BOSTON- State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) joined his Senate and House colleagues in the Springfield delegation for the passage of H.4482, An Act authorizing the city of Springfield to continue the employment of police officer Lawrence E. Akers. This bill permits the city of Springfield to extend the employment of Police Superintendent Lawrence E. Akers beyond the standard retirement age of 65, to 70 years old. The bill was co-sponsored by all members of the Springfield delegation, including Senator Jake Oliveira, and Representatives Carlos González, Orlando Ramos, Angelo Puppolo, Brian Ashe and Bud Williams.  

“I am proud to join my colleagues in the Springfield delegation to pass this home rule petition and cement Larry Akers’ appointment as Superintendent of the Springfield Police Department,” said Senator Gomez. “I look forward to collaborating with Superintendent Akers and the Springfield Police Department on our shared vision of keeping our community safe and rebuilding an enduring trust between the police and the community in the City of Springfield.”   

This achievement marks a collaborative effort between the Mayor, city council, and the State Legislature to ensure the bill’s timely passage, maintaining Akers’ tenure without interruption.  

The bill will now head to the Governor’s desk for signing.  

BOSTON- State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) joined State Representative Carlos Gonzalez (10th Hampden District), Baystate Health, and community members for an ‘earmark acknowledgement event’ on Friday at the Baystate Brightwood Health Center in Springfield, celebrating a pair of amendments secured by the two representatives during last year’s state budget cycle. Through their efforts Baystate Health was awarded a total of $300,000 in earmark funding, with $50,000 and $250,000 being allocated for the Brightwood “Wellness on Wheels” (WOW) Bus and for IT enhancements intended to begin to bridge the digital divide, respectively.  

“I am proud to partner once again with my colleague State Representative Gonzalez on this vital investment for the Hampden district,” said Senator Gomez. “Baystate’s partnership continues to be instrumental because community clinics like the Brightwood Health Clinic recognize the needs of the historically underserved residents from the surrounding neighborhoods and offer accessible and culturally responsive preventative care. If we continuously lead with our heart and compassion and make sure we’re awarding intentional earmarks, our region will thrive by virtue of better health care outcomes.”   

Earmark funding will be spent for the Baystate Brightwood Health Center WoW bus which focuses on health conditions disproportionately impacting urban and rural communities and targets residents who are economically, racially, culturally, or socially marginalized. Funding will also be used to upgrade exam room IT equipment and to modify and upgrade community room space to accommodate community/group telehealth medical visits and health education. 

(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.  

Following debate, the Senate approved the legislation 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.  

“Today I joined my colleagues in passing legislation that addresses issues with our Commonwealth’s health care system and places people over profits,” said Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield). “This sweeping legislation comes at a time when lack of oversight and transparency, exacerbated by mismanagement in the private sector, led to a health care crisis. I am grateful to Senator Freidman, and my Senate colleagues for assuming the responsibility we have as a legislature to implement safeguards to ensure affordable health care for residents across Massachusetts.” 

“Massachusetts is the health care capital of the world because we take seriously our responsibility to invest in and protect our systems, providers, and patients,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “As we stare down a health care market plagued by high costs and the fallout from private equity mismanagement, the Senate has doubled down on our responsibility to our residents, making us a national leader in safeguarding patients, expanding access to care, and holding private equity accountable. I’m grateful to the unmatched work of Senator Friedman, the work of my colleagues, and the countless advocates who have contributed their voices to this legislation.” 

“I’m pleased that the Senate has taken an expansive overhaul of the Commonwealth’s struggling health care system with this regulatory redress bill,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “The collapse of Steward Health Care shows us that it’s now time to reform the system and make transparent the process of costs in relation to services rendered to patients. While Massachusetts is known throughout the world as providing the very best in health care, this legislation will make that care more affordable and accessible. I thank Senator Freidman for her work in bringing this cost containment bill to the full Senate for its consideration.” 

“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 Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington). “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. Residents of Massachusetts deserve health care that is accessible, affordable, and high quality, and this bill continues the Senate’s goal to deliver just that.” 

Provisions of An Act enhancing the health care market review process include:  

Expanding oversight of Private Equity. Leading nationwide efforts, the bill expands oversight of private equity firms, real estate investment trusts (REITs), and management services organizations (MSOs) involved with Massachusetts health care providers and provider organizations. In conjunction with the Senate’s efforts to rein in the costs of prescription drugs through the PACT Act, the bill expands oversight of pharmaceutical manufacturing companies and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and creates a licensing structure for PBMs.  

In addition to PBMs, the bill establishes licensing structures for certain health care providers currently not licensed, and therefore not subject to Department of Public Health (DPH) oversight, including office-based surgical centers, urgent care centers, and health care practices. 

Improving Access to Primary Care. Access to primary care is proven to reduce health care costs, yet there is an extreme shortage of primary care providers in Massachusetts and across the country. To understand how to best build a sustainable primary care system, the bill establishes a task force to study and make recommendations to stabilize the system and workforce, increase financial investment in primary care, and improve patient access to primary care. 

The bill moves state health planning to the Health Policy Commission (HPC) and the health care resources inventory to the Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) to better align with the work of these agencies. In developing the state health plan, HPC is directed to consider health equity goals. The bill also directs HPC and CHIA to set and measure health care affordability goals for the Commonwealth. 

Keeping Health Insurance Affordable. The bill establishes a health insurance bureau within the Division of Insurance (DOI) to conduct rate reviews of premium rates for health benefit plans, oversee the small group and individual health insurance market and affordable health plans—including coverage for young adults—and disseminate information to consumers about health insurance coverage. 

Cutting Red Tape for Prescription Access. In response to an increased number of consumer reports of delays accessing medications due to the need for prior authorizations, the bill requires a new insurance carrier to honor any prior authorizations approved by a previous carrier for at least 90 days following a patient’s enrollment in the new health plan.  The bill also requires that a prior authorization approval for medication and treatment prescribed for chronic disease management must be valid for the length of the prescription, up to 12 months. 

Strengthening the Health Policy Commission (HPC). To strengthen the HPC’s work to advance a transparent and equitable health system, the bill adds members with expertise in hospital administration and in the development and pricing of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, or medical devices to its Board of Commissioners.  

The bill adjusts the HPC’s setting of the health care cost growth benchmark—the limit of how much the HPC believes health care costs should grow over time—from one year to two years, to better account for irregularities in costs. 

Boosting Transparency at the Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA). To increase transparency, the bill authorizes CHIA to collect information from additional health care entities such as pharmaceutical companies and pharmacy benefit managers. The bill strengthens HPC’s and CHIA’s ability to ensure compliance with data reporting requirements by health care entities by enhancing the penalties for non-compliance. 

Protecting Practitioner Autonomy. This bill prevents businesses, such as MSOs and corporate employers of health care practitioners, from encroaching on the clinical autonomy of practitioners. While MSOs were created to provide practices with administrative and business support, in recent years, private equity firms and other corporations have started using MSOs to increase profits by controlling practices, and by extension, the practitioners who work in them. Patients deserve safe and appropriate care that is based on a practitioner’s best professional judgment without the influence of business interests. 

Managing Costs and Improving Quality of Care. The bill updates several programs aimed at constraining health care costs and improving care quality, including the Determination of Need (DoN), Performance Improvement Plan (PIP), and Material Change Notice (MCN), and programs. 

Determination of Need. This bill increases coordination between state agencies involved in health care market review by clarifying that DPH should not act on a DoN application until HPC, CHIA, the Attorney General, or other relevant agencies have been given reasonable opportunity to supply required information. This change will ensure that DPH has all the information it needs to more fully assess a proposal’s potential impact on the provision of health care in the Commonwealth. 

Performance Improvement Plan. The PIP is a process by which HPC can require entities that have exceeded the cost growth benchmark to reduce their spending. The bill provides more flexibility for CHIA to refer health care entities with excessive spending to HPC, which can require the referred entity to file and implement a PIP. In addition, the HPC is given new authority to assess a civil penalty instead of requiring a PIP. 

Material Change Notice . A MCN is a requirement for providers and provider organizations to notify HPC of a proposed change to their operations or governance structure at least 60 days before the change is to go into effect. The bill adds new types of transactions that require a MCN, including significant new for-profit investment and acquisitions by for-profit entities, such as large for-profit physician organizations and private equity firms, as well as the sale of assets for the purposes of a lease-back arrangement.  

Crucially, the bill gives HPC new authority to require providers to address concerns that their proposed change will significantly increase consumer costs, reduce the quality of care, or reduce access to services. 

A previous version of this bill having passed the House of Representatives, the two branches will now reconcile the differences between the bills, before sending it to the Governor’s desk. 

BOSTON- State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) joined U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey, State Senator Jake Oliveira and Springfield City Councilors Maria Perez, Melvin Edwards to tour the newly renovated Connecticut River Valley YouthBuild Training Center. Following a tour of YouthBuild’s education and job training facility, Senator Markey participated in a roundtable discussion with recent program graduates.   

“I was honored to welcome YouthBuild participants to my office on Beacon Hill this past March, and even more so now, following their fruitful conversation with Senator Markey,” commented Senator Gomez. “For Greater Springfield, this program is a beacon of hope for vulnerable youth in need of viable career alternatives to traditional education pathways. I’m grateful to Senator Markey for his continued investment in YouthBuild and hope the great work happening in Springfield can serve as a model across the nation.”  

CRV YouthBuild serves youth in the Connecticut River Valley region while based in Springfield the metro center of Western Massachusetts. CRV YouthBuild became an affiliate of YouthBuild USA and recognized program of the Massachusetts YouthBuild Coalition securing funding to commence programing for out of school youth to complete High School Diploma equivalency and pursue either a focus in Construction or CRV YB’s Construction Plus track which has a focus in the health care industry. Some of the program outcomes are significant educational gains and industry recognized certificates upon completion. 

BOSTON- State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) joined Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Ed Augustus and a variety of leaders from local healthcare organizations in Springfield on Tuesday for a roundtable discussion convened by Revitalize CDC. In attendance were representatives from the Public Health Institute of Western MA, Community Care Cooperative, Trinity Health of New England, Holyoke Medical Center and Baystate Health.  

“I am proud to serve in the Massachusetts Senate alongside an administration that recognizes housing, or lack thereof, as a pivotal social determinant for public health,” said Senator Gomez. “Residents in gateway cities along the Hampden County corridor and across the state are facing housing shortages. I look forward to continuing working with my colleagues in the legislature to offer our Commonwealth viable solutions to combat the housing crisis that integrate a focus on sustainability.”

Founded in 1992, Revitalize CDC performs critical repairs on homes of low-income families with children, the elderly, military veterans and people with special needs. Recently, Revitalize CDC’s #GreenNFit Neighborhood Rebuild revitalized 191 homes within the Old Hill Community of Springfield, with the support of 7,800 volunteers and 122 sponsors.  

Senator Gomez has been a staunch supporter of the organization since his election to the legislature in 2021, sponsoring a number of bills this session that would target their mission. Among them is one to establish a Zero Carbon Renovation Fund aimed at jumpstarting the market for zero carbon renovations, including (1) maximizing energy efficiency through building envelope upgrades, (2) electrification of building systems, (3) maximizing usage of on-site renewable energy, wherever possible, and (4) use of building retrofit materials that are low embodied carbon. The fund would prioritize affordable housing, public housing, low- and moderate-income homes, schools, BIPOC- and women-owned businesses, and buildings located in Environmental Justice communities. 

(BOSTON—06/27/2024) The Massachusetts Senate took action today to address the state’s housing crisis. S.2834, An Act relative to affordable homes—also known as the Affordable Homes Act—authorizes $5.4 billion in borrowing and makes crucial policy changes with the goal of building new housing, accelerating the rehabilitation of existing housing, reducing barriers to development, and promoting affordable housing.

 Following robust debate, the Senate passed the legislation unanimously.

 State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield), serving in his second term in the legislature and having previously experienced housing insecurity himself, had this to say on the bill’s passage, “The housing crisis we are seeing nationwide is one of the major challenges of our lifetime, and a challenge we can’t shy away from if our state is going to remain competitive and viable for families and individuals who want to set their roots here. Today we took important steps to address this issue and make the housing market more approachable to first time buyers and people of color, as well as renters looking for affordability in the areas they work. I am proud of our work here and look forward to seeing this blueprint put in motion.”

The legislation makes important investments in public housing; housing affordability; sustainable building initiatives; initiatives for first-time homebuyers; essential infrastructure; geographic equity; and incentivizing local best practices. Additionally, the bill includes policy proposals to further housing equity for both homeowners and renters. The bill contains $5.4 billion in bond authorizations, including:

Creating and Repairing Public Housing

The Senate Affordable Homes Act provides $2.2 billion for repairs, rehabilitation, and renovation across the 43,000 units of state-aided public housing. This significant investment ensures that the state's public housing infrastructure remains safe, modern, and sustainable, so it can continue providing quality living conditions for thousands of families.

To ensure that the Commonwealth makes strides towards its climate goals as it creates housing, $150 million of the funding for public housing is specifically allocated to making energy efficient upgrades.

