7-19-2026 4:41am

Beacon Hill Roll Call

Alan Earls Editor

If you have any questions about this week's report, e-mail us at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com or call us at (617) 720-1562.

Volume 51 - Report No. 29

July 13-17, 2026

By Bob Katzen

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THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call reports local representatives' votes on one roll call from the week of July 13-17. There were no roll calls in the Senate last week.

PETS (H 5589)

House 151-1, approved a bill that supporters say will strengthen animal welfare protections, modernize veterinary technician licensing and support responsible pet ownership.

The House version of the measure does not include a major provision that is in the version of the bill already passed by the Senate. Supporters of the Senate version say that the Senate version would end the inhumane puppy-mill-to-pet-shop system by banning commercial sales of cats and dogs in pet stores. The House version now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Provisions of the House measure include modernizing the state’s dog licensing and kennel oversight laws by strengthening inspection requirements; improving reporting from licensing authorities; ensuring that dogs housed in kennels are properly licensed; and establishing a clearer legal process for addressing cases of animal neglect. Law enforcement and animal control officers will be able to petition courts for timely intervention when animals are suffering from neglect, allowing courts to order appropriate care, remove animals from dangerous situations when necessary or permanently prohibit individuals from owning animals in serious cases.

The bill strengthens protections for animals used in research by expanding adoption opportunities for dogs and cats after research concludes. Other provisions prohibit a manufacturer or contract testing facility from using a traditional animal test method if there is an alternative test method when testing a product, product formulation, chemical or ingredient; updates Massachusetts law governing pet insurance by adopting nationally recognized consumer protection standards; establishes penalties for transportation network companies like Uber and their drivers who unlawfully refuse service to riders accompanied by service animals; and establishes a statewide pet ownership program for older adults living in public housing. The program prohibits blanket bans on pets while allowing housing authorities to adopt reasonable pet policies that protect residents, animals and housing facilities.

"This legislation modernizes the commonwealth’s animal welfare laws while supporting responsible pet ownership, strengthening veterinary care, protecting consumers and while ensuring stronger enforcement of existing animal protection laws," said House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy).

“If there is any issue that we can all agree on, it’s that all of our furry friends deserve long, happy lives,” said Rep. Jack Lewis (D-Framingham), House chair of the Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government. “This legislation is a strong step towards that goal. We are employing robust measures to promote good caretaking and penalize bad actors, such as expanding policy related to veterinary technicians and pet insurance, banning the use of animals in household product safety research and adding new oversight to the kennel industry. I am especially proud of the wide bipartisan support that this bill garnered, highlighting our collective unity on this issue.”

“This is more of the state putting its thumbs on the scales with local communities,” said Rep. John Gaskey (R-Carver), the only member to vote against the measure. “Animals are being transformed from pets into four-legged humans and while I hate the idea of someone having to give up a pet to go into state housing, the burden this places on others is one that is being overlooked, not to mention the additional costs of repairing and rehabilitating housing for the next resident after a pet owner leaves. The restrictions on small businesses are too much. Pet stores track their animals and maintain health records prior to selling. If the state would just enforce the laws we already have, this would be unnecessary.”

(A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.)

Rep. Jeffrey Roy Yes

ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL

NO ROLL CALL VOTES ON THREE MAJOR BILLS – The Senate approved three major bills last week by a voice vote, without a recorded roll call.

The three bills would ban the use of DEHP, a toxic chemical which is commonly added to plastic intravenous bags and tubing (H 5550); support the safety of frontline health care workers (S 3171); and help older adults age in place in the Bay State by improving the home care industry that assists elders with basic care like cooking, dressing and bathing (S 3170).

In the Massachusetts Senate, it only takes one senator to request a roll call vote. A roll call vote is then ordered if at least one-fifth of the senators present support the motion to have a roll call or if a number of members equal to the total number of members of the minority party (currently five Republicans) support the motion -- whichever is less.

It is impossible to determine how a senator votes on a voice vote. Here’s how a voice vote works:

Senate President Karen Spilka, or the senator who is filling in for her at the podium, orchestrates a voice vote with a simple: “All those in favor of the bill say ‘Aye,’ those opposed say ‘No.’ The Ayes have it and the bill is approved.” Or: “All those in favor say ‘Aye,’ those opposed say ‘No.’ The No’s have it and the bill is rejected.”

