2023-2024 Session By The Numbers
It’s a wrap! The Massachusetts Legislature closed up shop on the 193rd legislative session. MassTrac tallied key metrics that defined this legislative cycle.
10,159
The number of bills filed in 2023/24. That’s a decrease of 149 bills, or 1%, from the last cycle.
391 (and still counting as of January 6, 2025)
The number of bills that passed with Governor Maura Healey’s (D) signature (also known as session laws). That’s a 45% decrease from the laws passed during the 2021-2022 session. Healey has until Jan. 10, 2024, to sign bills from this cycle, or they die.
3,362
The amount of bills sent to study (and that consequently died). There were 2,534 House bills that accompanied a study order and 828 Senate bills that accompanied a study order. 33.09% of bills that did not pass were sent to study.
2,982
The number of bills that were categorized as relating to State Government. Specifically, there were 978 bills that related to the Governor/Executive Branch.
68
The number of bills Sen. Paul Feeney (D-Foxborough) moved through the first chamber, under the State Government category. He was the most effective of any other legislator this legislative cycle.
38.4%
The percentage of bills that were refiled from the 2021-2022 session, a 4.6% increase.
8,995
The amount of amendments that were filed in the 2023-2024 session. Amendments have increasingly crept up in numbers over the years, almost matching the amount of bills filed. In fact, in 2021-2022 there were more amendments filed than bills (10,682 to 10,308).
27%
The percentage of amendments that were refiled from the 2021-2022 session. 2,383 amendments were refiles.
460
The number of committee hearings held during the 2023-2024 cycle, slightly below the average number of hearings over the past 10 cycles.
33
The number of committee hearings the Joint Committee on Public Service held. It was the most active committee this cycle. The Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy were close seconds, both holding 28 hearings this session.
119
The amount of formal sessions held. The House held 73 and the Senate held 46. This cycle has been particularly interesting since though formal sessions ended in July 2024, big bills were still deliberated afterward.
156
The largest amount of bills sponsored by a single legislator - Republican Sen. Bruce Tarr of Gloucester. Since assuming office in 1995, Tarr has consistently been one of the legislators who has sponsored the most bills during a cycle.
932
Rep. Vanna Howard (D-Lowell) co-sponsored the most bills out of any legislator this cycle. Might this be the largest number ever in the history of the Legislature?
455
The number of roll call votes held this cycle. The House held 203 and the Senate held 252. This was a 20% decrease for the total held in 2021-2022.
53
The largest amount of earmarks proposed for FY25 by a single legislator - Sen. Walter Timilty (D-Milton). Only 10 were adopted.
69
The largest amount of earmarks proposed for FY24, also from Sen. Timilty: 16 were adopted.
108
FY25 budget amendments proposed by Sen. Tarr, the most of any legislator this cycle: 20 of the 108 were passed; 12 were included in ‘yes bundles’; and 8 were adopted on their own.
75
The most amendments for FY24 filed by a single legislator. Both Sen. Tarr and Sen. Timilty proposed 75 amendments.
$5.6 million
The most earmark money received by any legislator from the FY25 budget. Sen. Joan Lovely (D-Salem) took home the most funds from the budget to the 2nd Essex district, mostly for hunger-free campus initiatives for state public colleges.
$9,660,000
The amount of earmark money from FY24 Sen. Feeney (D-Foxborough) received the most of any legislator. Much of the funding went to Sponsor-based permanent supportive housing.