There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call reports on some of the bills that were approved by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker in the 2019 session.
Of the more than 6,000 bills that have been filed for consideration, only 148 have been approved and signed by the governor. Only 25 of those were bills that affect the entire state, while the vast majority were either sick leave banks, local land-taking measures or other local measures applying to just one city or town.
Sick leave banks allow public employees to voluntarily donate sick, personal or vacation days to a sick leave bank for use by a fellow worker so he or she can get paid while on medical leave. Land-takings are local land measures that usually only affect one city or town.
Here are five of the 25 important, statewide-related bills signed into law:
House 152 to 0, Senate 40 to 0, approved and on June 6, the governor signed into law a bill authorizing $200 million in one-time funding for the maintenance and repair of local roads and bridges in cities and towns across the state. The package is a bond bill under which the funding would be borrowed by the state through the sale of bonds.
Other provisions include $200 million for rail improvements and $1.5 billion in bonding to allow for federal interstate repairs to advance. According to officials, 80 percent of the $1.5 billion would be reimbursed by the federal government.
A “Yes” vote is for the bill.
Rep. Natalie Blais — Yes
Rep. Paul Mark — Yes
Rep. Susannah Whipps — Yes
Sen. Joanne Comerford — Yes
Sen. Adam Hinds — Yes
House 154 to 1, Senate 38 to 1, approved and on Nov. 25, Baker signed into law a bill that would prohibit drivers, except on-duty public safety personnel, from using a hand-held cellphone or other electronic device to make a call or access social media. The measure allows drivers to use only a hands-free phone but allows him or her to perform a single tap or swipe to activate or deactivate the hands-free mode feature.
Use of a hand-held phone would be permitted in emergencies including if the vehicle is disabled; a disabled vehicle or an accident are present on a roadway; medical attention is required and if police, firefighters or other emergency services personnel are necessary for the safety of the operator or a passenger, or to otherwise ensure the safety of the public.
Violators would be fined $100 for a first offense, $250 for a second offense and $500 for a third and subsequent offense. A third offense would count as a surchargeable offense that could lead to higher insurance rates for the violator.
The measure basically keeps the current mandate that police departments document the driver’s race only when they issue a ticket, write a warning or make an arrest after a traffic stop. Some say that will not gather enough data and that the only way to do so is to get the information on all cars that are stopped regardless of whether they are arrested or received a ticket or a warning.
A “Yes” vote is for the bill.
Rep. Natalie Blais — Yes
Rep. Paul Mark — Yes
Rep. Susannah Whipps — Yes
Sen. Joanne Comerford — Yes
Sen. Adam Hinds — Yes
House 155 to 0, Senate 39 to 0, approved and on Nov. 26, the governor signed a bill making changes in the state’s campaign finance laws. Current law exempts legislative candidates and some candidates for mayor from the requirement that they use a depository reporting system, which currently must be followed by statewide, county and many other municipal candidates. The bill requires legislative candidates and some candidates for mayor to adhere to the same strict requirements.
The depository reporting system requires candidates to file a monthly report that discloses all campaign finance activity. Legislative reports are under the current non-depository system and are filed only two or three times a year.
Another provision directs the Office of Campaign and Political Finance to write regulations regarding the appropriate use of websites and social media for campaign purposes. The measure also creates a special legislative commission to examine the feasibility of allowing candidates for state, county or municipal elected office to use campaign funds to pay for family care and child care services for the candidate.
A “Yes” vote is for the bill.
Rep. Natalie Blais — Yes
Rep. Paul Mark — Yes
Rep. Susannah Whipps — Yes
Sen. Joanne Comerford — Yes
Sen. Adam Hinds — Yes
House 155 to 0, Senate 40 to 0, approved and on Nov. 26, Baker signed into law legislation designed to make it easier for children and their families to navigate the state’s complicated and often difficult to understand health care system. A key provision requires health insurance companies to perform monthly updates of their provider databases that tell patients which doctors and other medical resources are available to them. Patients complain that many physicians are listed as local and taking new patients despite having retired, moved or stopped accepting new patients.
The measure also allows foster children to remain covered by MassHealth until they turn 26, the same option that children covered by their parents’ private insurance currently have; examines the barriers to mental and behavioral health supports for children; establishes a commission to study mandated reporting laws; and provides for increased education around child sex abuse and exploitation.
A “Yes” vote is for the bill.
