Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ votes on a roll call from the week of Feb. 27 to March 3. There were no roll calls in the Senate last week.

$353 million supplemental budget (H 57)

The House, 153 to 0, approved and sent to the Senate a $353 million fiscal year 2023 supplemental budget. Provisions include $86 million for the emergency shelter system to help offset medical costs for migrant families going to emergency rooms for shelter and assistance; $130 million to keep expanded nutrition assistance in place for a few more months; $65 million for the universal school meals program; and provisions to keep some pandemic-era programs in place, including allowing restaurants to sell beer, wine and cocktails for takeout and expanding outdoor dining through April 1, 2024. Another provision extends the authority for public bodies, agencies and commissions to hold meetings remotely until March 31, 2025.

“The package … covers a number of different areas that all require our immediate attention,” said House Ways and Means Committee Chair Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, D-Boston. “This modest proposal addresses some of the pressing needs the commonwealth is facing currently. As we begin this legislative session, we are on a quick timeframe for some of these programs and this spending bill is one that we need to move fairly quickly to ensure our people receive the services they need.

“The migrant crisis our commonwealth has been facing with these last couple of months has put our will to the test,” Michlewitz continued. “While Washington continues to struggle with finding a reasonable compromise on a broken immigration system, it is the state and our municipalities that have been forced to pick up the pieces.”

A “Yes” vote is for the budget.

Rep. Natalie Blais — Yes

Rep. Aaron Saunders — Yes

Rep. Susannah Whipps — Yes

Also up on Beacon Hill

Here is a look at some bills filed for consideration in the new 2023-2024 session:

Baby Bonds (SD 711): Would create a Baby Bonds program in Massachusetts to provide funds at birth to certain low-income residents that can be accessed when the account holder turns 18 to support asset-building activities such as post-secondary education, homebuying or investing in a business.

“I am proud to have filed [this bill] to start building an effective and transformational Baby Bonds program in the commonwealth that will build wealth from the bottom up, and the middle out, to put hard-working residents on a trajectory for wealth creation from day one,” said sponsor Sen. Paul Feeney, D-Foxborough. “By automatically investing from day one of a child’s life, we are providing a jumpstart to individuals otherwise at a disadvantage by beginning to narrow the racial wealth gap and giving our poorest residents a fighting shot at the middle class and the American dream.”

Choreographer Laureate (SD 2382): Would create a new state position of Choreographer Laureate to encourage participation in the arts, elevate the dance legacy and current dance in Massachusetts communities, and choreograph performances for state events and ceremonies.

“In my decades as a dancer and choreographer, I’ve witnessed the power of dance and movement to bring people together, and to embrace the joy and diversity of humanity,” said sponsor said Sen. Becca Rausch, D-Needham. “I filed this bill to help spread that joy and appreciation throughout the commonwealth and uplift the importance of the arts and cultural exchange in our communities.”

Immigrants in schools (SD 2412): Would require the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to establish an assistance program for cities and towns that are experiencing sudden influxes of immigrant populations in their schools but are not receiving any extra educational aid from the state.

Sponsor Sen. John Velis, D-Westfield, said that he filed the measure to start an important conversation on how we can assist municipalities that are seeing a sudden influx of population in their school districts.

“I am pleased that Gov. [Maura] Healey has also recognized this issue and set aside funding in her supplemental budget to help schools take care of these students,” Velis said. “This is a working bill and I look forward to continuing to collaborate with my colleagues to ensure our municipalities have the resources they need.”

Active shooter (SD 157): Would require the state to adopt the National Fire Protection Association’s standard guidelines for active shooter events. The bill also establishes an Executive Council comprised of representatives of firefighters and EMS and law enforcement agencies to develop best practices for all elements of active-shooter response situations.

“In recent years, our country has been presented with greater risks and threats when it comes to active shooter situations,” said sponsor Sen. Patrick O’Connor, R-Weymouth. “We are fortunate that here in Massachusetts, we have been proactive and collaborative about protecting the safety of all residents. This legislation seeks to ensure that we remain ahead of the curve and keep our residents safe well into the future.”

Make Election Day a legal holiday (SD 353): Would make Election Day, every two years, a statewide holiday and would also provide people who cannot take the holiday off because they are Election Day workers or perform other essential work with two hours of paid voting leave.

“The ability to vote is the foundation of our democracy,” said sponsor Sen. Becca Rausch, D-Needham. “For economically vulnerable communities, the question of voting oftentimes comes down to missing hours at work, holding onto a job or earning pay they rely on to put food on the table. My bill to establish Election Day as a holiday gives voters the greatest flexibility to cast their ballot and make their voices heard.”

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