2023 -2024 Session Laws

The Massachusetts State Legislature is organized in two-year sessions, starting on the odd year. This past session, the 193rd session of the General Court (2023-2024) passed 463 laws, known as session laws. General laws, the other category of statutes, are acts that have been codified and organized into permanent law in Massachusetts from all sessions. 

85% of all session laws were home rule petitions, a normal trend since they are the easiest to pass and normally not controversial. They’re a mechanism for municipalities to tailor state laws to their specific local needs, granting them more autonomy in a typically bureaucratic process. Most were about zoning/land use regulation, local tax structures, charter amendments, licensing, infrastructure projects, and unique personnel or pension arrangements.

Conversely, 15% of were budget related or “big bills” that are comprehensive pieces of legislation addressing multiple issues. These bills are lengthy with lots of deliberation and debate on them before being signed into law. They’re also typically omnibus bills with lots of provisions and different policy areas jampacked into a single piece of legislation. 

The average amount of bills a legislator passed this session was 2. Representative Thomas Walsh (D-Peabody) passed 18 bills, the most of any legislator.

Notable Big Bills 2023-2024:

FY24 Budget:The first budget of this session, $55.9 billion, included substantial investments in education, infrastructure, transportation, and climate initiatives. It also introduced a new financing plan utilizing the Millionaire's Surtax funding, aimed at enhancing the transportation system.

FY25 Budget: The second budget totaled approximately $57.78 billion and prioritizes significant investments in education, infrastructure, transportation, and climate initiatives.

Opioid Bill: The measure would help combat the opioid epidemic in Massachusetts and enhance access to treatment for substance use disorders by implementing a licensing system for recovery coaches, mandating insurance coverage for recovery services, and expanding non-opioid pain management options. The bill also includes new training requirements for prescribers, reforms involuntary commitment procedures, and establishes oversight for substance exposure in infants, while also creating special commissions to address public health concerns related to substance use. Governor Healey signed the bill into law on Dec. 23, 2024.

Economic Development: The bill allocates $4 billion for investments in climate and life sciences, with major funding directed towards programs like the Massachusetts Life Sciences Breakthrough Fund and the Clean Energy Investment Fund. Additionally, the bill includes over 300 outside sections that propose significant reforms, such as merging agencies, overhauling civil service laws, creating new tax incentives for industries, and enhancing educational diversity initiatives. The Governor signed the bill into law on Nov. 11, 2024.

Clean Energy: This bill overhauls clean energy policies in Mass. by establishing a consolidated permitting process for energy projects, creating new divisions within state agencies, and enhancing environmental justice efforts. Additionally, the bill mandates discounted rates for eligible moderate-income customers, prohibits unreasonable restrictions on electric vehicle charger installations, and directs a study on carbon dioxide removal opportunities. The Governor signed the bill into law on Nov. 20, 2024.

Long-Term Care: These reforms aim to overhaul the licensing and oversight of facilities, enhance Medicaid reimbursement processes, and establish a Long-Term Care Workforce and Capital Fund to support nursing facilities and training. Key provisions include: strengthened oversight for facilities with increased reporting requirements, the creation of customized outbreak response plans, and new regulations for small house nursing homes, alongside the establishment of task forces to address governance issues within the long-term care sector. The conference is completed and was signed by the Governor on Sept. 6, 2024. 

Maternal Health: This bill enhances midwifery practices, improves care at birthing centers, and addresses postpartum depression. Initiatives include the establishment of a new Board of Registration in Midwifery and coverage by MassHealth. Key provisions also include regulations for licensed freestanding birth centers, mandatory postpartum depression screenings by healthcare providers, the creation of a statewide postpartum home visiting program, and the establishment of a task force focused on maternal health access and patient safety. The bill was signed Aug. 23, 2024.

Affordable Housing: The ‘Affordable Homes Act’ authorizes $5.16 billion in bonding to enhance housing, with significant allocations for public housing rehabilitation, affordable housing production, and sustainable housing initiatives. The legislation also introduces provisions for accessory dwelling units, the establishment of a comprehensive housing plan, fair housing enforcement, and various tax credits. The measure was signed into law on Aug. 6, 2024.