Rep. Natalie Blais — Yes
Rep. Paul Mark — Yes
Rep. Susannah Whipps — Yes
Sen. Joanne Comerford — Yes
Sen. Adam Hinds — Yes
House 156 to 0, Senate 39 to 0, approved and on Nov. 26, Baker signed into law the Student Opportunity Act that invests $1.5 billion, mostly in the form of Chapter 70 aid for local school districts, in the state’s public K-12 education system over the next seven years. The measure implements the recommendations of the Foundation Budget Review Commission, which found the state was underfunding schools by more than $1 billion annually.
A “Yes” vote is for the bill.
Rep. Natalie Blais — Yes
Rep. Paul Mark — Yes
Rep. Susannah Whipps — Yes
Sen. Joanne Comerford — Yes
Sen. Adam Hinds — Yes
Baker fired the first shot in the long battle over the state budget for fiscal year 2021 that begins on July 1. He proposed a $44.6 billion package that increases overall state spending by 2.3 percent above the current fiscal year, according to the administration. In April, the House will draft its own version of the budget, followed by the Senate, which in May will propose yet another version. A House-Senate conference committee will eventually craft a plan that will be presented to the House and Senate for consideration and sent to the governor.
As of Jan. 1, Massachusetts citizens who are not registered to vote will automatically be registered when they apply for or renew their driver’s license or state identification cards at the Registry of Motor Vehicles, apply for MassHealth or sign up for health insurance through the Commonwealth Health Connecter. Citizens will have the ability to opt out of registering to vote when they are completing their applications.
Anyone who wants to vote in the presidential primaries on March 3 must be registered to vote by Feb. 12. People who will not be applying for a driver’s license or health insurance before the registration deadline can register to vote at RegisterToVoteMA.com.
Voters can confirm their registration status, address and political party online at sec.state.ma.us/ele.
The Elections Laws Committee held a hearing on two pieces of legislation that would allow cities and towns to permit 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in their local city and town elections. Current law requires that voters be 18.
“We filed this bill because we believe in local control,” said Rep. Andy Vargas, D-Haverhill, a House co-sponsor of the proposal. “At least nine cities and towns have asked for the authority to lower the voting age for their municipal elections, but the state has essentially ignored these requests. If cities and towns want youth voices to be heard at the ballot box, the state shouldn’t stand in the way of their local intent. In the same fashion, no city or town will be required to lower its voting age under this bill. Cities and towns that are content with their current voting age can simply carry on.”
“It is time to give municipalities the option to empower their own young people,” said Sen. Harriette Chandler, D-Worcester, the sponsor of the Senate bill. “The EMPOWER Act creates a local option that allows young people to vote in local elections, for municipalities who want to participate. Cities and towns have asked for this option for years, and I believe that young people deserve a voice in their local government.”
The Transportation Committee’s agenda included a bill that would require a highly-reflective “L Plate” decal to be clearly visible to law enforcement officers on the front and back of any vehicle being operated by a driver with a learner’s permit. The size, fee and other details would be determined by the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
Supporters said this would warn other motorists that the driver is inexperienced and encourage them to take extra caution. They say the requirement would likely reduce the frustration of other motorists, reduce unnecessary honking, prevent injuries and maybe even save lives.
Opponents say the bill is a solution in search of a problem that doesn’t exist. They note that families with more than one car would have to get two decals for each car and note that if a permanent decal is used, experienced drivers would often be driving the car with the decal and be mistaken for a novice behind the wheel. They argue that some motorists might pass student drivers illegally on a double yellow line to avoid being stuck behind someone learning to drive.
A bill heard by the Veterans Affairs Committee would expand the current law that requires the Medal of Liberty to be awarded to the next of kin of Massachusetts servicemen and women killed in action.
The bill would expand the number of eligible veterans and require a medal to be awarded to the families of service members who died while in the line of duty or who died as a result of wounds received while in the line of duty. This eliminates the rule that the death had to be in combat, a war zone or as a result of action of an enemy.
“So often we see our service members suffer tragic circumstances during training exercises, accidents and other unforeseen events,” said the bill’s co-sponsors Reps. Brian Murray, D-Milford, and Michael Soter, R-Bellingham, in a joint statement. “While these situations are not necessarily combat-related, the dedication of our servicemen and women, as well as the loss their families suffer, are no less than if they were. As such, we should have a means of recognizing their sacrifice in an appropriate and respectful manner.”