Spurring Affordable Housing Units

A further $425 million will go to the Housing Stabilization and Investment Trust fund, working with municipalities, non-profits, and developers to support housing preservation, new construction, and rehabilitation projects for affordable rental units. This will help the longevity and sustainability of affordable housing stock, addressing both immediate needs and long-term housing solutions.

It additionally adds $800 million into the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to create and preserve housing for households with an income at or below 110 per cent of area median income, helping to bridge the gap between the high cost of housing and what many families can afford.

Building Sustainably

This bond bill includes $275 million for innovative, sustainable, and green housing initiatives. By finding new ways to build that don’t have such a detrimental environmental impact, these initiatives will help pave the way for a greener housing portfolio in Massachusetts and will be an important part of the state’s response to the climate crisis.

Supporting First-Time Homebuyers in Gateway Cities

The Senate Affordable Homes Act authorizes $200 million for the CommonWealth Builder program to further the production of housing in gateway cities for first-time homebuyers. This initiative supports economic development in these cities, helping families achieve homeownership and contributing to the revitalization of urban areas.

The legislation also includes $50 million for MassDreams, a program that provides down payment and closing cost grants to first-time homebuyers who meet the program's eligibility criteria and who currently live in one of the 29 communities that were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maintaining Essential Infrastructure

The bill provides $375 million for HousingWorks, a program that awards grants to municipalities and other public entities for a variety of infrastructure-related support. Improving essential infrastructure supports the health and safety of residents and the feasibility of new housing projects.

Of this amount, $100 million will be dedicated to addressing water, sewer, and septic challenges tied to housing developments, and $100 million will help incentivize best practices in communities that have adopted the Community Preservation Act (CPA) and are spending a high percentage of those funds on housing, as well as  MBTA communities that are going beyond the minimum requirements set forth in the MBTA zoning law passed in 2021. Communities that have been proactive in creating transit-oriented development, which reduces traffic congestion and promotes sustainable urban growth, will be eligible.

Addressing Regional Equity

The legislation includes $150 million in dedicated funds to address the unique housing needs of rural towns, seasonal communities, and mid-sized communities. This ensures that all areas of the state, regardless of size or location, have the resources to meet their specific housing challenges.

The Senate’s Affordable Homes Act also contains multiple policy proposals to go hand in hand with the new authorizations.

Protecting Tenants from Broker Fees

By requiring that real estate brokers’ fees be paid solely by the party that contracted with them, this legislation ensures that buyers are not burdened with unexpected and extraordinary costs. It also promotes transparency and fairness in real estate transactions.

Establishing Equity-Focused Housing Offices

The Office of Fair Housing and the Office of Livable Communities and Community Services will be established under the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. These offices will set the Commonwealth on a path to address many decades of housing discrimination by prioritizing equity issues in housing across the Commonwealth, ensuring equal access to housing opportunities for all residents, and offering technical assistance to cities and towns that can sometimes lack dedicated housing staff.

Eviction Record Sealing

The bill introduces a process for tenants to seal their eviction records in cases of no-fault evictions and other limited scenarios. This policy protects vulnerable tenants from the long-term stigma of eviction records, enhancing their ability to secure future housing and promoting housing stability.

 Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)

The legislation prohibits the banning or unreasonable restriction of ADUs in single-family residential zones, promoting flexible housing options. This policy enables homeowners to create additional living spaces, increases housing supply and provides more affordable rental options within established neighborhoods.

 Homeownership Tax Credit

This new tax credit will be available for the production of homeownership units for households that make up to 120 per cent of the area median income, incentivizing housing production and promoting homeownership opportunities.

 Separate versions having passed the Senate and the House of Representatives, the two branches will now reconcile the differences.

(BOSTON—06/25/2024) On Tuesday the Massachusetts Senate passed comprehensive climate legislation to make systemic changes to the state’s clean energy infrastructure that will help the state achieve its net zero emissions by 2050 goals, expand electric vehicle (EV) use and infrastructure, and protect residents and ratepayers. The bill passed the upper chamber by a vote of 38-2.

The climate bill will allow Massachusetts to develop infrastructure essential for the fight against climate change, including new solar, wind, and storage facilities. It will also enhance the electric grid to support getting clean energy to residents efficiently and in the needed capacities to power homes, businesses, and vehicles. 

Enhancements to the clean energy grid will be paired with measures to keep costs down for ratepayers across the state.

“We are in a climate crisis, and it is far past time that we stepped up to address the issue by making the necessary infrastructure changes to dramatically alter our energy landscape in the 21st century,” stated Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield). “Through this bill we lay the blueprint for making it easier to build clean energy infrastructure- transitioning us towards a better and more sustainable future.”

The comprehensive climate legislation modernizes laws related to cost control for ratepayers; siting and permitting; decarbonization; electric transportation incentives; clean tech innovation; emissions reduction in state operations; and natural gas infrastructure.

 Protecting Ratepayers from High Costs

To save residents’ money and protect residents from unfair and deceptive practices, the bill would ban competitive energy suppliers from enrolling new individual residential customers. According to the Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Public Utilities (DPU), data analyses show that consumers lost more than $577 million to competitive electric suppliers between July 2015 and June 2023. The Senate previously adopted this policy in April.

 Consumers will see relief in a number of other ways as well. The bill would lower utility rates for consumers with low- and middle-incomes by directing utility providers to offer lower rates to eligible consumers. Utility companies would also gain more flexibility to negotiate the lengths of basic service contracts with electricity providers. By negotiating longer-term contracts, residents are less likely to see cost spikes.

 Partnering with Communities to Expedite Siting and Permitting

The siting and permitting provisions, modeled on the work of a commission of diverse stakeholders established by the Healey-Driscoll administration, will consolidate the review of clean energy siting and permitting and expedite the timeline of projects. Large projects that require state, regional, and local permits will be consolidated into a single permit that must be decided upon in 15 months. Small projects with multiple local permits will also be consolidated into a single permit and must be decided upon in one year.

Robust community review processes will be paired with new permitting. The legislation formally establishes the Office of Environmental Justice and Equity (EJE), the Office of Public Participation at the Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB), and the Division of Siting and Permitting at the Department of Energy Resources (DSPDER). Each office would be charged with engaging with communities and applicants in their respective areas to ensure a thorough and community-centered review.

To protect ratepayers from bearing the cost of new construction, the state will require the EFSB to first consider enhancing current technologies before looking to new construction. An online clean energy infrastructure dashboard would also be created to promote public accountability in real time.

Making EVs Accessible and Expanding Infrastructure

Gas-powered vehicles are one of the highest emitters of carbon, and incentivizing EV usage is critical to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

The legislation would expand the state’s MOR-EV program through 2027, which gives residents $3,500-$6,000 for the purchase of new or used electric vehicles. It would allow residents who own parcels within condominiums, homeowner associations, and historic districts to install EV chargers, and authorize condo boards to install EV chargers on community parcels.

It will bring coordination to EV infrastructure expansion, by centralizing the deployment of resources with the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Coordinating Council (EVICC), and directing DPU to make it easier to install pole-mounted chargers that often are used in parking spots and on streets.

The bill would also make it easier for cities and towns to procure electric school buses and EV charging equipment for their municipalities.

Decarbonizing Buildings

An Act Upgrading the Grid and Protecting Ratepayers makes it easier to decarbonize buildings across the state, a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. It would authorize condo association boards to install energy efficiency devices and EV chargers in common areas and make heat pumps more efficient by allowing installers to use the most up-to-date refrigerants.

Leading the Way on Clean Technology and Innovation

Already leaders in clean technology, the state's innovators will receive even more support from this legislation to make sure that the next generation of technology is built in Massachusetts.

The legislation would boost the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) by expanding their mission to include carbon removal, embodied carbon reduction, and nuclear power. MassCEC would also be directed to promote carbon removal and embodied carbon activities, and study opportunities for future carbon removal.

 Leading by Example

The Commonwealth will take an in-depth look at its own operational climate impact under this legislation.

 It would revise Massport’s enabling statute to prioritize reductions in greenhouse gas emissions alongside the promotion of commerce and growth. It would direct the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) to evaluate the energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions of state buildings, as well as seek options for reducing future emissions. The mission of the Board of Building Regulations and Standards would also be expanded to include the pursuit of reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

 Curbing Over-reliance on Natural Gas

Ensuring the electrical grid is on an equal playing field as the natural gas system is crucial to reducing dependency on fossil fuels and reaching the state’s net zero carbon emissions goals.

 The bill reins in a statutory provision that for decades has given gas companies a preferential ratemaking advantage over providers of other heating sources.

 Under An Act Upgrading the Grid and Protecting Ratepayers, the DPU will be directed to consider greenhouse gas impacts when it weighs a petition by a gas company to expand its territory. Gas companies will be allowed to pursue geothermal projects and networked heat pump systems, new opportunities that are undergoing successful testing in communities in Framingham and Lowell.

 As the gas system needs continued upgrades, the legislation will shift the system from automatically replacing leak-prone pipes, to instead considering more targeted repairs, or decommissioning the line altogether if a more climate friendly alternative exists. Payments for new gas lines are often financed over 30 years, beyond the 2050 goal of reducing fossil fuels. By repairing or decommissioning pipes instead of replacing them, costs shifted to ratepayers are reduced, and the clean energy transition is accelerated.  

 During debate, the Senate voted to adopt an amendment modernizing the ‘bottle bill’, adding noncarbonated beverages, wine, and spirits to the list of containers eligible for a bottle deposit, and increasing the deposit amount from 5 cents to 10 cents.

 Having passed the Senate, the legislation now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.

 Statements of Support:

 “I applaud the Senate for passing a climate bill that includes big wins for consumers and our communities, marking a significant step toward an equitable transition to clean energy,” said Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. “Today's legislation proposes a new intervenor compensation program that will give communities the resources they need to help shape our clean energy future. I am also grateful that the Senate included provisions that would ban the predatory competitive electric supply industry and wind down the costly Gas System Enhancement Plan program.”

 “S.2829 includes a package of landmark reforms that will streamline permitting for clean energy infrastructure, a crucial step toward achieving our climate mandates,” said Jessica Robertson, Director of Policy & Business Development New England, New Leaf Energy. “This bill, which is based on the recommendations of a diverse group of stakeholders on the Commission on Clean Energy Infrastructure Siting and Permitting, strikes a balance by preserving local control while providing for more consistency and predictability in the permitting process. With the Senate, House, and Administration all committed to improving how we permit clean energy infrastructure in the commonwealth, I am hopeful that these reforms will be enacted this session, and we can get to work building the clean generation, storage, and grid infrastructure needed to power our future.”

 "We celebrate the opportunity this bill presents to scale the Gas to Geo pathway HEET pioneered, and we are deeply committed to ensuring that means both growing good jobs and expanding access to affordable clean energy,” said Zeyneb Magavi, Executive Director of HEET.

“Mass Audubon is proud that our legislative climate and energy leaders and the Healey Administration have delivered an omnibus climate bill which reflects so many of the recommendations of the Commission on Clean Energy Infrastructure Siting and Permitting,” said Michelle Manion, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at Mass Audubon. “An Act Upgrading the Grid and Protecting Ratepayers will accelerate clean energy while also recognizing the importance of nature – our forests, wetlands, and farms – in the climate fight, and that our towns and cities are essential partners in delivering on the solution set.  This bill is the Commonwealth’s next best step in addressing the climate crisis.” 

 “The Nature Conservancy is thrilled with the Senate's passage of a robust and impactful bill to address the causes and impacts of climate change,” said Steve Long, Director of Policy and Partnerships at The Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts. “We are especially pleased with the strong support for reforms recommended by the Commission on Energy Infrastructure and Siting and Permitting, on which we served, to accelerate the deployment of clean energy infrastructure while avoiding impacts on nature and people. Massachusetts again leads the nation on rapidly advancing the decarbonization of energy with requiring earlier analysis of site suitability, engagement with residents, and avoiding and mitigating impacts. This integrated approach will provide a collaborative process to inform the siting and design of energy infrastructure and lead to more consensus and fewer conflicts for a more equitable and efficient process.”

 “Yet again, the Senate has put together a strong energy and climate bill. They’re doing the right think for consumers by banning retail electricity suppliers,” said Larry Chretien, Executive Director of Green Energy at the Consumers Alliance. They’re supporting EV adoption. And they are giving the Department of Public Utilities authorization to regulate gas utilities in alignment with our climate mandates.”

“The Massachusetts Senate continued to display its bold leadership on climate with the passage of this ambitious bill today,” Kyle Murray, State Program Implementation and Massachusetts Program Director at the Acadia Center. “This legislation is another critical piece in the puzzle of how our Commonwealth can meet its strong greenhouse gas emissions reduction requirements.”