Veterans’ Services: The veterans’ benefits bill will modernize existing programs by broadening the definition of a veteran for increased access to benefits, raising the tax credit for employers hiring veterans, and enhancing the annual annuity for disabled veterans. The bill also introduces new medical and behavioral health benefits, establishes special commissions to study veteran issues, and includes technical updates to existing laws. Governor Healey signed the bill into law on Aug. 8, 2024.

Parentage Equality: This bill establishes a gender-neutral framework for defining parentage, ensuring that every child has equal rights and protections regardless of their parents' marital status, gender, or the circumstances of their birth, including those born via assisted reproduction or surrogacy. The updated law outlines legal processes for determining parentage through various means, introduces regulations regarding de facto parents and surrogacy agreements, and clarifies the rights of intended parents. Governor Healey signed the bill on Aug. 8, 2024.

IT Bill: Known as the 'FutureTech Act,' the bill allocates $1.257 billion to enhance the Commonwealth's information technology capabilities, with key funding areas including $750 million for public service improvements, $200 million for infrastructure upgrades, and $250 million for government modernization. The act also creates an Information Technology Federal Reimbursement Fund to help leverage federal funds for IT enhancements, along with additional funding for local IT security, municipal broadband expansion, and improving public interactions with state agencies.The bill was signed into law on Jul.29, 2024.

Wage Transparency: The law mandates that employers disclose the pay range for job postings and when requested by applicants or current employees, as well as for promotions or transfers. Penalties have been established for non-compliance. The bill became law on July 31, 2024.

Gun Reform: These reforms update the laws surrounding the sale and possession of firearms in the Commonwealth, introducing comprehensive registration, new licensing, and safety requirements. Key provisions include: a new licensing process for firearm ID cards and licenses to carry, restrictions on certain individuals from obtaining licenses, updated definitions and regulations for assault-style weapons, and the establishment of an electronic registration system for firearms, including "ghost guns," while also outlining safety training requirements and prohibiting firearms in specific public areas. Governor Healey signed the bill into law on Jul. 25, 2024.

Revenge Porn: The revenge porn bill updates the state’s current criminal harassment laws by addressing the distribution of visual materials involving nude or partially nude individuals, classifying such distribution in various forms and imposing penalties. Additionally, the bill expands provisions for juveniles charged with distributing child pornography and establishes a comprehensive educational diversion program to inform teenagers about the legal consequences of transmitting indecent visuals. Healey signed the bill on Jun 20, 2024.

Pharma Oversight: This bill will expand the oversight of pharmaceutical manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) by the Health Policy Commission and the Center for Health Information and Analysis. Drug manufacturers will now have to disclose new drugs coming to the market, and planned increases in pricing to the state. The goal is that increased oversight and other policy levers will help drive down drug costs in Massachusetts. Additionally PBMs, professionals who buy from the manufacturer and then sell to the pharmacy, will face a new licensure regime where they will have to prove they are passing down savings to the consumer and not just being an irrelevant player in the supply chain. Often this step is where drug prices can skyrocket.The bill was signed on Jan. 8, 2025.

Healthcare Market Oversight: This bill will now give the state greater oversight on how private equity plays into the state’s healthcare system. Private equity firms often acquire healthcare organizations, aiming to enhance their operations and financial performance, but not necessarily the quality of care provided. Steward Health Care, a private equity-backed hospital system, went bankrupt in 2024, prompting the oversight into financial records this bill provides. The bill mandates that any healthcare establishment backed by private equity must report all transactions to the state.

This session was largely characterized by a relatively low level of productivity compared to previous years, with only 374 bills becoming law by December 2024 and 89 in 2023. The average amount of laws passed in a session during the past 10 sessions was 682. The highest law volume was in the 2013-2014 session with 701 bills. The lowest law volume was in the 2023-2024 session with 463. 

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