

(BOSTON–6/6/2024) Today, Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington) joined her colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate to unanimously pass the FutureTech Act, taking action on a $1.24 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 S.2806, 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 direct $400 million in anticipated federal funding to bolster health and human services-related projects.  

“Today’s unanimous vote in the Massachusetts Senate signals a bright future for improving our technology systems statewide, providing for bond authorizations that will improve user experience and accessibility for more residents of the Commonwealth” said Senator Friedman, Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “I am especially excited to see this legislation include several targeted health care related programs and increased support for our partners in municipal governments, which will translate to safer and more efficient municipal operations.” 

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.  … Read more.

Regulation would help remove barriers to employment opportunities in majority-women field   

(BOSTON–6/06/2024) Today, the Massachusetts Senate passed An act relative to advancing the profession of commercial interior design. Under this legislation, commercial interior designers would have the opportunity to become registered professionals in the state of Massachusetts. As the law currently stands, with certain state and federal projects requiring licensure, Massachusetts designers often have to contract with larger firms or individuals with architectural licenses in order to be eligible for these projects. This often results in lost revenue for interior designers in this majority-women field.  

Creating a licensed profession statewide would enable registered interior designers to bid individually on certain projects currently off-limits, growing small businesses that are often women-led, and incentivizing graduates in the field to stay in Massachusetts to build their careers and not have to go out-of-state to be able to bid on work.  

“This bill continues the critical work underway in Massachusetts to address wage disparity, providing a system of licensure that levels the playing field for our highly educated commercial interior design professionals,” said Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “These professionals deserve to be recognized for the work they do, and this bill is especially important for our small business owners to open up a wider market of projects that their skills already meet.” 

This legislation also has strong support from the International Interior Design Association New England Chapter (IIDA NE) which has been at the forefront of advocacy efforts related to this issue. … Read more.

$57.999 billion budget approved unanimously following three days of robust, bipartisan debate   

(BOSTON—5/23/2024) The Massachusetts Senate has unanimously approved a $57.999 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25). Following robust and spirited debate, the Senate adopted over 400 amendments and took 43 roll call votes, adding $89.6 million in spending for statewide initiatives and local priorities for communities around the Commonwealth.   

The budget builds on the Senate’s commitment to fiscal responsibility while delivering historic levels of investment in every level of education, regional equity, and mental health, reflecting the Chamber’s commitment to creating a more affordable, equitable, and competitive Commonwealth.        

“The Senate’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget ensures stability, regional equity, and a high level of quality for the programs that our municipalities and residents need and rely on,” said Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “As we grapple with rising costs and access challenges within the Massachusetts health care system, I am especially proud that this budget utilizes tools to maximize our health care dollars for the facilities and providers that serve our most vulnerable residents. I thank Senate President Spilka, Senate Ways and Means Chair Rodrigues, and my Senate colleagues for their thoughtful approach and dedication to passing a budget that balances fiscal constraints with targeted, impactful investment in our Commonwealth.”  

The Senate’s budget recommends a total of $58 billion in spending, a $1.8 billion increase over the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) General Appropriations Act (GAA). This spending recommendation is based on a tax revenue estimate of $41.5 billion for FY25, which is $208 million less than revenues assumed in the FY24 GAA.… Read more.

WOBURN – State Representative Richard M. Haggerty (D-Woburn) and State Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington) recently attended the Communities United Legislative Breakfast hosted by the Creative Start Children’s Center in Woburn. They were joined by the Center’s management team and parents to discuss the critical role preschool and early childhood education services play for young learners and their families. The Center’s Head Start program provides comprehensive services to low-income children and their families and promotes school readiness for children by supporting their growth and development in a positive learning environment. 

“Access to high-quality preschool and daycare isn’t just crucial for a child’s educational development – it’s also an economic issue for working parents and promotes workforce productivity,” said Representative Haggerty. “Events like this help policymakers better understand the impact these services have on both children and their parents as we work to increase access and affordability in our communities and statewide.” 

“I have had the opportunity to visit the Creative Start Children’s Center several times, and it is the perfect example of a high-quality early education center that is doing vital work in our community,” said Senator Friedman. “As a Legislature, we need to make sure that this program and others like it can grow successfully, as we work to increase access for children and families across the Commonwealth.” 

The event provided an opportunity for Representative Haggerty and Senator Friedman to hear directly from the preschool management and parents about the importance of reliable, high-quality childcare and preschool services.… Read more.

Legislation would require public database of safety violations 

BOSTON (3/28/2024)—Today the Senate unanimously passed legislation to boost safety for people conducting “hot work”—welding, plasma cutting, and spark-producing construction—by requiring the state to create a public database of violations of the fire prevention statute, and a public notification system to alert workers of violations.  