Senators don’t actually say "Yes" or "No," and, in fact, they don’t say a word. The outcome was predetermined earlier behind closed doors.

Sen. Joan Lovely (D-Salem) was the leading voice debating in favor of two of the three proposals on the Senate floor. She did not request a roll call vote on either of those two bills. She did not respond to repeated attempts by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking her why she did not ask for a roll call vote so that senators would be on the record as voting for or against the measures.

None of the Senate’s five Republicans requested a roll call on any of the three bills. GOP senators are often promoting transparency in government so it was a surprise that none requested a roll call vote. None of the five Republican senators responded to Beacon Hill Roll Call’s repeated requests asking them why they didn’t request a roll call.

The five GOP senators are Sens. Kelly Dooner (R-Taunton), Peter Durant (R-Spencer), Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton), Patrick O'Connor (R-Weymouth) and Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester).

TOXIC MEDICAL DEVICES (H 5550) – The Senate, on a voice vote, without a roll call, approved and sent to Gov. Maura Healey a bill that would ban the use of DEHP, a toxic chemical which is commonly added to plastic intravenous bags and tubing and linked to breast, liver, lung and testicular cancer. Many IV bags currently contain DEHP, which is added to improve the plastic’s flexibility but can pose serious health dangers to patients. The measure also prevents manufacturers from replacing DEHP with similar ortho-phthalates and encourages the transition to safer alternatives while preserving limited exemptions for specialized blood collection and cell therapy products.

“The Toxic-Free Medical Devices Act was filed because patients should never have to worry that the tools meant to heal them are exposing them to a cancer-linked chemical, especially when safe alternatives already exist in use right here in Massachusetts,” said Sen. Joan Lovely, Senate sponsor of the legislation. “Seeing this advance through the Legislature brings Massachusetts to the brink of leading the nation on exemplary medical care."

“We are once again elevating the standard of care in the commonwealth and we should all be proud of that,” said Sen. Bill Driscoll (D-Milton), Senate chair of the Committee on Public Health. “When implemented, this will improve the health of patients by decreasing exposure to toxins and known carcinogens.”

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE IN HEALTH CARE FACILITIES (S 3171) – The Senate on a voice vote, without a roll call, approved legislation that supporters said would support the safety of frontline health care workers by improving vital security protocols at hospitals and doctors’ offices across the state; help law enforcement make timely arrests for assaults at health care facilities; extend new supports to health care employees who are assaulted on the job; and shield victims’ personal information from assailants.

A key section would establish that employees who suffer workplace violence are entitled to paid leave for any time spent seeking medical treatment and aiding in the prosecution of their attacker, without using any vacation, sick or personal time.

“Every 36 minutes, a health care worker in Massachusetts is assaulted or threatened on the job,” said Sen. Joan Lovely (D-Salem), Senate sponsor of the legislation. “That is not [in] the job description, and it never should be a reality for any professional. The bill the Senate passed today is built on legislation I have filed session after session on behalf of our nurses, our front-line caregivers and our hospitals. It requires every facility to assess its own risks with its own workers, build a real prevention program and ensure accountability. It gives an assaulted worker paid leave, privacy and a lawful response.”

“No health care worker should ever be subjected to violence in the course of their duties, working long hours to selflessly care for their patients,” said Sen. Mike Rodrigues (D-Westport), chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “It’s alarming that almost seven out of ten nurses have reported workplace violence, an unacceptable statistic that must end now. Our dedicated health care workers will now have updated workplace violence prevention programs and a stronger support system to ensure a safe and professional workplace environment.”

“Health care workers show up every day to take care of us,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). “The least we can do is make sure they're safe while they do it. Today we are giving hospitals and law enforcement the tools they need to prevent violence before it happens and respond quickly when it does, so our nurses, doctors and health care staff can focus on what they do best: caring for patients.”

The House has already approved a different version of the bill and a conference committee will likely be appointed to craft a compromise version.