 “I’m here today to congratulate the Massachusetts Senate leadership and particularly to Senator Barrett, my Senator Cynthia Creem, and Senate President Spilka’s team,” said Mark Dyen, a part of the Steering Team of Gas Transition Allies at Newton 350. “While the bill has many important provisions, there are a few critical sections that facilitate the essential transition off the greenhouse gas emitting fuels we use to heat our homes and buildings: heating oil, propane and natural gas. The sections turn general plans for decarbonization into actionable, annual plans that Massachusetts gas companies must submit and follow. The bill also offers gas companies and their workers a pathway to participate in the clean energy future of the Commonwealth by installing and selling non-emitting thermal energy through networked geothermal systems and other technologies.”

 “ELM commends the Massachusetts Senate for their ongoing commitment to meeting our climate and conservation challenges with strong legislation aimed at deploying renewable energy, protecting nature, and reducing polluting waste,” said David Melly, Legislative Director for the Environmental League of Massachusetts. “The net-zero transition represents a watershed opportunity to improve the way we engage with communities, protect valuable land and water, and address disproportionate burdens when we site, permit, and plan infrastructure. And comprehensive action on waste reduction will both support our climate goals and reduce damage to the very same natural resources we’re working to protect.”

 “At a critical time in the Commonwealth’s fight against climate change and at Governor Healey's request, stakeholders, involved with or impacted by energy siting and permitting came together and developed thoughtful solutions to accelerate the deployment of clean energy,” said Mark Sylvia, Chief of Staff at Bluewave Solar. “These recommendations have been included in comprehensive legislation under consideration by both the Senate and House of Representatives.  I applaud Senate and House leaders for incorporating the Commission's work into broader climate legislation this session   The General Court and Governor Healey and her team at EEA will yet again show through action that Massachusetts leads the way in combatting climate change and growing our economy at the same time.”

 “Updating the bottle bill is a win/win/win proposal,” said Janet Domenitz, Executive Director of MASSPIRG. “Putting a deposit on water bottles, sports drinks and more will reduce waste, improve recycling, and save cities and towns money in trash and litter pick up. The nickel deposit, set in 1982, would be 16c today if we tracked inflation--this bill gets it to a dime, long overdue.”

(BOSTON—6/20/2024) Today the Massachusetts Senate passed legislation that builds on the state’s climate and environmental leadership by banning single-use plastic bags, making straws and plasticware available by request only, and making it easier to recycle. The legislation passed by a vote of 38-2.

“In Massachusetts, we take pride in being a leader when it comes to protecting our environment and people’s health, and this bill continues that leadership” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “Limiting our plastics use means less trash in our water ways and on our streets, and giving our kids the green, clean planet they deserve to inherit. This is a crucial part of achieving the Commonwealth’s climate goals, and I want to thank Senator Rausch for her leadership, Chair Rodrigues, our members, and every advocate who has spoken up on this issue, for their hard work.”

“This vital legislation is another step forward towards eradicating plastics, a top environmental offender, in our everyday life,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.  “We need to continue to move away from harmful plastics and throwaway products, like Europe has, and prioritize bio and ego friendly products and services to stay abreast of the global economy. I thank Senator Rausch for her unrelenting perseverance in moving thislegislation forward once again.  I’m hopeful this is the first of many!”

“From microplastics in our blood to plastic bags in our waterways to greenhouse gases in our air, plastics pollute and harm our people and planet,” Senator Rebecca L. Rausch (D-Needham), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Environment. “The Plastics Reduction Act will prevent billions of single-use plastic bags, bottles, cutlery, and wipes from clogging up our environment, pipes, and landfills each year. This is a major win for our climate, our wildlife, and our health. I’m grateful to Senate President Karen Spilka, Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues, and the many colleagues, staff, experts, and advocates whose partnership and contributions brought this bill across the Senate finish line.”

“We’re seeing more and more the impact that plastics have on our lives and world, our health and future generations,” commented Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield). “Passing this bill is a step in the right direction towards transitioning these items out of our society, making them still available for those in need while encouraging the use of items that are reusable, safe and sustainable.”

S.2830, An Act to reduce plastic would drastically reduce plastic waste that is too often found in streets and waterways—and too often fills landfills and disposal sites—ultimately harming the environment in Massachusetts communities and contributing to global climate change. Plastics are also made using fossil fuels.

The legislation will prohibit carry-out plastic bags at retail stores statewide and require stores to charge 10 cents for recycled paper bags, five cents of which will be allocated to environmental protection measures. The bill provides a limited exemption from the requirement to collect 10 cents for small local retailers. As of May 2023, 162 Massachusetts cities and towns, making up nearly 70 per cent of the state’s population, already regulated single-use plastic bags.

The bill will also prevent plastic utensils and straws from automatically being given to consumers, prohibit single-use plastic bottle purchases by state agencies, and create a statewide program for recycling large plastic objects such as car seats.

Further, it increases statewide bulk plastic recycling by creating a statewide program for the recycling of large plastic objects, such as car seats.

In an effort to reduce the $10 million annually in avoidable costs directly caused by the flushing of non-flushable wipes, the bill will require non-flushable wipes to be clearly labeled with “Do Not Flush” warnings to prevent disruptions to the Commonwealth’s sewer system.

The legislation also asks Massachusetts to lead by example, eliminating the purchasing of plastic bottles by state agencies, and codifying the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s 2023 Executive Order on single-use plastic bottles.  

The bill would boost composting, the natural recycling of organic food scraps and materials, by directing the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to submit a report on the Commonwealth’s progress toward expanding access to composting. It also establishes a new commission to make recommendations on ways in which the state can encourage or require businesses to support recycling of efforts for the products that they produce.

It is the second time the Massachusetts Senate has taken action to prohibit single-use plastic bags in the Commonwealth.

Having passed the Senate, the legislation now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.

(BOSTON 6/13/2024) Today the Massachusetts Legislature approved August 10 and August 11 as a sales tax holiday weekend for Massachusetts. On those days, the Massachusetts sales tax of 6.25% will be suspended for most items that retail for less than $2,500.

The holiday welcomes Massachusetts residents to visit retailers and small businesses around the state. A spike in consumer activity routinely boosts indirect tax revenues. According to the Department of Revenue, during the 2023 sales tax holiday, indirect tax revenues due to increased economic activity were approximately $3.54 million.

“I am glad to see the sales tax holiday be approved in the legislature today, giving our residents a great chance to get outside and embrace their local businesses and community at a little bit of a discount,” said Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield). “This annual holiday gives a boost to our small business owners and consumers, and I am proud to support this measure annually.”

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Legislature today enacted comprehensive legislation that criminalizes the non-consensual sharing of explicit images known as “revenge porn,” creates a diversion program for teens who share explicit images, statutorily defines coercive control as an element of domestic abuse, and extends the statute of limitations to pursue criminal charges for certain domestic violence offenses from six years to 15 years.

“I am proud to see that this bill has emerged from the conference committee and now passed the Senate, expanding needed protections at a time when these awful acts are on the rise,” commented Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield). “By passing this law we send a clear message to those who might want to commit these acts, giving our survivors and victim advocates more tools against abuse and coercion.”

“This legislation strikes the important balance of modernizing our criminal laws to ensure that those who share explicit images of others without their consent face punishment, with the need to educate minors on the dangers of sharing explicit images of themselves, rather than imposing upon them some of the criminal justice system’s most severe consequences,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “I’m also incredibly proud of this legislation’s bolstered protections for survivors, including the added consideration of nonphysical forms of abuse for those seeking restraining orders from their abusers. I want to thank Chairman Day and my colleagues in the House, as well as Senate President Spilka and our partners in the Senate, for working diligently to send this critical legislation to the Governor’s desk.”

“This legislation will protect our residents from abuse and exploitation online and hold people accountable for sharing private photos without permission,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “No person’s life should devolve into chaos because a private photo was shared without their permission, and no person should fear coercion or be threatened with the sharing of such a photo. I’m thankful to every advocate who has spoken out, to the Senators who voted unanimously for this, to Senator Keenan for his leadership, and to the Speaker and our colleagues in the House of Representatives, and I look forward to seeing this bill signed into law.”

To address the nonconsensual distribution of explicit images by adults, the bill establishes a penalty in the existing criminal harassment statute which includes up to two and a half years of prison time and/or a monetary fine of up to $10,000. The bill increases the upper limit of the fine for criminal harassment from $1,000 to $5,000. If signed into law, the bill would also empower victims to petition the court for a harassment prevention order against a person who has violated the new statute.

The legislation also responds to the growing trend of individuals utilizing artificial intelligence and other digital imaging software to produce “deep fakes” of unsuspecting victims, a practice currently not prohibited under state law. These images, which are equally traumatizing to victims, often realistically depict a person’s face edited on to an unclothed body, making it challenging or impossible for viewers to determine what is reality.

Under current law, minors who possess, purchase, or share explicit photos of themselves or other minors are charged with violating child pornography laws and are required to register as sex offenders. The legislation passed today directs the Attorney General to establish an educational program to teach minors about the dire consequences and life-altering impacts caused by engaging in this behavior. The bill also allows the Commonwealth’s courts to divert minors to an educational program in lieu of sentencing to criminal punishment while providing district attorneys with the authority to petition the court to bring criminal charges in extreme cases. The educational diversion program would provide teenagers with information about the legal and nonlegal consequences of sexting, which would be made available to school districts. 

The bill passed today adds coercive control to the definition of abuse. Coercive control is a nonphysical form of abuse that includes a pattern of behavior intended to threaten, intimidate, harass, isolate, control, coerce or compel compliance of a family or household member in a manner that causes the targeted individual to fear physical harm or to have a reduced sense of physical safety or autonomy. Examples of coercive control include threating to share explicit images, regulating or monitoring a family or household member’s communications and access to services, and isolating a family or household member from friends or relatives.

The legislation passed today also extends the statute of limitations for assault and battery on a family or household member or against someone with an active protective order from six years to 15 years. This change brings the statute of limitations for these domestic violence offenses in line with the statute of limitations for the crimes of rape, assault with intent to commit rape and sex trafficking.

The same version of the bill having been passed by both chambers, the legislation now goes to the Governor’s desk for her signature.

(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 (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.

“Today we reaffirmed our commitment here in Massachusetts to respect, empower, and support those who have sacrificed for our nation and returned home,” commented Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield). “By increasing their health care and mental health benefits, promoting businesses to hire veterans, and expanding support services for active veterans and their families we start to make inroads on issues that have a direct impact on the lives of our service members, benefitting them and their families.”

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.

• Create a military spouse liaison to help military spouses with obtaining employment and child care, and deal with other issues facing military spouses.

• Allow Gold Star Family spouses to remarry without the penalty of losing their annuity benefit.

Highlights of the Senate Bill Include:

Benefit Expansion 

• Expands access to Behavioral Health Treatment: Allows veterans to be reimbursed for visits to outpatient behavioral health providers. 

• Increases the Disabled Veteran Annuity: Increases the annual annuity for veterans with a 100% service-connected disability, surviving spouses, or Gold Star Parents from $2,000 to $2,500. 

• Increases the Vet-Hire Tax Credit: Increases to $2,500 a tax credit for small businesses hiring chronically unemployed or low-income veterans. Eligible veterans include those receiving SNAP benefits, chronically unemployed veterans, and unemployed service-connected disabled veterans. 

• Increases access to the Active-Duty Buyback program: Lengthens the timeframe for veterans in public service to participate in the Active-Duty Service Buyback program and allows retroactive participation for veterans who missed the buyback opportunity. This program will enable veterans to purchase up to four years of active-duty service time toward their state retirement.  

• Prevents the "COLA Cliff": Ensuring that a cost-of-living adjustment in Social Security benefits will not affect veterans' eligibility for Chapter 115 benefits in the middle of the state fiscal year.   

• Increases Local Flexibility for Veterans Property Tax Exemptions: Creates two separate local options. The first allows municipalities to double the veteran property tax exemption without doubling all other exemption clauses. The second ties the annual property tax abatement amount to inflation, allowing exempted property tax amounts to increase with inflation. 

• Eliminates the Fee for Specialty License Plates for Veterans: Waives specialty license plate fees on specialty veteran license plates and creates a new woman veteran license plate decal.  

• Allows municipalities to increase the property tax obligation of a veteran in exchange for volunteer services.

Commitment to Inclusivity and Greater Representation 

• Broadens the Chapter 115 Definition of Veteran: Aligns the state Chapter 115 program definition of a veteran with the United States Department of Veteran Affairs definition. This change allows more veterans to be eligible for annuity, Chapter 115 benefits, access to the Massachusetts Veterans Homes, and other state-provided benefits. This only applies to EOVS programs and does not affect any other agency or entity.   

• Expands the Scope of the Veterans Equality Review Board (VERB): Expands the scope of the Board beyond ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ discharges to include discharges related to Military Sexual Trauma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, mental health conditions, or HIV discharges.  

• Expands the definition of a veteran dependent: Expanding the Chapter 115 definition of "dependent" to support more dependents based on the Family Court definition. 

• Updates Dependent Residency Requirements to Align with Current Practices: Updating dependent residency requirements to align with current practices. 

Modernization of Veterans Services 

• Codifies Dental Assistance Benefits: Ensuring veterans receive essential dental care by codifying dental benefits for Chapter 115 recipients. 