The passage of S.1485—An Act relative to violation of regulation regarding hot work processes—comes in the days following the ten year anniversary of the tragic nine alarm fire in the Back Bay, started by welders working on a nearby iron railing, that resulted in the deaths of two Boston firefighters.  

The Senate bill would work to prevent such tragedies by promoting transparency and prioritizing safety for Massachusetts firefighters. 

“I am glad to see this legislation moving forward to help prevent fires from hot work violations,” said Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “Mentored by Senator Ken Donnelly, a former firefighter, I know how important it is that we mitigate the dangers that these first responders face, and I was proud to vote along with my colleagues to unanimously pass this bill.”  

Having been passed by the Senate, the bill now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration. 

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Debt Collection Fairness Act would protect wages and reduce exorbitant interest charges 

BOSTON (3/28/2024)—Today, Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington) and her colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed legislation to protect consumers and help keep people from being pushed into financial ruin if they are sued for financial debt. The new law would make debt collection practices fairer, protect wages, and make clear that no person can go to prison for their debt.  

The Debt Collection Fairness Act— S.2713—would protect thousands of families across the state, including many in communities of color, by reducing the interest rate from 12% to 3% on judgments on consumer debt, which is often old debt that has been bought by debt collection companies for pennies on the dollar. 

It would also protect at least $975 in wages per week from a person subject to wage garnishment because of a debt and ensure that no one in the Commonwealth is imprisoned for failure to pay a consumer debt. Currently only $750 per week in wages is protected from garnishment. The bill would also reduce, from 6 years to 5 years, the time in which a company can bring suit to collect a consumer debt.  

“For residents in the Commonwealth, debt collection can ravage a family’s financial and personal well-being,” said Senator Friedman, Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “This legislation protects consumers by safeguarding more wages from garnishment and reducing debt interest from predatory to reasonable levels. I am hopeful that these important measures will soon become law.” … Read more.

Legislation pairs emergency assistance with long-term shelter framework and workforce training 

BOSTON (03/21/2024)—Today, after extensive debate, the Massachusetts Senate passed S.2708, a supplemental budget which would make additional appropriations to the emergency shelter system while taking proactive and fiscally responsible steps to ensure its long term effectiveness. Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington) voted in favor of the legislation, which also supports workforce training programs for families who have recently migrated to Massachusetts.  

The bill requires each family in shelter to receive an individualized rehousing plan; eligibility for shelter after nine months would be contingent upon compliance with the rehousing plan, with certain categorical exemptions. The bill comes on the heels of Congress torpedoing bipartisan, commonsense federal immigration reforms which would have brought assistance to the Commonwealth.  

“This supplemental budget addresses some of the biggest challenges our Commonwealth’s Emergency Assistance shelter program has faced in recent months,” said Senator Friedman, Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “Understanding the extreme complexity of the shelter system, the Senate plan balances the financial impacts of this program with the humanitarian interests of our state, ensuring that we remain a welcoming and supportive destination for families fleeing devastation in other areas of the world. It also provides important supports for Massachusetts families who are homeless, currently making up over half the families living in our shelter system. This supplemental budget contains provisions that allow for our state government to take a regional focus on resettlement and workforce training initiatives to prevent homelessness and improve self-sufficiency and outcomes for those families i.” … Read more.

Senate bill would criminalize dissemination of explicit photos without a subject’s permission 

BOSTON (3/21/2024)—Today, Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington) and her colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed An Act to prevent abuse and exploitation, bipartisan legislation that would criminalize the sharing of sexually explicit images or videos without an individual’s consent and implement a comprehensive educational diversion program designed for adolescents on the consequences of posting indecent visual depictions online. 

The bill, S.2073, increases the allowable fine for unlawful distribution of indecent images, and rein in coercive control of abusers. 

“This legislation will finally place Massachusetts in line with almost every state in the nation and codifies protections for individuals from online exploitation,” said Senator Friedman, Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “It is vital that we update our laws to reflect the realities of the digital age, especially to ensure better practices of handling these incidents in schools and among our youth.” 
 
 
The bill requires the Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) to develop and implement a comprehensive educational diversion program designed for adolescents on the consequences of sexting and posting indecent visuals online. It also requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to encourage school districts to implement instruction on age-appropriate media literacy skills and to use this content from the Office of the Child Advocate’s comprehensive educational diversion program. 

The bill defines coercive control as a single act or pattern of behavior intended to threaten, intimidate, control, or compel compliance of a family or household member that causes a fear of physical harm or a reduced sense of physical safety.… Read more.