Press Room

The Massachusetts State Legislature today passed a $259 million supplemental budget, S.2575, that provides midyear funding for ongoing state priorities and includes important provisions to protect students, strengthen the Massachusetts public defense system, and fund vital services for residents.

The Massachusetts Senate today passed legislation to create cell phone-free schools across the Commonwealth. By requiring school districts to prohibit student cell phone use during the school day, the bill aims to boost focus, improve mental health, and foster healthier learning environments.

Today, Senator Cindy F. Friedman, Chair of the Senate Committee on Steering and Policy, and Representative Michael S. Day, House Chair of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, issued the following statement after reaching an agreement on final language for S.2543/H.4294, An Act strengthening health care protections in the Commonwealth.

As part of an agreement on the mid-year supplemental budget (S.2540), the Legislature has included a provision addressing the public defense system for those unable to afford their own legal representation that upholds trust in the justice system and the Constitution’s guarantee to due process.

An Act to promote student learning and mental health seeks to keep students’ eyes on their classwork and instructors and away from their cell phones. By removing personal cell phone use from the classroom, Massachusetts public schools will be places where students can focus on learning. Reasonable exceptions to the rule will safeguard students who need their phone for treating medical conditions, for an individualized education plan (IEP), or to accommodate a disability. Details of the Senate bill are outlined below.

An Act relative to archaic laws seeks to bring Massachusetts law into the 21st century by repealing outdated criminal offenses that are at odds with constitutionally protected freedoms and liberties. The legislation also removes outdated terms from other criminal statutes to focus on their underlying intent of protecting public safety.

The Massachusetts Senate today passed two separate bills to bring Massachusetts laws into the 21st century by removing offensive language from state statute and repealing outdated, unconstitutional laws that hamper civil rights.

Today, the Massachusetts Senate passed An Act facilitating better interactions between police officers and persons with autism spectrum disorder, which would make permanent the ‘blue envelope’ program first advanced by the Senate early last year.