• Codifies Medical Assistance Benefits: Providing consistent care to veterans by codifying medical assistance benefits. 

• Codifies Authority for Veterans Cemeteries: Ensuring proper management and care of veteran’s cemeteries by codifying the authority for EOVS to continue administering and maintaining the state’s two Memorial Veterans Cemeteries. 

• Modernizes statute language for inclusivity and standardization: Revise Chapters 115 and 115A to ensure gender-neutral and inclusive language while removing antiquated references.   

• Allows municipalities to deliver chapter 115 benefits by direct deposit.

• Initiates a Study on the Use of Alternative Therapies for Veteran Mental Health Disorders: Establishing a working group to study the potential benefits of alternative therapies, such as psilocybin, in treating veterans suffering from mental health disorders. 

Senators who currently serve and who have served their country in the past, lauded the legislation.

“As a Commander in the United States Naval Reserves and an Iraq War veteran, it is my great privilege to serve in a body that commits itself time and time again to honoring our nations armed service members,” said Senator Michael F. Rush (D-Boston), Senate Majority Whip and Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs. This legislation passed by the Senate maintains our state’s promise to our service members and their families that they will be honored as they have done for us.”

“We don't rest on our laurels in Massachusetts. This bill modernizes our laws to ensure that the Commonwealth remains second to none delivering veterans services and ensures our vets have the supports needed to repatriate into our communities,” said Senator John J. Cronin (D-Fitchburg). “From modernizing how veterans can apply for and access benefits, to supporting businesses that help former service members reenter the workforce, the HERO Act delivers for all those who served.”

“I am proud to support the HERO Act, a major step towards better services, benefits, and inclusivity for Massachusetts veterans. This legislation reaffirms our commitment to serving all service members and their families, positively impacting hundreds of thousands of veterans, including women and LGBTQ+ veterans,” said Senator Lydia Edwards (D-East Boston). “The HERO Act, inspired by Governor Healey's proposal, expands behavioral health access, increases benefits for disabled veterans, supports veteran employment, and updates veteran definitions. It also ensures stable housing and essential protections, providing the respect, care, and opportunities our veterans deserve.”

“Very few are brave enough to raise their hand and pledge to defend our nation and the values that we hold dear, no matter the cost. It is on us - as a Commonwealth - to always remember, recognize, and honor that sacrifice however we can. The legislation passed by the Senate today makes comprehensive and critical additions to the HERO Act to ensure that we are not only supporting Massachusetts veterans but also our active-duty service members and their families as well,” shared Senator John C. Velis (D-Westfield), Chair of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs. “I am extremely grateful for the dedication of my Senate colleagues, many of whom have filed legislation included in the bill passed today, and most especially for the leadership of Senate President Spilka and Chair Rodrigues in continuing to prioritize legislation that supports all those who have served and continue to serve in our armed forces.”

Separate versions of the bill having been passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives, the chambers will now move to reconcile the differences before sending the bill to the Governor’s desk.

BOSTON- State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) joins Governor Maura Healey and Secretary of Public Safety Terrence Reidy in announcing FY24 grants funds for the Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) and Senior SAFE programs for the cities of Chicopee and Springfield. The SAFE and Senior SAFE grant programs promote fire and life safety education for children and older adults, who are most vulnerable to burns, injury, and death stemming from fires and related hazards.

“The continued funding of fire & life safety education for some of the most vulnerable to fire related tragedies, school-age children and older adults, has led to a safer Commonwealth,” said Senator Gomez. “I am thankful to Secretary Reidy and the Healey-Driscoll administration for these life-saving investments in the Hampden district.”

Since 1995, the Department of Fire Services’ Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) grant program has supported firefighter-educators who deliver age-appropriate fire safety education to kids and teens across Massachusetts. The SAFE grants have correlated with a decline of about 80% in Massachusetts child fire fatalities and the longest period without a child fire death in the history of the Commonwealth. Today, it is our seniors who face the most disproportionate risk of dying in a fire: the Senior SAFE program was launched in FY14 to provide them with the tools and knowledge to live safely.

SPRINGFIELD- State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) joined MassHousing today announcing that the City of Springfield has been selected to participate in MassHousing’s Commercial Conversion Initiative. The program provides municipalities with a suite of planning services that will accelerate the reuse and redevelopment of underutilized commercial buildings across Massachusetts.

“The news of Springfield being selected for MassHousing’s Commercial Conversion Initiative is a substantial move as we continue to find ways to combat the housing crisis in our city”, said Senator Adam Gomez. “Many of the commercial buildings across the city have the potential to be retrofitted and repurposed to house Springfield residents. I look forward to collaborating with Secretary Ed Augustus and the Healey-Driscoll administration on this timely initiative.”

The Commercial Conversion Initiative supports the redevelopment of vacant and underutilized commercial buildings by identifying the best candidates for commercial-to-housing conversions in participating cities, conducting floor plan and feasibility analyses for well-positioned buildings, and assisting municipalities in lowering regulatory barriers to redevelopment and reuse.

State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) took to the Massachusetts Senate floor last week during the state budget debate to successfully advocate for an initiative that is crucial to the wellbeing of young parents in his district, securing $250,000 for Roca Springfield to provide services targeted at young parents in the city who are experiencing acute trauma, multiple systems involvement, mental health concerns, domestic violence, or abuse. The funding directed to the organization will aid in providing parenting and life skills, housing stability, and self sufficiency training while building cognitive and behavioral skills through intensive case management and wrap around supports.

Gomez, serving in his second term in the legislature, has successfully fought for this initiative in each of the previous budget cycles he has been apart of. He had this to say on the amendment being adopted, “Far too often we hear stories from young mothers in our state experiencing abuse and forced to provide everything for themselves and their children. There is no one-size-fits all approach to offering those families the stabilizing support that they need, and it is important to supply them with a host of wraparound services that offer individualized case management and trauma-informed support. I am proud to fight for this initiative each year to ensure that those individuals have the time and opportunity to heal and ultimately break the cycles of poverty and violence.”

Roca’s Young Mothers Program intensively engages a population of high-risk young mothers ages 16-24 with very young children. They define “high-risk” young mothers as those who have high levels of trauma, are disengaged from school and work, are living with extreme poverty and instability, are involved with multiple systems, and are impacted by violence (domestic violence, community violence, etc.). They require intensive case management, trauma-informed supports including sustained behavioral health, help accessing and meeting basic needs, and advocacy across multiple systems and are therefore unable to participate or succeed in traditionally designed parenting, education, or job training programs. They require sustained intervention of at least 18-24 months to allow for behavior change, healing from trauma, and finding safety and stability.

Between July 1, 2022 -June 30, 2023, Roca worked with 300 young women/mothers across Massachusetts. An increasing number of young women are victims of sexual violence and victims and perpetrators of gun and street violence. They show up in the health care, criminal justice, and child welfare systems and are at risk of permanent separation from their children, incarceration, injury, or losing their lives. Specifically:

• 85% have significant trauma as measure by high ACES scores. 38% are victims of trafficking, 88% are victims of domestic violence or abuse, and 82% have mental health concerns including high depression and PTSD and only 33% are accessing clinical mental health services.

• 32% are on probation, of which 82% are experiencing Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), 54% are victims of trafficking, and 50% have open cases with the Department of Children & Families.

• 37% have open cases with DCF, of which 80% are experiencing IPV, 28% have children in DCF custody, 23% have open criminal cases, and 16% are homeless.

Since FY20, Roca has received limited funding through the Dual Generation Supports for High-Risk Young Parents line item (4401-1003) and has relied on earmarks to serve high- risk young mothers in Springfield where there is significant need. 

Each year the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW) partners with state legislators to identify women who make outstanding contributions to their organizations and in their communities.

Elected officials are encouraged to submit one woman from their constituency as a means of recognizing their invaluable efforts and extraordinary acts of service, who are making a big difference in their communities but not necessarily making the news. This year, the Class of 2024 Commonwealth Heroines comprises more than 125 women from across the state, leaders in industry, business, nonprofit, advocacy, and more.

“I'm honored to nominate Rose Webster-Smith as a 2024 Commonwealth Heroine,” said Adam Gomez (D-Springfield), State Senator from the Hampden District. “I selected Rose for her years of selfless work helping constituents within the housing court system handle evictions and foreclosures; teaching them about their rights and how to navigate a difficult system. Rose, and organizations like Springfield No One Leaves, are the heroes who connect across the Commonwealth advocating for tenants rights and policy solutions to our housing crisis, and I am proud to partner with her inside of our community and the legislature.”

“The Commonwealth Heroines are women who don’t make the news, but make all the difference in their communities,” said MCSW Chairwoman Dr. Sarah Glenn-Smith. “Thousands of women in every community across the Commonwealth perform unheralded acts on a daily basis that make our homes, neighborhoods, cities, and towns better places to live. Commonwealth Heroines use their time, talent, spirit, and enthusiasm to enrich the lives of others in their community. They are mentors, volunteers, and innovators - they are the glue that keeps a community together.”

The MCSW will be celebrating the 21st Annual Commonwealth Heroines Class of 2024 on Friday, June 14, 2024 at the Massachusetts Statehouse in the Gardner Auditorium. For additional information regarding this event, please contact the MCSW at 617-626-6520 or email mcsw@mass.gov.

State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) and his colleagues in the Massachusetts State Legislature finished their work last week on the $57.999 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2025, which included nearly 400 amendments and 43 roll call votes over the week-long debate. Among the amendments added in the Senate’s version was one submitted by the second-term Senator to secure funding for the Cliff Effect Pilot Program.

Senator Gomez had this to say on the amendment being adopted, “Many of us have friends or even loved ones, who rely on critical public assistance supports like food, childcare, and housing. The securement of this amendment demonstrates a shared understanding amongst my Senate colleagues to implement sound legislative action that will no longer trap families across the Commonwealth in poverty through the Cliff Effect.”

“We extend our gratitude to Senator Gomez for his leadership and unwavering support in our efforts to address the cliff effect. His commitment is essential as we test an innovative solution to this issue, which will inform future policy and promote upward economic mobility. We are excited to continue our collaboration on this critical matter that impacts stability and prosperity of working families in Massachusetts.” -Hannah Reuter, Bridge to Prosperity Pilot Director, Springfield WORKS/Western Mass EDC

Established by the 2022 Economic Development Bill, the Massachusetts Cliff Effect Pilot Program is an innovative pilot program designed to address the “cliff effect” - a structural flaw in our public benefits system that only impacts working families. When a wage increase pushes a household slightly above the maximum income limits of a public benefit they depend on and triggers a loss or decrease in those benefits, leaving them worse off and unable to cover basic expenses. This can discourage people from taking on new work or from taking promotions.

The Cliff Effect Pilot Program serves 100 working families over three years across Massachusetts to overcome the cliff effect by providing coaching and cash “bridge” payments to cover the financial gap created by the cliff effect as they pursue higher wage jobs and decrease reliance on safety net assistance programs. This funding will allow the program to serve even more families.

State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) played a crucial role last week in ensuring that a key public safety grant program will receive adequate funding to maintain services in the coming fiscal year. Through an amendment filed by Gomez to the Senate’s FY25 state budget, the Equitable Approaches to Public Safety (EAPS) matching grant program operated by the Department of Public Health will maintain its funding levels from last year at $3.5 million, allowing the program to continue to meet the growing needs of our communities.

Gomez had this to say on the amendment being included, “I am so thankful that this amendment was adopted to ensure that this important grant program can continue to operate. We need to keep evolving the ways that we police and deliver care to our communities and vulnerable individuals, and the EAPS program is a valuable tool in that evolution as we look to offer the most comprehensive and compassionate care to our citizens.”

In partnership with the ACLU of Massachusetts, the Center for Public Representation, and the Disability Policy Consortium, matching grants for the Equitable Approaches to Public Safety Program are used to implement alternative response models for nonviolent mental and behavioral health crises by dispatching community-based teams of providers and peers instead of or alongside law enforcement, with preference given to models using unarmed responders. Now in its second year, the EAPS program has garnered more than a dozen municipal applications for funding. 

Expanding access to voluntary community-based crisis services and alternative emergency response strategies achieves several critical public policy goals: reducing law enforcement use of violence, diverting those in need of behavioral health interventions from incarceration to community services, and promoting more equitable outcomes for individuals with psychiatric conditions, including those from historically marginalized communities. 

Matching grant funds are critical to the continuation and development of these programs, as access to funding is scarce, especially for lower-income municipalities. This funding is an ongoing investment in community-based crisis-response models, which have been endorsed by a wide array of organizations and have been successfully implemented in numerous cities and towns nationwide.

State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) and his colleagues in the Massachusetts State Legislature finished their work last week on the $57.999 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2025, which included nearly 400 amendments and 43 roll call votes over the week-long debate. Among the amendments added in the Senate’s version was one submitted by the second-term Senator to restore funding to the statewide Advanced Placement Stem and English Program, the largest high school STEM program in Massachusetts currently serving more than 90 high schools, nearly 10,000 students, and over 600 teachers.

