Bringing Beacon Hill to You

After more than a year of work, one of my highest priority bills has been signed into law! We're also wrapping up the final push on several other pieces of legislation and looking ahead to what new bills we want to file in January. Take a look at these highlights from my office for the month of June.

At long last, we can finally say that the sharing explicit media without the consent of the depicted person (commonly known as revenge pornography) is now illegal in Massachusetts. On June 20, Gov. Maura Healey signed into law a bill criminalizing revenge porn that I initially filed in the Senate at the beginning of this legislative session.    

Technically speaking, a two-year legislative session concludes every other January, but the final push to get most bills signed into law happens during the preceding summer. With formal sessions finishing at the end of July, we only have a matter of weeks to pass pending legislation, which makes next month one of the busiest times on Beacon Hill. Among all the bills I have been working on, there are a couple I am cautiously optimistic for. 

The first, An Act creating the Massachusetts Healthy Homes program, establishes a state-regulated program to offer low and no interest home improvement loans for properties that disproportionately house low-income tenants and feature substandard conditions that can cause certain health conditions. These funds could be used to address lead paint, lead pipes, asbestos, mold, or pest infestations. Individuals who own these properties often lack the funds to make necessary renovations as many are technically classified as low-income individuals themselves. Loans will be offered up to $50,000, with interest based upon the income of the property’s owner. This legislation was included in the House version of The Affordable Homes Act, a housing bond bill that the Senate passed on June 27. I am hopeful that our bill language will be included in the final version of the legislation that makes its way to the Governor’s desk. 

The second is An Act relative to recovery coach licensure. Recovery coaches are substance use disorder specialists who work one-on-one with individuals in recovery to assist them in reaching their sobriety goals. These individuals have a documented positive track record in other states, but Massachusetts has a few barriers to overcome before they can be put into widespread use here. This legislation creates a licensure process and certification board, making it easier for recovery coaches to be covered by insurance. If signed into law, we hope this would result in an increase in the number of people working in this field and an increase in the number of substance use disorder patients receiving treatment. The bill was already included in a larger substance use disorder bill passed by the House. I will work during the balance of this legislative session to get the licensing of recovery coaches to the Governor’s desk. 

Starting August 1, we will start turning our attention to the bills that will be filed next session, and I expect much of my focus will be on issues such as health care, housing and transportation. 

To protect the health of my constituents as well as people throughout the Commonwealth, I will continue to explore what I can do to reign in the dangers posed by the expansion of gambling here in Massachusetts. I firmly believe the gambling industry needs proper oversight to minimize its negative impacts on our society. In previous newsletters, I have discussed at length the need to curb deceptive gambling ads and will continue to pursue this issue next year. Additionally, I believe we need to consider increasing the excise tax on gambling company revenues, as the amount the companies return to the Commonwealth is in many cases half as much as the industry pays to nearby states. These revenues could be used, in part, to fund studies on problem gambling and expand resources for treatment. 

I will also continue to explore the issue of overdose prevention centers (OPCs) in Massachusetts. These are facilities where individuals with substance use disorder are able to use narcotic substances under the supervision of staff trained to reverse the effects of overdoses using naloxone. These facilities keep people with substance use disorder alive and provide resources for when they are ready to seek treatment. Already operating in Canada, Europe, and New York, and soon in Rhode Island, these facilities have yet to report a single fatal overdose.  



This session I vocally supported a bill that would allow Massachusetts cities and towns that wish to open an OPC to have the ability to do so. A crucial part of this bill was that it would allow OPCs to be a local option for communities, meaning each municipality would have the abaility to choose whether it would host these facilities. Having personally visited many of the operational OPCs in North America, I can attest that these are a resource worth considering for Massachusetts communities. 

Twenty years after we made history by becoming the first state to legalize same-sex marriage, Massachusetts is still keeping the spirit of acceptance alive and well! This Pride Month, I was so glad to see local organizations hosting celebrations throughout the month of June. In Hanover I attended the Don’t Hide the Pride event and in Quincy I went to the annual Quincy Pride Day. I am inspired to see so many neighbors and friends come together to celebrate their pride and to see so many allies support the LGBTQ+ community.

June also provided me with an opportunity to join firefighters and police officers in Quincy and Braintree to honor fallen first responders in memorial ceremonies at Mount Wollaston Cemetery in Quincy and the Braintree Fire Department. As always, these remembrances offered a sobering reminder of the immense sacrifices made by those in the line of duty, and I was honored to join community members to recognize those who made the ultimate sacrifice. 

Several weeks ago, I accompanied U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren and State Rep. Tackey Chan on a tour of Kam Man Foods in Quincy, where we learned about the company’s workforce initiatives and wraparound social services they provide to immigrants through QARI’s Wutabon program. It was a fantastic opportunity to see the great work being done to help our local immigrant community and learn how we as legislators can better support their efforts.

June was also graduation month. I was thrilled to attend ceremonies at Quincy High School and North Quincy High School – the smiles on the faces of the graduates were as bright as their futures!  

We also saw some notable retirements during the last few weeks. Best wishes to retiring Holbrook Police Chief William J. Smith and to Abington School Superintendent Peter Schafer, both of whom dedicated their long, distinguished professional careers to public service and improving the lives of so many. Many thanks and best wishes for long and healthy retirements! 



Finally, June marked Rockland’s 150th birthday, which was celebrated with a parade and many events. Quincy held its Flag Day Parade, one of the longest continuous celebrations in the county. And Hanover held its annual Hanover Day, with music, rides, local organizations sharing information, antique cars, and a colonial encampment. Thank you to all the organizers who work so hard to celebrate their communities and ensure we all always have something fun to look forward to!