BOSTON (WWLP) – 22News takes a look at five major bills that were discussed on Beacon Hill by the end of the session and details how they could impact us in western Massachusetts.
Register to vote deadline for Massachusetts primaries is this Saturday Gun Reform (H.4885)
A new wide-spanning gun reform bill is the most expansive firearm legislation in a decade and looks to crack down on ghost guns, expand the law that allows courts to take guns away from those considered a threat, and add schools, government buildings, and polling places to the list of areas where firearms are prohibited.
The issue of ghost guns is particularly prevalent in western Massachusetts.
Ghost guns, which are homemade firearms that are assembled from individual parts that are unserialized, are currently untraceable by law enforcement.
State Representative Bud Williams, who represents the 11th Hampden district, told 22News that much of the violence that occurs in his district happens using ghost guns.
Williams said these guns are moved across state lines through and around Springfield, making it difficult for state police to intervene.
Williams called for federal assistance in cracking down on these weapons, but Springfield has not seen an increased FBI or other national presence.
This improved tracking of ghost guns, as stipulated in the new gun law, could help reduce violent crimes using these weapons.
There is some uncertainty surrounding the future of this bill—the Gun Owners Action League, the Massachusetts branch of the National Rifle Association, has filed a lawsuit challenging the viability of the law.
They say it goes against the Second Amendment and effectively bans all firearms.
Gun owners and advocates have also filed initial signatures with Secretary Bill Galvin’s office to challenge the law on the 2026 ballot, and are on track to have the law put on hold until after a public vote is taken.
Veterans Reform (H. 4172)
Governor Healey filed the veteran reform bill, or the Hero Act, in celebration of Veterans’ Day, but the legislature did not pass it until the final hours of the legislative session on July 31.
The bill aims to modernize and expand veteran benefits, including improving access to mental health care and widening the state’s definition of veteran to include more service members and their families.
This bill was championed by veterans and western Massachusetts lawmakers Senator John Velis and Representative Kelly Pease, both of whom told 22News it is crucial legislation to take care of the state’s servicemembers and their families.
Veteran care reform is particularly important to western Massachusetts in the wake of the COVID-related deaths of 76 veterans living in the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home.
Since these deaths occurred, several investigations and lawsuits took place, followed by an overhaul of leadership. A new oversight law was also passed, which drove the push for the Hero Act itself.
Construction is underway for a new veteran care facility in Holyoke and is expected to be completed in 2028.
At the Hero Act bill signing ceremony, Secretary of Veterans’ Services, Jon Santiago, announced that the facility has been awarded Department of Public Health licensure.
This is the most expansive veteran legislation introduced by a Massachusetts governor in 20 years.
FY25 Budget (H.4800)
The Fiscal Year 2025 budget is a sweeping $58 billion piece of legislation that spans from free community college to free public transportation to a legalized online lottery.
Many provisions within this budget are relevant to the western part of the state, but it is a couple of amendments to the governor’s original proposal that may prove most impactful.
Two adopted amendments that are particularly relevant to western Massachusetts–one dealing with home equity theft and one dealing with early education–were tacked onto the budget when it came out of the conference committee.
Home equity theft refers to a municipality’s ability to seize a homeowner’s earned equity beyond what that homeowner owes in taxes.
One of the amendment’s champions, Hampshire, Franklin, and Worcester Senator Jo Comerford, told 22News that she heard about the issue from constituents.
western Massachusetts homeowners were struggling to get back on top of tax payments, and no longer had their home equity to fall back on.
This amendment came after the Hampden County Superior Court ruled the practice to be unconstitutional, and home equity theft is now against Massachusetts law.
Early education measures were originally a standalone bill in the Senate, but through conference committee negotiations, became part of the final budget.
This compromise brings spending to $1.5 billion on early education throughout the budget.
Revenue from newly legalized lottery sales will be funneled into an early education grant fund, which is expected to account for about $100 million of the $475 million childhood education grant price tag.
Early education funding is particularly crucial in western Massachusetts, as Massachusetts is ranked the fifth worst state for early childhood education, and schools in Chicopee, Greenfield, Holyoke, Northampton, Palmer, and Springfield are ranked among the worst in the state.
Housing Bond Bill (H.4977)
The housing bond bill, also called the Affordable Homes Act, looks to address the nearly 200,000-unit housing shortage in the state.
This bill was one of Governor Healey’s priorities for the session, and it is the largest affordable housing investment in Massachusetts history.
In addition to the authorization of almost $5.2 billion in bonding, the law includes 49 policy items.
Policies that made it into the final law include eviction sealing, allowing accessory dwelling units by right, designating $2 billion in bonds to improve the state’s public housing, and new tax credits for companies that convert commercial buildings to residential spaces.
This housing shortage is especially evident in areas near emergency housing programs, such as sites in Springfield, and shortages will continue to worsen as more migrant families come to the state.
This housing bill is estimated to lead to the building of 45,000 new housing units and the preservation of 27,000 existing units, easing this burden.
One crucial amendment did not make it to the final House version of the bill or to the conference committee–crumbling foundations legislation.
The amendment was meant to help homeowners in western Massachusetts pay to replace their crumbling concrete, but it was not adopted.
Representative Brian Ashe, who represents the 2nd Hampden district, introduced this same provision into the economic development bond bill, so hope is not lost on getting this legislation passed before the new session begins in January.
Maternal Health (H.4999)
While this bill has not yet been signed into law by the governor, it is out of the conference committee.
The new maternal health bill seeks to address the alarmingly high rate of severe maternal morbidity in the commonwealth, which nearly doubled between 2011 and 2020.
This bill will make it easier to open birthing centers for non-complicated births, create pathways for certified midwives and lactation consultants to receive licensure in Massachusetts, and increase access to postpartum depression screening for all.
The legislation also looks to increase insurance coverage of doula care and donor milk and milk-derived products, as well as increasing and improving oversight of ultrasound services.
This bill is particularly important for western Massachusetts, as the severe maternal morbidity rate is significantly higher for birthing parents of color.
Black people have consistently had the highest instances of severe maternal morbidity of any racial group, with a rate 2.3 times higher than White non-Hispanic individuals with the same set of circumstances, according to the Massachusetts Department of Health.
Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic people also experience high instances of severe maternal morbidity, with rates 1.2 times higher than that of their White non-Hispanic peers.
In cities such as Springfield and Holyoke, which have some of the highest minority populations in the state, the need for change in maternal health care is especially pronounced.
Services such as midwifery and doula care, which are statistically more likely to be utilized by people of color, have been proven to improve birth outcomes.
Provisions in this bill that increase access to these services do so to directly improve birth outcomes.
Governor Healey has not yet signed this bill but has expressed her enthusiasm for maternal healthcare legislation in the past.
When asked about her likelihood of signing the bill following an unrelated press conference on Friday, she confirmed her support.
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