Senator Gomez, a past chair of the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities, had this to say on the amendment being adopted, “Through this amendment, and other initiatives in this budget, we are giving our children and students an opening to higher education they may have thought unattainable in the past. I am proud of my colleagues for recognizing the value that these programs offer students while they are still in High School, creating a path towards an equitable education environment that will serve them well as they begin their careers and search for additional education opportunities.”

The Advanced Placement STEM & English Program is focused on closing opportunity and achievement gaps for Black, Brown, and low-income students and providing more students with college credit earned in high school. Level funding in FY25 will provide the resources needed to meet the demand for the program’s services while maintaining the quality of the services provided to the state’s high schools and to students often underrepresented in AP classes.  

The program provides services to help school districts address the learning challenges brought on by the pandemic. For students, the Summer Bridge program helps students develop AP study skills designed to prepare incoming AP students for rigorous AP coursework. Students are also engaged with “hands-on” learning opportunities such as a cybersecurity exercise for AP Computer Science students in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Funding from this line item will also continue to provide exam fee subsidies to low-income students, study sessions, and mock exams to help students prep for the upcoming AP exams that qualify students for college credit.  

Other integral components of the program include enhanced program support to school-based leadership teams and teachers responsible for implementing the AP STEM & English program. High-quality professional development to AP teachers is offered through a summer institute and October workshops as well as classroom visits, virtual learning groups established by subject, and special topic events and workshops. The AP Teachers of Color Advisory Council is providing opportunities for AP teachers of color to grow into leadership roles and advocate for building a much-needed pathway for more teachers of color to develop into high school AP teachers.  

The two versions of the budget passed by the House and Senate will now be sent to a legislative Conference Committee, where negotiators will resolve any differences between the two before being sent to the Governor.

For more information on the program please visit https://massinsight.org/advanced-placement/ .

State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) announced today that a pair of initiatives aimed at expanding access to financial resources for minority and disadvantaged business owners have been adopted by the Massachusetts State Senate during their FY25 Budget Debate. Through amendments sponsored by the second term Senator, the Coalition for an Equitable Economy and Amplify LatinX will receive $250,000 and $300,000 , respectively, to support the success of Black, Latino, Indigenous, and other underserved small businesses in the Commonwealth.

Gomez had this to say on the amendments being adopted, “I am proud to see this legislature prioritize funding and directing resources towards marginalized and still disadvantaged groups as they aim to make their mark in our state. It is important that these individuals are connected directly to the resources they need, resources they have been previously denied, as we look to make our state more equitable for all citizens.”

The Coalition for an Equitable Economy (CEE) was formed in response to the need for more support for smaller and most vulnerable businesses, particularly those owned by minorities, disabled, veterans and low and moderate income people. Their mission is to ensure equitable access to capital, business networks, education, technical support and other resources for Black, Latinx, immigrant and low income small business owners in Massachusetts while eliminating any barriers to investment and growth.

Tracye Whitefield, Executive Director at the Coalition, had this to say, “On behalf of our entire Coalition for an Equitable Economy (CEE) Community, I extend our deepest gratitude to Senator Gomez for the generous earmark of $250,000. This critical funding will enable us to sustain and grow our small business ecosystem. Your support is instrumental in helping us achieve our goals and improve the lives of those we serve. Thank you for your unwavering dedication and commitment to small businesses.”

Amplify LatinX is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit formed in 2018 by The Latina Circle, Inc. that serves as a non-partisan, collaborative convener advancing Latino leadership representation, economic prosperity, and civic engagement. Their mission focuses on accelerating pathways of prosperity and leadership growth, advancing Latine representation into positions of power and influence, creating advocates for racial equity and economic mobility, prioritizing policies that are impacting the Latine community, and championing Latine civic and business leaders and entrepreneurs.

"Amplify LatinX extends our deepest gratitude to Senator Adam Gomez for his continuous and unwavering commitment in supporting our work advancing Latino prosperity. The $300,000 in funding secured through his leadership will contribute to the ALX Small Business Program which works closely with small business owners to give them the tools they need to succeed,” said Eneida Román, President & CEO of Amplify Latinx. “This investment is a vital step towards creating systemic change and ensuring that our community and Massachusetts’ economy thrives.”

At the conclusion of the Senate’s FY25 budget debate, their version and the one passed by the House in April will be sent to a legislative conference committee where negotiators will reconcile any difference between the two versions.

State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) and the Massachusetts State Senate are set to begin debate next Tuesday on a $57.9 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) that reflects the Senate’s vision of creating a more affordable, equitable, and competitive Massachusetts by investing in residents and communities across every district of the Commonwealth, while continuing to be fiscally responsible and chart a sustainable path forward. Gomez a member of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means who is currently serving his second term in the legislature, has filed 40 amendments to this years budget that reflect his focus on education, equity, and creating economic opportunity for disadvantaged communities.

“This budget reflects the shared vision that so many of us have for Massachusetts; a commonwealth that is more affordable, equitable, and accessible,” stated Gomez, Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy and Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion. “The investments we make here are historic in the ways that they will expand education opportunities to those throughout the state, improve regional equity, and support families, while ensuring that we remain within our means in spending taxpayer money.”

The Committee’s budget recommends a total of $57.9 billion in spending, a $1.8 billion increase over the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) General Appropriations Act (GAA). This sensible 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. This represents nearly flat growth, as agreed upon during the Consensus Revenue process in January, plus $1.3 billion in revenue generated from the Fair Share surtax.

As the Commonwealth adjusts to a changing economic landscape and ongoing tax revenue volatility, the Committee’s FY25 budget adheres to disciplined and responsible fiscal stewardship. It does not raise taxes, nor does it draw down available reserves from the Stabilization Fund or the Transitional Escrow Fund, while at the same time judicially utilizing one-time resources to maintain balance.

The Senate’s budget continues responsible and sustainable planning for the future by continuing to grow the Rainy Day Fund, already at a historic high of over $8 billion. The Senate’s proposal would build the Commonwealth’s reserves to a healthy balance in excess of $9 billion at the close of FY25.

Fair Share Investments

Consistent with the consensus revenue agreement reached with the Administration and House of Representatives in January, the Senate’s FY25 budget includes $1.3 billion in revenues generated from the Fair Share surtax of 4% on annual income above $1 million. As FY25 represents the second year where this source of revenue is available, the Committee’s budget invests these Fair Share revenues into an array of important initiatives to further strengthen our state’s economy by expanding access to quality public education and improving the state’s transportation infrastructure.

Notable Fair Share Education investments include: 

• $170 million for Universal School Meals. 

• $150 million for the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grant program, which is matched with $325 million in funds from the General Fund and the High-Quality Early Education & Care Affordability Fund for a total investment of $475 million. 

• $117.5 million for free community college across the Commonwealth.  

• $105 million to expand financial aid programs for in-state students attending state universities through MASSGrant Plus, which is in addition to the $175.2M for scholarships funded through the General Fund. 

• $80 million for childcare affordability, expanding access to income-eligible childcare to families making 85% state median income. 

• $65 million for early education and care (EEC) provider rate increases. 

• $15 million for the CPPI Pre-K Initiative, matching $17.5 million in funds from the General Fund, for a total of $32.5M to support a pathway to universal pre-kindergarten expansion, including in Gateway Cities. 

• $10 million for wraparound supports to boost community college and state university student persistence, which is matched with the $18 million in SUCCESS funds from the General Fund, for a total of $28 million. 

• $10 million for early literacy initiatives. 

• $7.5 million for school-based mental health supports and wraparound services. 

• $5 million for Early College and Innovation Pathways

Notable Fair Share Transportation investments include:

• $250 million for the Commonwealth Transportation Fund (CTF), which will leverage additional borrowing capacity of the CTF and increase investments in transportation infrastructure by $1.1 billion over the next 5 years. This $250 million includes: 

  • $127 million to double operating support for the MBTA. 

  • $63 million in debt service to leverage additional borrowing capacity. 

  • $60 million in operating support for MassDOT. 

• $125 million for Roads and Bridges Supplemental Aid for cities and towns, including $62.5 million for local road funds through a formula that recognizes the unique transportation issues faced by rural communities. 

• $120 million for Regional Transit Funding and Grants to support the work of Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) that serve the Commonwealth, which together with General Fund spending funds RTAs at a record $214 million. Fair Share funding includes: 

  • $66 million in direct operating support for the Regional Transit Authorities. 

  • $40 million for systemwide implementation of fare-free transit service. 

  • $10 million to incentivize connections between regional transit routes. 

  • $4 million to support expanded mobility options for the elderly and people with disabilities. 

• $24.5 million for Commuter Rail capital improvements. 

• $23 million to support implementation of a low-income fare relief program at the MBTA.  

• $15 million for municipal small bridges and culverts. 

• $7.5 million for water transportation, funding operational assistance for ferry services.  

Education

The Senate Ways and Means FY25 budget proposal implements the Senate’s Student Opportunity Plan by shaping polices to make high-quality education more accessible and by making significant investments in the education system, from our youngest learners to adults re-entering the higher education system.

Recognizing that investing in our early education and care system directly supports the underlying economic competitiveness of the Commonwealth, the Senate’s budget makes a $1.58 billion investment in early education and care. The FY25 budget will maintain operational support for providers, support the early education and care workforce, and prioritize accessibility and affordability throughout our early education and care system. Notable funding includes:

• $475 million for a full year of operational grants the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) Grant program, This is the second fiscal year in a row that a full year of C3 grants have been funded using state dollars in the annual state budget. The Committee’s budget also makes the C3 program permanent while also adding provisions to direct more funds from the C3 program to early education and programs that serve children receiving childcare subsidies from the state and youth with high needs. Currently, more than 92 percent of early education and care programs in the Commonwealth receive these grants. This program, which has become a model nationwide, has proven successful at increasing the salaries of early educators, reducing tuition costs for families, and expanding the number of available childcare slots beyond pre-pandemic capacity.

• $80 million for childcare affordability, expanding eligibility for income-eligible childcare to families making 85% of the state median income.

• $65 million for center-based childcare reimbursement rates for subsidized care, including $20 million in new EEC provider rates.

• $53.6 million for EEC quality improvement initiatives, with $6 million supporting the Summer Step Up program.

• $32.5 million for the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative, which empowers school districts to expand prekindergarten and preschool opportunities through public-private partnerships. This is double the amount that was appropriated for this initiative in FY23.

• $20 million for Childcare Resource and Referral Centers to assist parents, childcare providers, employers, and community groups in navigating the state’s early education and care landscape.

• $18.5 million for grants to Head Start programs, which provide crucial early education and childcare services to low-income families.

• $5 million for grants to early education and care providers for childhood mental health consultation services.

• $2.5 million for a new public-private pilot program to encourage employers to create and support new childcare slots, with an emphasis on serving children most in-need.

Building off the Senate’s unanimous passage of the comprehensive EARLY ED Act in March, the Committee’s FY25 budget codifies several provisions of the Act, transforming the state’s relationship with the early education sector by improving affordability and access for families, increasing pay for early educators, and ensuring the sustainability and quality of early education and care programs.

In K-12 education, the Senate follows through on the commitment to fully fund and implement the Student Opportunity Act (SOA) by Fiscal Year 2027, investing $6.9 billion in Chapter 70 funding, an increase of $316 million over FY24, as well as increasing minimum Chapter 70 aid from $30 to $104 per pupil, delivering an additional $37 million in resources to school districts across the state. With these investments, the Senate continues to provide crucial support to school districts confronting the increasing cost pressures that come with delivering high-quality education to all students.

In addition to the record levels of investment in early education and K-12, the Committee’s budget removes barriers to accessing public higher education by codifying into law MassEducate, a $117.5 million investment in universal free community college program that covers tuition and fees for residents, aimed at supporting economic opportunity, workforce development, and opening the door to higher education for people who may never have had access. The FY25 budget permanently enshrines free community college into law in an affordable, sustainable, and prudent manner across the Commonwealth, while leaving no federal dollars on the table.

Other education investments include:

• $492.2 million for the special education circuit breaker.

• $198.9 million for charter school reimbursements.

• $99.4 million to reimburse school districts for regional school transportation costs.

• $28.3 million for higher education wraparound services, including $18.3 million in General Fund resources, to support wraparound supports to the influx of new students coming to community colleges campuses because of MassEducate.  

• $15 million for Rural School Aid supports.

• $15 million for Early College programs and $13.1 million for the state’s Dual Enrollment initiative, both of which provide high school students with increased opportunities for post-graduate success.

• $5 million to support continued implementation of the Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Higher Education law, including $3 million for grants offered through the Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment initiative to help high school students with intellectual disabilities ages 18–22 access higher education opportunities; and $2 million for the Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Trust Fund.

• $2.25 million for the Genocide Education Trust Fund, continuing our commitment to educate middle and high school students on the history of genocide.

• $1 million for Hate Crimes Prevention Grants to support education and prevention of hate crimes and incidences of bias in public schools. 

