I hope this newsletter finds you and your loved ones healthy and well as we begin to head into the winter season. This newsletter includes a recently announced opportunity from the federal government, a reminder from the RMV, an update on step therapy legislation, highlights from a selection of recent events and announcements relevant to the district, and a brief public health section.

As always, serving our constituents is our top priority. In November, I will host four in-person office hours. If you cannot attend scheduled office hours, you are welcome to contact my staff to schedule a meeting.

Very truly yours, Joan

On Monday, October 24th, the House officially enacted H.4929 “An Act relative to step therapy and patient safety." The legislation restricts step therapy, a practice in health insurance that involves trying less expensive options before "stepping up" to drugs that cost more. This bill requires insurers (including MassHealth) to provide a streamlined method for patients who wish to use an exception from their insurer’s step therapy protocol. After a compromise was reached between the House and Senate, the bill now heads to the desk of the Governor to be signed.

On Tuesday, October 11th, I joined members of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy to take a tour of Vicinity Energy, the nation’s largest district energy provider. During the tour, committee members learned about Vicinity’s efforts to decarbonize, including the company’s commitment to reaching net zero carbon emissions across its operations by 2050. Learn more about Vicinity Energy here.

This month I joined Mass Access for three fall meet-and-greet sessions in Westford, Hingham, and Athol as the featured keynote speaker. The presentation I gave highlighted H.130, An Act relative to a streaming entertainment operator’s use of the public rights-of-way, a bill that seeks to align the successful franchise fee system with the current era of digital streaming and support our community media centers. 

The State House is open for tours, which are given weekdays year-round from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm, and are free of charge. Visit this link to plan a tour or for more information.

Constituent services are our top priority. My Chief of Staff, Legislative Aide, and I continue to work remotely on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, a staff member will be present in the State House. I also host in-person office hours in the district.

If you would like to reserve a time slot for virtual office hours or outside of the times listed, please call the office at 617-722-2320 or email my Legislative Aide.

To learn more about our constituent services, please visit our website.

The CDC has now endorsed the use of booster shots that are specifically reformulated to combat the two most prevalent Omicron subvariants. The CDC recommends that everyone 12 and older who has not received a vaccine within the past 2 months should get the updated booster. However, people who have recently had a COVID infection may consider delaying the booster by 3 months from symptom onset or positive test (if the infection was asymptomatic) according to the CDC’s vaccine advisers.

Updated boosters for kids younger than 12 will likely be made available later this fall. The push for the updated boosters comes at a good time, as health officials are warning that another spike in COVID-19 transmission is likely this fall as people head back indoors once again. The updated boosters are currently available in Massachusetts.

Here are the steps to find a convenient location to get a COVID-19 vaccine and booster:

Vaccines are widely available in Massachusetts. Getting vaccinated is the most important thing people can do to protect themselves, their families, and the community.

The COVID-19 booster is safe, effective, and free. People do not need an ID or health insurance to get a booster shot and do not need to show a vaccine card when getting a booster. Additional information on the COVID-19 booster, including FAQs, can be found at mass.gov/COVID19booster.