HOME CARE (S 3170) – The Senate on a voice vote, without a roll call, approved a proposal that supporters said would help older adults age in place at home by improving the home care industry that assists elders with basic care like cooking, dressing and bathing.

A key provision would establish a licensure process, which would include fingerprinting and background checks for home care agencies to ensure that consumers receive quality non-medical services, and that home care workers are protected. Massachusetts is currently among a handful of states that do not regulate home care agencies.

Other provisions help connect people in need of care with a properly checked home care service by requiring the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) to share a list of verified and licensed agencies on its website; creating a committee—the Home Care Worker and Consumer Abuse Stakeholder Advisory Committee—to advise EOHHS on new regulations and how to handle safety concerns for both consumers and home care workers; and creating a special commission to explore the idea of a possible state program which people would pay into and from which older and retired adults would receive long-term services or support.

“Home care is such an important component to our overall system, allowing people to remain in their homes with dignity, and receive the care they need to maintain their daily lives,” said Sen. Mike Rodrigues (D-Westport), chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “By creating a licensure process, both the caregiver and the client benefit, ensuring the best care for our residents, and increasing the level of integrity for the home care worker. This legislation closes a loophole that will now mandate that these important health care workers be under proper state regulations and oversight. These regulations will go a long way towards giving patients and their families a large measure of comfort and peace of mind.”

“Everyone—consumers and workers—will be safer with home care licensure,” said Sen. Pat Jehlen (D-Somerville), Senate chair of the Committee on Aging and Independence and the Senate sponsor of the legislation. “If you qualify for state-paid home care, the agency who sends you workers is required to train and supervise them and meet other standards. But if you’re private pay, you may have to find someone in a hurry. There are a large and growing number of agencies, many for profit. They can send care workers who would come into your home and help with grocery shopping and even intimate help with showering. We don’t even know how many such agencies there are. And they don’t have to meet any standards. The bill is supported by home care organizations, SEIU 1199 and consumer groups. Most of us will need long term care at some point, and many of us will find it very hard to afford.”

“As Massachusetts’ population ages, the demand for homecare is rising,” said Cari Medina, Executive Vice President of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East. “Older adults and people with disabilities who receive care at home, and their families, deserve protection from fly-by-night homecare operations that cut corners and mistreat workers to make a quick buck.”

EXPAND MEMBERSHIP TO INCLUDE LGBTQ MEMBER (S 116) – The Senate, on a voice vote without a roll call, approved and sent to the House, a measure that would expand the number of board members on the Juvenile Justice and Policy Data Board from its original 21 members to 23 members. The bill would designate one of the additional seats to the Executive Director of the Commission on LGBTQ Youth or a designee and would designate the other additional seat to an individual with past juvenile justice involvement from a list provided by Kiva Centers and the Parent/Professional Advocacy League.

“I am thrilled to see my juvenile justice legislation pass through the Senate so we can ensure this critical board will have a voice representing LGBTQ youth and give more voice to individuals with lived experience in the juvenile justice system," said sponsor Sen. Sal DiDomenico (D-Everett). "LGBTQ youth are more likely to be seriously mistreated by others in the juvenile justice system, face excessive punishments and are at higher risk of being rejected by their families and harassed in school settings. It is absolutely essential that we have someone from the LGBTQ community helping advise state agencies on how we can best support these youth."

ALLOW CONSUMERS TO USE INSURANCE ADJUSTERS (S 785) – The Senate, on a voice vote without a roll call, approved and sent to the House, legislation that would prohibit an insurance company from including in an insurance policy, a rider that prohibits the insured from hiring or using a public insurance adjuster or a public insurance adjusting firm.

"When a family loses a home to a fire or a flood, they are living through the worst time of their lives, and they may need the expertise of an insurance adjuster to help understand their own policy and the claims process,” said sponsor Sen. Joan Lovely (D-Salem). “Massachusetts has utilized licensed public insurance adjusters for more than a century, and having public adjusters at our side, works. I filed this bill so that families in Beverly, Danvers, Peabody, Salem - and across the commonwealth - decide who stands with them when they file a claim, to get the best outcomes they deserve."