  Community Support

The Committee’s budget—in addition to funding traditional accounts like Chapter 70 education aid—further demonstrates the Senate’s commitment to partnerships between the state and municipalities, dedicating meaningful resources that touch all regions and meet the needs of communities across the Commonwealth. This includes $1.3 billion in funding for Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA), an increase of $38 million over FY24, to support additional resources for cities and towns.

In addition to traditional sources of local aid, the Committee’s budget increases payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) for state-owned land to $53 million, an increase of $1.5 million over FY24. PILOT funding is an additional source of supplemental local aid for cities and towns working to protect and improve access to essential services and programs during recovery from the pandemic. Other local investments include:

• $214 million for Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) to support regional public transportation systems, including $120 million from Fair Share funds to support our RTAs that help to connect all regions of our Commonwealth.

• $46.6 million for libraries, including $15.6 million for regional library local aid, $17.6 million for municipal libraries and $6.2 million for technology and automated resource networks.

• $25 million for the Massachusetts Cultural Council to support local arts, culture, and creative economic initiatives.

Health, Mental Health & Family Care

The Senate budget funds MassHealth at a total of $20.33 billion, providing more than two million people with continued access to affordable, accessible, and comprehensive health care services. Other health investments include:

• $3 billion for a range of services and focused supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

• Nearly $2 billion to protect and deliver a wide range of mental health services and programs, including $622.3 million for Department of Mental Health adult support services, including assisted outpatient programming and comprehensive care coordination among health care providers.

• $582.1 million for nursing facility Medicaid rates, including $112 million in additional base rate payments to maintain competitive wages in the Commonwealth’s nursing facility workforce.

• $390 million for Chapter 257 rates to support direct-care providers across the continuum of care.

• $197.9 million for a complete range of substance use disorder treatment and intervention services to support these individuals and their families.

• $130.5 million for children’s mental health services.

• $113 million for the Personal Care Attendant (PCA) program to prevent service reductions and maintain accessible eligibility thresholds.

• $75.5 million for domestic violence prevention services.

• $30.9 million for Early Intervention services, ensuring supports remain accessible and available to infants and young toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities.

• $33.8 million for Family Resource Centers to grow and improve the mental health resources and programming available to families.

• $28 million for grants to local Councils on Aging to increase assistance per elder to $15 from $14 in FY 2024.

• $26.7 million for student behavioral health services across the University of Massachusetts, state universities, community colleges, K-12 schools, and early education centers.

• $25 million for emergency department diversion initiatives for children, adolescents, and adults.

• $25.1 million for family and adolescent health, including $9.2 million for comprehensive family planning services and $6.7 million to enhance federal Title X family planning funding.

• $20 million to recapitalize the Behavioral Health, Access, Outreach and Support Trust Fund to support targeted behavioral health initiatives.

• $14.2 million for suicide prevention and intervention, with an additional $1.4 million for Samaritans Inc. and $1.1 million for the Call-2-Talk suicide prevention hotline. This investment will fully fund 988, the 24/7 suicide and crisis lifeline.

• $14 million for maternal and child health, including $10.4 million for pediatric palliative care services for terminally ill children and a policy adjustment to ensure that children up to age 22 can continue to be served through the program.

• $12.5 million for grants to support local and regional boards of health, continuing our efforts to build upon the successful State Action for Public Health Excellence (SAPHE) Program.

• $6 million for Social Emotional Learning Grants to help K-12 schools bolster social emotional learning supports for students, including $1 million to provide mental health screenings for K-12 students.

• $5.5 million for Children Advocacy Centers to improve the critical supports available to children that have been neglected or sexually abused.

• $3.9 million for the Office of the Child Advocate.

• $3.75 million for the Massachusetts Center on Child Wellbeing & Trauma.

• $2 million for grants for improvements in reproductive health access, infrastructure, and safety.

Expanding & Protecting Opportunities

The Senate remains committed to continuing an equitable recovery, expanding opportunity, and supporting the state’s long-term economic health. To that end, the Committee’s budget includes maintains the annual child’s clothing allowance, providing $450 per child for eligible families to buy clothes for the upcoming school year. The budget also includes a 10 per cent increase to Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) and Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children (EAEDC) benefit levels compared to June 2024 to help families move out of deep poverty.

In addition, the budget provides $87 million in critical funding to support a host of food security initiatives including $42 million for Emergency Food Assistance to assist residents in navigating the historical levels in food insecurity, and $20 million for the Health Incentives Program (HIP) to ensure full operation of the program to maintain access to healthy food options for SNAP households. 

Economic opportunity investments include:

• $499.5 million for Transitional Assistance to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) and $179 million for Emergency Aid to Elderly, Disabled and Children (EAEDC) to provide the necessary support as caseloads increase, and continue the Deep Poverty increases.

• $59.4 million for adult basic education services to improve access to skills necessary to join the workforce.

• $42 million for the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program.

• $20 million in Healthy Incentives Programs to maintain access to healthy food options for households in need.

• $15.5 million for the Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program.

• $10.4 million for Career Technical Institutes to increase our skilled worker population and provide residents access to career technical training opportunities, which will combine with $12.3 million in remaining American Rescue Plan funding for the program.

• $10 million for the Food Security Infrastructure Grant program.

• $7.5 million for a Community Empowerment and Reinvestment Grant Program to provide economic support to communities disproportionately impacted by the criminal justice system.

• $5.8 million for the Innovation Pathways program to continue to connect students to trainings and post-secondary opportunities in the industry sector with a focus on STEM fields.

• $5 million for Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund, which will pair with $12.8 million in remaining American Rescue Plan funding for the program.

• $5 million for the Secure Jobs Connect Program, providing job placement resources and assistance for homeless individuals.

• $2.5 million for the Massachusetts Cybersecurity Innovation Fund, including $1.5 million to further partnerships with community colleges and state universities to provide cybersecurity workforce training to students and cybersecurity services to municipalities, non-profits, and small businesses.

Housing

As the Senate moves forward to shape a more fiscally sustainable path for the Commonwealth, affordable housing opportunities remain out of reach for too many. Longstanding housing challenges are being exacerbated by the influx of individuals and families migrating to Massachusetts, and a lack of federal financial assistance and immigration reform. To that end, the Committee’s budget invests $1.14 billion, dedicating resources for housing stability, residential assistance, emergency shelter services, and homelessness assistance programs, ensuring the state deploys a humane, responsible, and sustainable approach to providing families and individuals in need with an access point to secure housing.

The budget prioritizes relief for families and individuals who continue to face challenges brought on by the pandemic and financial insecurity, including $325.3 million for Emergency Assistance Family Shelters, in addition to the $175 million in resources passed in the recent supplemental budget, to place the Commonwealth’s shelter system on a fiscal glidepath into FY25, in addition to $197.4 million for Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT).

Other housing investments include:

• $231.5 million for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP), including $12.5 million in funds carried forward from FY24.

• $115 million for assistance to local housing authorities.

• $110.8 million for assistance for homeless individuals.

• $107 million for assistance to local housing authorities.

• $57.3 million for the HomeBASE diversion and rapid re-housing programs.

• $27 million for the Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP), including $10.7 million in funds carried forward from FY24, to provide rental assistance to people with disabilities.

• $10.5 million for assistance for unaccompanied homeless youth.

• $9 million for the Housing Consumer Education Centers (HCECs).

• $8.9 million for sponsored-based supportive permanent housing.

• $8.4 million for the Home and Healthy for Good re-housing and supportive services program, including funding to support homeless LGBTQ youth.

The Senate will debate the FY25 budget proposal in formal session beginning Tuesday May 21, 2024.  

The FY25 Senate Ways and Means Budget Recommendations are available on the Massachusetts legislature’s website: https://malegislature.gov/Budget/SenateWaysMeansBudget.

State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy, joined House Chair Dan Donahue, industry operators and stakeholders for a panel, “Cannabis at a Crossroads: Insight from operators and legislators on the state of the industry”, to share experiences and what steps are needed to expand the cannabis industry’s growth in an equitable way.

“My personal experience with cannabis during prohibition era measures have shaped my approach to cannabis policy this session”, said Senator Gomez, Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy. “8 years ago, Massachusetts residents voted yes on Question 4 to legalize recreational marijuana, but today the cannabis industry finds itself at a crossroads. Collaboratively, legislators and stakeholders alike must find ways to ensure the viability of this new sector without turning a blind eye to the lack of representation of operators across the Commonwealth”.

Cannabis has become a major economic driver for Massachusetts, now with more than 300 recreational marijuana stores and more than 28,000 jobs created in the industry. The new sector generated over $240 million in state tax revenue in the year 2023 alone and over $40 million in local sales tax for municipalities with cannabis operations. The industry, however, has hit economic headwinds as plummeting cannabis prices and high operating regulatory costs have squeezed the profit margins of retailers.

In recognition of Crime Victims’ Rights Month, The Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA), alongside Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell and the Victim and Witness Assistance Board (VWAB), convened to honor crime survivors and providers in a heartfelt award ceremony on April 23rd, 2024, at the Massachusetts State House. The awards included honoring State Senator Adam Gomez as the organization’s “Leg slator of the Year” for his work on behalf of the VOCA Bridge and victims across the state.

“I'm incredibly honored to receive the 'Legislator of the Year' award from MOVA during National Crime Victims' Rights Week and join so many selfless advocates who play such a critical role in the lives of a historically underserved and marginalized community. Survivor voices should not only be included, but at the forefront of policymaking which is why I filed legislation to ensure the membership of the state’s Victim and Witness Assistance Board has equitable and fair representation,” said State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield). “I celebrate MOVA’s deep commitment to addressing the evolving needs of suvivors and look forward to collaborating with my colleagues in the legislature for these critical services.”

The ceremony united numerous stakeholders to acknowledge the remarkable contributions of this year’s Victims’ Rights Month awardees in advancing innovative, high-quality, and trauma-informed victim rights and services throughout Massachusetts.

Notably, 2024 marks the 40th anniversary of the Massachusetts Victim Bill of Rights (VBOR), M.G.L. Chapter 258B. Enacted in 1984, the VBOR statutorily ensures rights and services for crime victims and survivors throughout the state. Over the last four decades, service providers, advocates, and survivors, much like this year’s awardees, have dedicated their time and effort toward upholding victim rights and ensuring survivors and communities have access to information, resources, and equitable services.

“Today, we gather to honor exceptional champions of this work and bring survivors to the forefront to remind our community that survivors need to be a part of the discussion about violence,” said Liam Lowney, Executive Director of MOVA, “Not only should survivors' voices be included in these discussions, but they should also lead them.”

As the ceremony celebrated the accomplishments of awardees, it also highlighted the pressing need for funding so that providers can continue the critical work they do. MOVA and allies are currently advocating for an initiative well known on Beacon Hill as The VOCA Bridge, a supplemental funding request to the Massachusetts legislature aimed at mitigating the disastrous impacts of significantly reduced federal funding for victim services.

“During this year’s awards ceremony, I was proud to honor the tremendous work and achievements of advocates and allies who support victims and survivors through trauma-informed services across our state,” said Attorney General Campbell. “It is imperative that we ensure these critical and often life-changing services are sustained through additional VOCA Bridge funding.”

Today, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously approved $375 million in bond authorizations for statewide transportation projects, including the state’s Chapter 90 program, which would create a reliable funding source for local infrastructure investments like roads, bridges, regional transit equipment and infrastructure, bicycle infrastructure, and electric vehicle infrastructure, among other things.

Projects funded by the annual legislation often improve quality of life for residents in every region of the state, and many play a role in environmental mitigation.

Every city and town in the Commonwealth would receive a share of $200 million in funding to be used on maintenance and construction of roads and bridges. $150 million would be allocated equally to six programs targeting specific transportation infrastructure, and $25 million would be allocated to cities and towns through the rural roads program.

“I am proud to join my colleagues in the legislature to secure this investment for the sustainability of roads, bridges, and regional transit infrastructure for the Hampden district and communities across the Commonwealth”, said Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield). “Delegating the implementation of infrastructure funding to municipalities will ensure that improvements at a local level will be addressed appropriately.”

Of the $375 million in total authorizations, the legislation would allocate $25 million to each of the following programs that target specific infrastructure areas:

• Municipal Pavement Program, which focuses on the improvement of municipally owned state numbered routes.

• Municipal Small Bridge Program, which provides financial support to cities and towns for small bridge replacement, preservation, and rehabilitation projects.

• Complete Streets Funding Program, which provides funding to municipalities for streets that provide safe and accessible options for all travel modes such as walking, biking, transit, and vehicles.

• Municipal Bus Enhancement Program, which provides grant funding to build out infrastructure related to mass transit by bus.

• Mass Transit Access Grant Program, which provides grants for design and construction improvements to access commuter rail stations or other mass transit stations, such as parking lots, drop-off and pick-up zones, bike storage infrastructure, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

• Municipal/RTA EV Grant Program, which provides grants to Regional Transit Authorities and municipalities for the purchase of electric vehicles and related charging equipment.

