Press Room

The legislature’s agreement on a supplemental budget will allocate $425 million to support emergency housing assistance for unhoused families across the Commonwealth. The bill adds cost controls and reporting mechanisms to ensure the state responsibly uses taxpayer dollars, while continuing to fund a system that serves Massachusetts mothers, fathers, and children in crisis.

Today, Senate President Karen E. Spilka announced the membership of the Senate Art Committee, a group of Senators and arts leaders who will be tasked with making the art and symbols in the Senate more representative of the residents of the Commonwealth.

The Senate’s rules proposals for the 2025-2026 session aim to create a transparent and efficient Legislature that meets our current moment. These proposals will build on the Senate’s commitment to transparency and create a framework for increased productivity during legislative sessions.

Today, the Massachusetts Senate passed legislation to allocate $425 million to support emergency housing assistance for unhoused families across the Commonwealth. The bill adds cost controls and reporting mechanisms to ensure the state responsibly uses taxpayer dollars, while continuing to fund a system that serves Massachusetts mothers, fathers, and children in crisis.

The Senate’s rules proposals for the 2025-2026 session aim to create a transparent and efficient Legislature that meets our current moment. If approved, these proposals will build on the Senate’s commitment to transparency and create a framework for increased productivity during legislative sessions. These changes would provide more opportunity to residents to participate in the Legislature’s work, encourage greater insight into bills being considered by the Legislature, and provide more transparency on legislators’ positions on issues that impact Massachusetts residents.

An Act relative to pharmaceutical access, costs and transparency addresses the urgent issue of skyrocketing prescription drug costs for Massachusetts residents. This legislation takes a multi-pronged approach to reform: lowering drug costs, increasing access for individuals at the pharmacy counter, and making broad, necessary changes to the state’s health care system to add oversight and transparency.

An Act enhancing the market review process builds on Massachusetts’ long history of bringing transparency to the health care system while responding to a changing health care landscape. It improves the state’s ability to constrain health care cost growth and ensure that high quality care is both affordable and accessible.

Today, the Massachusetts Legislature passed legislation that will close loopholes in the health care market regulatory process exposed by the collapse of Steward Health Care, increase financial transparency by gathering more information regarding hospital finances, and assist in maintaining a more stable and sustainable health care system.