LEGION OF MERIT LICENSE PLATE (H 5529) – The Transportation Committee held a hearing on a bill that would require the Registry of Motor Vehicles to establish a Legion of Merit motor vehicle license plate bearing the words “Legion of Merit Recipient,” to be given at no cost to recipients of the National Legion of Merit Award – a highly prestigious military decoration awarded by the U.S. Military to qualifying service members of all eight uniformed services and to foreign dignitaries who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The surviving spouse of a deceased Legion of Merit recipient may also retain the plate until he or she remarries or fails to renew the registration.

Rep. Todd Smola (R-Warren), the sponsor of the measure, did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking him to comment on his proposal.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“Far too many Massachusetts residents have experienced the pain of being excited to buy tickets to see their favorite singer or sports team, only to realize that resale prices and fees have driven up the cost to outrageous levels. How about when you do purchase tickets from a reseller, only to get to the venue to realize the seller never actually transfers them to you? Enough is enough. We are taking action to lower ticket resale prices so Massachusetts fans can better afford to see their favorite performer or team.”

---Gov. Maura Healey on her newly filed bill that includes capping the resale price of concert tickets at 110 percent of the price of the face value of the original ticket and limiting the service fees and charges that can be imposed by ticket resellers like StubHub, to no more than 10 percent of the total price.

“Literacy development does not end in third grade, and our policies should reflect that reality. Reading is the gateway to learning in every subject and nearly every opportunity that follows, but for too long, adolescent literacy has been treated as an afterthought. When students cannot access grade-level texts, they are locked out of rigorous learning, college pathways and economic opportunity. The good news is that this challenge is solvable — but only if we commit to supporting literacy development beyond the early grades.”

---Jennie Williamson, state director for EdTrust in Massachusetts, on her release of a new report, “Beyond the Early Grades: The State of Adolescent Literacy in Massachusetts,” which finds that nearly 150,000 students in grades six through eight and ten are not meeting grade-level expectations in English language arts, with especially troubling disparities for Black and Latino students, multilingual learners, students with disabilities and students from low-income backgrounds.

“Too many people do not realize they have money waiting for them. By visiting these centers, we are making it easier for seniors to search for and claim what is theirs.”

---State Treasurer Deb Goldberg announcing that her Unclaimed Property Division has helped seniors recover $385,000 in property including forgotten checking and savings accounts, uncashed checks, stocks and dividends and more, by holding more than 20 outreach visits at senior centers across the state to reunite forgotten property with its rightful owners. Accounts are generally considered abandoned and turned over to the state after three years of inactivity. You can search for unclaimed property for free at www.findmassmoney.gov or call the Unclaimed Property Division’s live call center at 1-888-344-MASS (6277).

“Consumers have a right to expect that the companies entrusted with their most personal information will protect it. This settlement reinforces security requirements for the remaining 23andMe data, maintains consumers’ right to delete their information and makes clear that companies cannot cut corners when it comes to data privacy. I will continue to hold companies accountable when they fail to protect consumers and their sensitive information.”

---Attorney General Andrea Campbell and a coalition of 42 attorneys general, announcing an $18 million settlement, including $387,218 for the Bay State, with the bankruptcy trustee for 23andMe, a direct-to-consumer genetic testing service that used saliva samples to provide personalized reports on a person’s ancestry, trait and health risks. The settlement resolves allegations stemming from a 2023 data breach that compromised the genetic data of 6.9 million customers worldwide.

OW LONG WAS LAST WEEK’S SESSION?

Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature’s job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts.

Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been filed. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session,

During the week of July 13-17, the House met for a total of seven hours and 57 minutes and the Senate met for a total of six hours 11 minutes.

Mon. July 13 House 11:01 a.m. to 12:58 p.m.

Senate 11:24 a.m. to 1:08 p.m.

Tues. July 13 No House session.

No Senate session

Wed. July 14 House 11:00 a.m. to 4:10 p.m.

No Senate session.

Thurs. July 15 House 11:01 a.m. to 11:51 a.m.

Senate 11:12 a.m. to 3:39 p.m.

Fri. July 16 No House session.

No Senate session.

Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com