A previous version having been passed by the House of Representatives, the legislation now awaits final enactment in each branch, before being sent to the Governor’s desk for her signature.

BOSTON- State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) joins the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) for an Employment Program for Young Adults with Disabilities grant award of $13,125.00 for Corporation for Public Management. This initiative prepares young adults with disabilities for employment by providing occupational skills training, individualized coaching, and post-placement support.

“It’s self-evident that there are viable careers pathways for the young adults with disabilities in our community. Friends, family and neighbors deserve the same dignity and respect that would be afforded to any other employee in the workforce”, said Senator Gomez. “I am thankful to Secretary Jones and the Healey-Driscoll administration for investing in the next generation in the City of Springfield”.

Corporation for Public Management will fund a collaborative initiative led by the Corporation for Public Management (CPM) in partnership with the Latino Economic Development Corporation (LEDC), and Mass2Miami Consultant Group, aims to address the critical employment need of young adults with disabilities in the Springfield area.

BOSTON (3/14/2024)—Today, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed legislation to make early education and care more accessible and affordable for families across Massachusetts.

The EARLY ED Act—An Act ensuring affordability, readiness and learning for our youth and driving economic development—takes transformative steps to improve the affordability and sustainability of childcare programs by making the state’s Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) operational grant program permanent, expanding eligibility for the state’s subsidy program and capping subsidy recipients’ childcare costs at 7 per cent of family income, and boosting compensation for educators by creating a career ladder and providing scholarships and loan forgiveness.

“The EARLY ED Act creates an ecosystem where we can ensure affordable, accessible early education and care for our youth and viable career pathways for educators across the Commonwealth”, said Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield). “By making the state’s C3 operational grant program permanent and providing scholarships and loan forgiveness for providers, the Massachusetts Senate has once again shown its commitment to implement ambitious legislation poised to positively impact a diverse constituency. I’m incredibly thankful to Senate President Karen Spilka and my Senate colleagues for their advocacy on this bill”.

By extending access to high-quality education and care to families who currently lack access because of cost or availability, the bill seeks to set children up for future success and drive the Massachusetts economy forward.

The bill would make the state’s C3 grants permanent, which provides monthly payments directly to early education and care providers. The grants, which provide monthly payments to more than 92 per cent of early education and care programs across the Commonwealth, have become a national model thanks to their success at keeping programs’ doors open during the pandemic, reducing tuition costs for families, increasing compensation for early educators, and expanding the number of childcare slots available.

The legislation improves affordability by expanding eligibility for childcare subsidies to families making up to 85 per cent of the state median income (SMI), which is $124,000 for a family of four. It eliminates cost-sharing fees for families receiving subsidies who are below the federal poverty line, and caps cost-sharing fees for all other families receiving subsidies at seven percent of their income, putting millions of dollars back into families’ pockets. Finally, the bill paves the way for expanding the subsidy program to families making up to 125 per cent SMI, or $182,000 for a family of four, when future funds become available.

The legislation provides much-needed support for educators by directing the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) to establish a career ladder with recommended salaries. This career ladder will help increase salaries in this historically underpaid field. The bill would also make scholarship and loan forgiveness programs for early educators permanent, as well as direct the state to explore more innovative ways to develop this crucial workforce.

Notably, the bill would also create an innovative public-private matching grant pilot program, which would incentivize employers to invest in new early education and care slots, with priority given to projects serving families with lower income and those who are located in childcare deserts. In addition, the bill tasks the Administration with completing a study to further analyze ways to incentivize or require employers to partner with the state to expand access to high-quality and affordable early education and care.

The bill also includes provisions that would:

• Ensure that early education and care programs serving children with subsidies are reimbursed based on enrollment, rather than attendance, to provide financial stability to programs.

• Require the cost-sharing fee scale for families participating in the childcare subsidy program to be updated every five years to ensure affordability for families.

• Establish a pilot program to expand access to shared-service hubs, which would support smaller early education and care programs.

• Increase the maximum number of children that can be served by fully-staffed large family childcare programs, aligning with states such as New York, California, Illinois, and Maryland.

• Bar zoning ordinances from prohibiting family childcare programs in certain areas, preventing an unnecessary hurdle to the expansion of childcare slots.

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

BOSTON- State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) joined Governor Maura Healey and Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll at the State House on Wednesday for a major criminal justice reform announcement related to pardoning those convicted of simple possession of marijuana. As the Governor stated in her address, the pardons will apply to all adult state-level misdemeanor possession convictions handed down before Wednesday, removing criminal records that have become a barrier for residents seeking jobs or housing throughout the years.

“I’m thankful to the Healey-Driscoll administration for answering President Biden’s call and issuing pardons for those convicted of state marijuana offenses”, said Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy Chair Adam Gomez. “8 years ago, Massachusetts residents voted yes on Question 4 to legalize recreational marijuana. Today, we are finally beginning to address historic racial disparities for those affected by marijuana prohibition. As Chair of Cannabis Policy, I have worked closely with organizations and community members who’ve advocated for this type of reform, but I’ve also been directly affected when I was charged with a low-level marijuana crime as a teenager. I encourage the Governor’s Council to vote favorably on the Governor’s recommendation to make this a reality for tens of thousands of individuals across the state”.

The proposal will still need the approval of the Governor’s Council before taking effect. If approved the pardons would take effect immediately, although it may take several months for individual criminal records to be updated.

BOSTON- State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) announced today the advancement of 3 bills from the Joint Committee on Housing as part of the Joint Rule 10 process, a biennial date set by the Legislature where each joint committee must decide if a bill should advance favorably in the process, be tagged with an “adverse” report, or sent for further study.

The bills that received a favorable report and advanced from committee are S.877 — An Act relative to the use of credit reporting in housing, S.878 — An Act to secure housing for returning citizens, and S.879— An Act to establish mobile showers for homeless populations.

"I am grateful to Senate Chair Edwards and House Chair Arciero for their dedication on these issues that impact residents across Massachusetts,” said Senator Gomez. “Swift and enduring legislation is the only way to confront the magnitude of the housing crisis, so we must legislate in a manner that will eliminate barriers from and facilitate access to, housing for any and all in the Commonwealth – particularly those who have been discriminated against and are reentering society.”

A quick synopsis of the bills may be found here:

S.877 would prohibit the use of credit reports in rental housing to ensure residents are protected from predatory, discriminatory housing practices.

S.878 would create a reentry program for formerly incarcerated persons, administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development while coordinating with the Department of Corrections. The bill would also provide incentives for the development of housing that prioritizes, formerly incarcerated people and people in pre-release, through tax incentives and zoning law exceptions.

S.879 would establish a grant program for municipalities and nonprofits known as the Mobile Shower Program that shall be administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development to build and maintain mobile showers to assist homeless populations with sanitation services.

The Joint Rule 10 process determines the feasibility of bills in committees. If a bill is not reported favorably, it will be sent to study, rendering the bill unviable for the current session.

BOSTON- State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) joins the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce (EOLWD) Development in announcing safety training grant awards through the Department of Industrial Accidents for Springfield Housing Authority, the City of Springfield, Behavioral Health Network, Future Works Inc., Pioneer Valley Concrete, and Springfield Water and Sewer.

“Proactive training and safety programs will reduce the risk of future injury and illness to the workforce across the Commonwealth,” said Senator Gomez. “In particular, the organizations that received these grants are invaluable to the residents and stakeholders of the Hampden District.”

The Workplace Safety Grant Program encourages organizations to have a proactive approach to safety. As part of EOLWD, the Department of Industrial Accidents administers this initiative to provide Massachusetts companies with the financial assistance to promote safe and healthy conditions in the workplace by funding preventative safety training and education programs.

BOSTON– The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced $8.2 million to support greater food access to residents in underserved Massachusetts communities. The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) is awarding the Urban Agriculture Program, the Local Food Policy Council Program, and the Massachusetts Food Ventures Program grants to 42 businesses and organizations that will help strengthen the local food system and address food insecurity. The four programs are essential to increasing the production of locally grown food, supporting local food policy councils and food working groups, expanding retail and distribution channels, and distributing locally grown food to underserved communities across Massachusetts.

“ One of the most effective ways to combat hunger and food insecurity in our state is to strengthen our local food systems,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We’re proud to support our community leaders who are at the heart of these critical initiatives that help to make sure that everyone, no matter where they live, has access to fresh, healthy, and locally grown food.”

“A strong local economy and vibrant, thriving communities aren’t possible if residents don’t have access to locally sourced produce and food,” said Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll. “By breaking down these barriers in our underserved neighborhoods, we’re creating a more just food system that benefits us all. We are thrilled to be able to provide the resources necessary through these programs to assist our cities and towns.”

"The Hampden district is no stranger to food insecurity, an issue that impacts individuals from all ages and walks of life," said State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield). "Strengthening our local food systems incentivizes residents to purchase their produce from urban farms and community gardens, a common practice that fosters greater public health and economic security for the region. I am thankful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration for bolstering food production in the cities of Chicopee and Springfield."

The Urban Agriculture Program supports urban agriculture initiatives in cities of all sizes in Massachusetts. The grants will fund projects to expand urban farms and community gardens to increase their capacity for food production, allowing them to provide more fresh, healthy, local food to their low- to-moderate income communities.

The Local Food Policy Council Program enhances the work of existing and newly forming local food policy councils and food working groups across Massachusetts to accelerate development, increase capacity, and facilitate connections and opportunities for peer-to-peer learning to support the local food system, as well as build on the Massachusetts Local Food Action Plan.

The Massachusetts Food Ventures Program helps increase access by funding food processing infrastructure, distribution channels, and retail outlet strategies at local food enterprises.

Awardees will receive funds for capital expenditures ranging from specialized equipment needed to scale up food production to food packaging and commercial kitchen/incubator space. These projects will also foster job creation and expansion of food access and distribution in low- to moderate-income areas.

The Local Food Purchase Assistance Plus Program prioritizes the resiliency of the local food system’s supply chain by ensuring that food grown in Massachusetts makes its way into underserved communities, emphasizing on sourcing food from socially disadvantaged farmers and producers. The program is funded through a cooperative agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The following are the Massachusetts Food Ventures Program ( Hampden District) grant recipients for 2024:

Fruit Fair – Chicopee, MA: $250,000

This award will pay for infrastructure improvements for food storage, cold storage, and food distribution for this commercial enterprise. Fruit Fair’s investments have had a tremendous impact on Chicopee and surrounding communities.

Gardening the Community – Springfield, MA: $177,000

Gardening the Community will distribute fresh, local vegetables through a CSA to five distribution sites in the greater Springfield area. This will provide produce to over 300 individuals in environmental justice communities throughout the life of the grant. Gardening the Community plans to expand its purchasing base, supporting local, socially disadvantaged farmers entering commercial wholesale markets, some for the first time.

BOSTON- State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy, announced today the release of 44 bills from committee as part of the Joint Rule 10 process, a biennial date set by the Legislature where each joint committee must decide if a bill should advance favorably in the process, be tagged with an “adverse” report, or sent for further study. Of the bills assigned to the Committee on Cannabis Policy, half of the bills received a favorable report and the other half will be sent for further study in their respective branches.

Among the bills that received a favorable report and advanced from committee are S.49 — An Act to facilitate labor peace among the cannabis workforce, S.52 — An Act to create Cannabis career pathways for justice-involved communities, and H.117 — An Act relative to vertical integration of medical marijuana businesses.

"I am grateful to the House Chair, Representative Donahue, and his staff for their thorough and thoughtful approach in addressing the issues assigned to us here,” said Senator Gomez. “There is a dire need for comprehensive legislation that not only addresses the structure of marijuana businesses and employee rights in the cannabis industry but also, emphasizes a commitment to creating career pathways for incarcerated individuals significantly affected by prohibition. As Senate Chair of Cannabis Policy, I am intimately aware of the discourse surrounding cannabis and because of that, will continue to advocate for equity and justice in this industry.”

A quick synopsis of the bills may be found here:

S.49 would require that marijuana establishments enter into labor peace agreements with bona fide labor organizations when applying for or renewing licenses. The Cannabis Control Commission would have to establish and periodically update a list of bona fide labor organizations, defined as labor organizations of any kind, in which employees participate and which exists for a purpose, such as collective bargaining or labor disputes.

S.52 would require the Cannabis Control Commission, in consultation with the Cannabis Advisory Board, Cannabis Social Equity Advisory Board, Department of Correction, Massachusetts Sheriffs Association, Office of Probation, University of Massachusetts, the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, and the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, to study means of encouraging the employment of formerly incarcerated individuals in the cannabis industry.

H.117 would authorize the Cannabis Control Commission to establish separate license tiers within the medical marijuana regulatory framework. The Commission would also have the authority to promulgate regulations relating to these license classes and to encourage full participation in the medical marijuana industry by people disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs.

The Joint Rule 10 process determines the feasibility of bills in committees. If a bill is not reported favorably, it will be sent to study, rendering the bill unviable for the current session.

