Our Legislative and Public Policy Committee is led by our mission and public hearing testimony when finalizing our slate of bills to continue to advocate for in 2025-2026 and in future legislative sessions. Some of our priority legislation includes:

HD.402/SD.381 

Parity on Boards: An Act to Ensure Gender Parity and Racial and Ethnic Diversity on Public Boards and Commissions

Lead Sponsors:
Representative Tram T. Nguyen, Representative Dawne Shand & Senator Jason Lewis

Status:
Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Senate Ways and Means

An Act to Promote Diversity on Public Boards and Commissions would work to promote diversity in leadership and governance that broadly reflects the demographics of our Commonwealth.

HD.1126

An Act Relative to Virtual Meetings Of Appointed Statewide Public Bodies 

Lead Sponsors:
Representative Tricia Farley- Bouvier & Representative Mindy Domb

This bill expands remote participation for members appointed to public bodies by setting the standard that members who participate remotely must be audible and able to connect with the public through telephone or other technological means.  

SD.2185

An Act Updating the Open Meeting Law to Support Remote Participation 

Lead Sponsors:
Senator Becca Rausch

This legislation would extend remote participation in the open meeting law. Through State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, this bill supports a permanent hybrid set up at any public body meeting by ensuring that any relevant documents must be released ahead of time with no fees for participation.  

SD.860 

An Act Providing for Safe and Consensual Sensitive Examinations 

Lead Sponsor:
Senator Jo Comerford

This bill prevents pelvic examinations on patients under anesthesia without written confirmation and allows a third-party witness to be present.

HD.3501

An Act Relative to Healthcare Industry Recruitment and Education for the 21st Century  

Lead Sponsors:
Representative John Lawn & Representative Marjorie Decker

This bill aims to expand the primary and behavioral healthcare workforce by creating a council for inclusive planning and establishing a fund to promote healthcare careers from K-12 through higher education. 

HD.1110/SD.1565

An Act Relative to Family Members Serving as Caregivers 

Lead Sponsors:
Representative James O’Day & Senator Joan Lovely

Status:
Referred to Joint Committee on Public Health 

Allows for family members, power of attorneys, adult children of patient(s), and other legally liable family to be compensated for their care. 

HD.3207/SD.1644

Capital Equity Bill: An Act relative to Fair Investment Practices 

Lead Sponsors:
Senator Cindy F. Friedman & Representative Tram T. Nguyen

This bill would promote better access for women and minorities to entrepreneurial funding and add protections for those engaging in private funding contracts. These added protections will help women and minorities from being discriminated against with no punishment to the firms.

HD.2108/SD.1786

An Act Expanding Access to Family, Friend, and Neighbor-Provided Childcare 

Lead Sponsors:
Representative Marjorie Decker & Senator Sal DiDomenico

The bill forms an advisory committee representing “Family, Friend and Neighbor Care” which will then work to create a payment structure for FFN caregivers, allowing families with vouchers to pay for services.  

SD.501 

An Act to Protect Safety and Privacy by Stopping the Sale of Location Data

Lead Sponsors: Senator Cynthia Stone Creem 

This bill prohibits the collection of user location data without consent and ensures an easy opt-out process for targeted advertising. 

H.332

Menopause Awareness Bill: An Act Pertaining to Women’s Health at Midlife and Public, Medical and Workplace Awareness of the Transitional Stage of Menopause and Related Chronic Conditions

Lead Sponsors: Representative Joan Meschino

The goal of this bill is to increase awareness of menopause for patients, clinicians, and employers. Through the development of educational tools, using collaboration with the Commissioner of the DPH and various nonprofits and medical professionals.  

HD.3096

An Act Relative to the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women

Lead Sponsors: Representative David Vieira & Representative Hadley Luddy

Technical Amendment to enabling language to allow for the MCSW Trust Fund to earn interest and to change the MCSW’s Annual Reporting Deadline to July 31.  

SD.1520/HD.897

An Act Relative to the Regional Commissions on the Status of Women

Lead Sponsors: Representative Patrick O’Connor & Representative Joan Meschino

Technical Amendment to enabling language to remove the town of Hull from the Eastern Regional Commission’s geographic boundary.   

SD.1098/HD.1552

An Act to Increase Access to Disposable Menstrual Products

Lead Sponsors: Senator Patricia Jehlen ,Representative Jay Livingstone, Representative Christine Barber

Also known as the I AM Bill, this bill would provide access to free menstrual products to all menstruating individuals in schools, shelters, and prisons.  

SD.1777/HD.947

An Act Relative to Healthy Youth

Lead Sponsors: Senator Sal DiDomenico, Representatives Jim O’Day, Representative Vanna Howard

This bill will ensure that only sex and relationship education that is medically accurate, age appropriate, and inclusive is taught in Massachusetts Public Schools. 

SD.2341/HD.1228

An Act Establishing Medicare for all in Massachusetts

Lead Sponsors: Senator James B. Eldridge, Representative Lindsay Sabadosa, Representative Denise C. Garlick

This bill would guarantee equitable health care access for every resident of the Commonwealth through the Massachusetts Health Care Trust, a single payer for all medically necessary care. The Act will provide continuous access to health care services, without the current need for repeated re-enrollments or changes when employers choose new plans and residents change jobs. Coverage shall be comprehensive and publicly financed, free of out-of-pocket cost at point-of-care, with no co-insurance, co-payments, deductibles, or any other patients.  

SD.573/ HD.2465

An Act Relative to Human Rights and Improved Outcomes for Incarcerated People

Lead Sponsors: Senator Cynthia Stone Creem and Representative Brandy Fluker-Reid

This bill will establish universal baseline standards for every person incarcerated in Massachusetts state prisons, county jails, and the house of corrections. Instead of focusing on a culture of punishment, this bill seeks to shift correctional priorities to rehabilitation and re-entry, setting standards for out-of-cell time and opportunities for incarcerated people to attend education, training, employment, and other rehabilitation programs. 

HD.4240

Resolutions to Study Women Veterans and Long-Term Effects of Combat on Motherhood

Lead Sponsors: Representative Shirley Arriaga 

This resolve would establish a special legislative commission to study women veterans and the long-term effects of combat on motherhood.  

Get Involved!

There are a number of ways that you can get involved: Take a look at the video former MCSW Commissioner Becca Glenn developed to prepare advocates to request co sponsorships for some of the Commission’s priority bills.

​​​​​​Interested in advocating with MCSW? Join our mailing list to keep up with our advocacy day updates or email us at mcsw@mass.gov for more information. Whether you have a general interest in advocacy, or want to advocate for a particular bill on our priority legislation list, we want to amplify your voice!

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