BOSTON—Today, with bipartisan support, the Massachusetts Senate passed An Act to sensibly address firearm violence through effective reform—the SAFER Act—to increase firearm safety in the state without infringing on the rights of gun owners. Following a thorough debate amongst members on the Senate floor, the bill passed 37 to 3.

The omnibus legislation—S.2572—was introduced following extensive testimony at a November hearing of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, where the public provided over four hours of testimony on more than 50 gun safety bills before the committee. Led by Majority Leader Cynthia Stone Creem, the bill’s passage follows months of discussions which included stakeholders and advocates with diverse perspectives on the issue.

The bill’s provisions would help make residents safer—and ultimately save lives—by building on the Commonwealth’s already strong record on gun safety and updating laws to prevent those who wish to do harm from being able to access and use deadly weapons. It would reform and modernize the state’s firearm laws, support the state’s public safety and public health infrastructure in mitigating gun violence, and strengthen accountability and oversight mechanisms for illegal gun activity.

“Today the Senate came together and acted on gun violence—rising above the divisiveness of this critical issue in the name of protecting our residents from gun crime, modernizing our laws, and supporting communities who have been torn apart by unnecessary violence,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “I’m proud to lead a body that is committed to building on our Commonwealth’s record as a national leader on gun safety. I offer my profound thanks to Majority Leader Creem for leading this effort and for having hundreds of conversations with people on all sides of the issue, and to each Senate member for their support and thoughtful deliberation throughout the process.”

“Concern for public safety, a commitment to equity, respect for the Second Amendment, and a focus on the root causes of gun crime and gun accidents—these principles underlie each of the policies included in the bill the Senate passed today,” said Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Stone Creem (D-Newton). “I’m proud of the collaborative effort that went into the SAFER Act and I look forward to seeing these policies signed into law by the end of session.”

“I’m proud we as a Senate and in particular the Western Mass delegation, came to a consensus on this tactful piece of legislation,” said Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield). “The SAFER Act is poised to curb gun violence and make our streets safer without infringing on the constitutional rights afforded to the residents of the Hampden district and across the Commonwealth.”

The legislation focuses on common sense policies to reduce gun crime and gun injuries in the Commonwealth, and updates the state’s laws to provide law enforcement agencies with the necessary support to tackle today’s concerns relating to gun violence prevention and keep Massachusetts at the forefront of gun safety.

The bill includes the following gun safety policies:

• Ghost Guns. Updates the state’s laws to bring Massachusetts in line with national standards and to ensure accountability and oversight for those who own and possess unserialized and untraceable firearms.

• Assault Weapons. Codifies Massachusetts’ existing prohibition on assault weapons and copies or duplicates of those weapons, to ensure that our residents are kept safe from weapons of war.

• Glock Switches and Trigger Activators. Makes it illegal to possess devices that convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic machine guns.

• Inspections of Gun Dealers. Ensures that gun dealers are inspected annually and allows the Massachusetts State Police to conduct those inspections if a local licensing agency does not or cannot do so.

• Red Flag Law and Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO). Allows health care professionals to petition courts to remove firearms and licenses from patients who pose a risk to themselves or others. The bill also allows preemptive orders to prevent a dangerous individual from obtaining a license to carry a firearm.

• Harassment Prevention Orders. Protects survivors of harassment by requiring courts to compel the surrender of firearms by individuals who are subject to harassment protection orders who pose an immediate threat.

• Sensitive Places. Prohibits the carry of firearms in government administrative buildings, with exceptions for law enforcement officers and municipalities that choose to opt out.

• Mental Health and Gun Licensing. Ensures that firearm licensing authorities have access to certain information about an applicant’s history of involuntary mental health hospitalizations due to posing a serious harm—with appropriate safeguards to guarantee privacy and due process.

• Data Collection. Creates a more robust data reporting and analysis mechanism for guns used in crimes, suicides, and attempted suicides to ensure that the Commonwealth can better target training and enforcement efforts.

• Gun Industry Accountability in Advertising. Prohibits the marketing of unlawful firearm sales to minors and allows industry actors to be held civilly liable if such marketing practices lead to an individual being harmed.

• Firing at a Dwelling. Creates a criminal charge for intentionally firing a firearm at a dwelling or other building in use.

• Community Violence Prevention. Creates a commission to analyze the allocation of state violence prevention funding and recommend changes to reduce gun violence in disproportionately impacted communities; develops a pilot program to promote gun safety awareness and firearms licensing education; and establishes a task force to make recommendations for maximizing federal funding for gun violence prevention in the most equitable way.

• Emerging Firearm Technology. Establishes a commission to study emerging firearm technology, with a particular focus on products and features that could increase safety.

During debate, the Senate adopted several amendments related to the legislation, including:

• Providing more access to the department of public health of gun crime data to ensure gun violence is treated as the public health issue it is.

• Creating a commission to better understand data around gun violence to help get to the root of gun violence crimes.

• Providing information on suicide prevention to individuals taking firearm safety and hunter safety courses.

• Creating a voluntary do-not-sell firearm database to allow individuals who worry they are a threat to themselves or others to voluntarily exclude themselves from having the ability to purchase firearms.

Having been passed by both the Senate and the House, the branches will now reconcile differences between the versions.

BOSTON- Aiming to strengthen participation in advanced classes among Black and Latino high school students, lawmakers sought to build momentum Tuesday for a framework that would streamline how public colleges accept AP credits.

Redrafted legislation (H 4265), reported favorably out of the Joint Committee on Higher Education last week would require all state colleges to implement a consistent standard for accepting AP exam scores of a 3 or higher to receive course credit. Similar policies are already in place in three dozen states, according to the College Board, which oversees the SAT and AP programs.

The bill is not heading straight to the House for a vote though as it's been shipped first to another committee: House Ways and Means.

Sens. Adam Gomez and Michael Moore, who sponsored earlier versions of the proposal, urged their colleagues to address persistent racial disparities in the number of Black and Latino students taking advanced courses, even as Massachusetts ranked first in the country for having the highest percentage of graduating seniors who scored at least a 3 on AP exams in 2021 and 2022.

Calling the bill a critical tool for improving equity and transparency in the education system, Moore said, "The only question is, how long do we wait to bring commonsense advanced course credit policies to our hardworking students?"

Sixty-four percent of all students completed at least one advanced course in 2021-22, compared to only half of Latino students and just over half of Black students, Gomez and Moore said, as they cited research released Tuesday by the Education Trust, a national nonprofit that works to close opportunity gaps. Beyond AP classes, advanced coursework in the commonwealth also covers International Baccalaureate and dual enrollment programs.

"This disparity simply cannot be ignored," Gomez said at a briefing hosted by EdTrust and Mass Insight Education & Research, a nonprofit focused on advancing equity in K-12 education. "Furthermore, it is essential to recognize that Black and Latino students comprise almost onethird of all public school students, yet they represent only 18 percent of AP test takers," the Springfield Democrat said. "This imbalance is primarily attributed to various factors, such as a lack of support for these students to feel adequately prepared for the test and the financial barrier posed by AP exam fees."

To improve equitable enrollment in AP classes, EdTrust recommends mandating that colleges and universities be more transparent and consistent in how they award college credit, requiring and supporting school districts to expand eligibility for advanced courses, recruiting and retaining AP teachers of color, ensuring state data collection and sharing efforts, and eliminating barriers to advanced courses like exam fees.

Schools where the majority of students are Black or Latino are "much less likely" to offer AP courses compared to majority-white schools, according to EdTrust's brief. That aligns with national trends, said Kristen Hengtgen, a senior policy analyst at EdTrust who co-authored the brief.

A patchwork of rules for handling AP test scores exists at Massachusetts public colleges and universities, with some accepting a passing score of a 3, with others demanding higher scores or not taking any AP credits, lawmakers and Hengtgen said. The AP tests are scored 1 to 5.

Research shows that students who earn a passing score perform well in college, take more classes tied to their AP disciplines, and are more likely to graduate in four years, the brief said.

About half of Latino students and 61 percent of Black students scored a 3 on AP tests in 2021-22, Hengtgen said.

"If the state does not have a standardized credit policy that accepts 3s in all their institutions of higher education, Black and Latino students are disproportionately left out of getting and taking the credits that they deserved and earned," Hengtgen said.

Coming into college with 10 hours of AP credit can reduce average student debt by $1,000, which is critical for Black and Latino students who have higher student loan burdens, according to the brief.

"I can also tell you as a parent who saw both of his children take advantage of AP courses, and see how that was able to help them when they entered college on reducing some of their credit burden, it's so beneficial," Moore said.

He added, "Many Black and Latino students attend schools that don't have the same resources as their white counterparts, resulting in smaller focus on AP exam preparation, for less support for students who just need a little extra push to reach their educational potential. These students may also come from economically disadvantaged households, making it a heavier lift to afford the fees required."

BOSTON- State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) celebrates Governor Maura Healey’s inclusion of language for the Environmental Justice Trust Fund in her FY2025 state budget released Wednesday. The language, initially filed by the three lawmakers as HD.4585/SD.2767, An Act establishing the Environmental Justice Trust Fund, will fund environmental projects and initiatives in communities disproportionately impacted by environmental harms. The outside language included will be expected to pass with the budget and be signed into law this summer.

"Environmental justice communities in Hampden County and throughout the Commonwealth will no longer continue to bear the burden of environmental harms without the resources they deserve,” said Senator Gomez. “Securing the creation of an Environmental Justice Trust Fund is a top priority for me this session so I am thankful to Representative Fluker Oakley for her continued advocacy on this issue and Governor Healey for including this vital piece of legislation in her FY2025 budget.”

An Act establishing the Environmental Justice Trust Fund proposes the creation of a trust that will be administered by the AG’s Environmental Protection Division (EPD) to provide much-needed resources directly to disadvantaged communities across Massachusetts. Working with community-led organizations, EPD will use the fund to support environmental restoration and other projects to benefit community well-being—projects like air monitoring networks, asthma prevention programs, roof top and community gardens, and depaving heat-absorbing black top– to empower communities to manage environmental harms and improve environmental conditions that affect people’s daily lives. The Trust will be funded by payments, including penalties and fines, from settlements and judgments filed by EPD in state court.

Currently, the Attorney General’s Office does not have the ability to provide EPD penalties to those disadvantaged communities directly impacted by the violations of the state environmental laws EPD enforces. The Environmental Justice Trust Fund will provide a mechanism for some of the settlement and judgment money to be used to benefit communities disproportionately impacted by economic, health, and environmental burdens.

Everyone has a right to be protected from environmental hazards and to live in and enjoy a clean and healthful environment, but disadvantaged communities continue to bear an inequitable burden of cumulative climate and other environmental harms. For example, nationwide, such communities are at higher risk of adverse health impacts because they are more likely to live in risk-prone areas like urban heat islands, resource isolated rural areas, or coastal and other flood-prone areas, as well as areas with older or poorly maintained infrastructure, or areas with higher levels of air pollution. These effects can lead to further compounding issues like food insecurity, infectious diseases, and psychological stressors.

In Massachusetts, which already has one of the nation’s highest incidences of pediatric asthma, degraded air quality is expected to disproportionately affect already disadvantaged communities, who are more susceptible to incidences of childhood asthma and elder mortality. Heavy rains and flooding are expected to increase mold, overburden sewer systems, and cause contamination of private and public water supplies. And droughts will deplete water supplies, with disproportionate impacts on disadvantaged communities across Massachusetts. The Environmental Justice Trust Fund will give the Attorney General’s Office, in partnership with community organizations, the ability to address these environmental harms in disadvantaged communities in Massachusetts.

BOSTON- State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) joined Acting Commissioner Russell Johnston and the Department of Education and Secondary Education today in announcing a grant award in the amount of $35,000 for the Springfield public School System through the FY25 Interpreter in the Education Setting Training grant program.

BOSTON- State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) joined the Healey-Driscoll Administration today in announcing grants worth nearly $275k being awarded in the Springfield area to combat the opioid epidemic, with Choice Recovery Coaching and the Black Behavioral Health Network set to receive $222,500 and $50,000 respectively to help the organizations deepen their impact, scale their work, and build a strong and sustainable infrastructure to meet the needs of populations in historically underserved communities. 

BOSTON- State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) joined Secretary Lauren Jones and the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development today to announce a $69,800 grant being awarded in Springfield to the Llumin company as part of the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s Workforce Training Fund Program. The grant being awarded will go towards training 16 workers, with 8 additional jobs being expected by 2026. 

BOSTON- State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) joined the Mass Cultural Council today in announcing two new grants awards coming to the Hampden district as part of the organization’s Local Cultural Council Program. In the first round of funding, The Springfield Cultural Council and Chicopee Cultural Council are set to receive $258,500 and $71,600 respectively to support a broad range of local projects and programming. 

SPRINGFIELD- State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) joined The Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) to announce the availability of FY24 funding through the Early Education and Out of School Time Capital Grant (EEOST) to provide critical resources necessary to sustain the Commonwealth’s essential child care infrastructure. The FY24 EEOST application will award grants between $500,000 and $1,000,000 to large group early education and out-of-school time programs to offset expenses for critical capital improvements.