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1 | Shareable link to this chart: https://tinyurl.com/mchbills2324 | Link to bill priority handout (PDF): https://mahomeless.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2023-2024-bill-priorities-2-7-23.pdf | Link to overall bill priority endorsement form for organizations: https://tinyurl.com/mch2324 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | 2023-2024 Session Bill Name | Bill Number | Link to Bill Language and History | Lead Sponsor(s) | Preliminary Bill Summary | Link to Bill Fact Sheet | Initial Committee Assignment | Bill Hearing Status | Bill Status Updates | Notes | Related Bill Number(s) from Last Session, If Applicable | Link to Related 2021-2022 Bill Language and History, If Applicable | ||||||||||||||||
3 | An Act providing upstream homelessness prevention assistance to families, youth, and adults | House Bill 1312 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H1312 | Representative Marjorie Decker | This bill would put the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) homelessness prevention program into state statute and ensure that benefits are available to families and individuals earlier in a housing or utility crisis ("upstream."). The bill also seeks to streamline access, improve cross-agency collaboration, and allow households to access up to twelve months of assistance, without arbitrary dollar caps. In addition, the bill would require the Department of Housing and Community Development to publicly post reports on RAFT to provide increased transparency on how the program is operating and greater understanding of who the program is serving and not serving. | Fact sheet available here: https://mahomeless.org/legislative-priorities-2023-2024/ | Joint Committee on Housing | Heard on June 26, 2023. See the hearing page for more details. | Awaiting action by the Joint Committee on Housing | Link to organizational endorsement form: https://tinyurl.com/raft2324 | House Bill 1385 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H1385 | ||||||||||||||||
4 | An Act providing upstream homelessness prevention assistance to families, youth, and adults | Senate Bill 856 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S856 | Senator Brendan Crighton | This bill would put the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) homelessness prevention program into state statute and ensure that benefits are available to families and individuals earlier in a housing or utility crisis ("upstream."). The bill also seeks to streamline access, improve cross-agency collaboration, and allow households to access up to twelve months of assistance, without arbitrary dollar caps. In addition, the bill would require the Department of Housing and Community Development to publicly post reports on RAFT to provide increased transparency on how the program is operating and greater understanding of who the program is serving and not serving. | Fact sheet available here: https://mahomeless.org/legislative-priorities-2023-2024/ | Joint Committee on Housing | Heard on June 26, 2023. See the hearing page for more details. | Referred to Joint Committee on Housing | Link to organizational endorsement form: https://tinyurl.com/raft2324 | House Bill 1385 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H1385 | ||||||||||||||||
5 | An Act to provide identification to youth and adults experiencing homelessness | House Bill 3388 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H3388 | Representative Jim O’Day | The Mass ID access bill (a.k.a. Everyone Needs ID bill) would ease access to Mass IDs for people experiencing homelessness by waiving the $25 fee for IDs and easing the verification requirements for youth and adults who are unhoused and seeking IDs. The bill would apply to standard Mass IDs, not REAL ID Act-compliant Mass IDs, for which residents must provide additional verifications that meet federal standards. Versions of this bill were passed unanimously by the Senate during the past three sessions. | Fact sheet available here: https://mahomeless.org/legislative-priorities-2023-2024/ | Joint Committee on Transportation | Heard on June 13, 2023. See the hearing page for more details. | Referred to Joint Committee on Transportation | Link to organizational endorsement form: https://tinyurl.com/massid2324 | House Bill 3515 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H3515 | ||||||||||||||||
6 | An Act to provide identification to youth and adults experiencing homelessness | House Bill 3360 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H3360 | Representative Kay Khan | The Mass ID access bill (a.k.a. Everyone Needs ID bill) would ease access to Mass IDs for people experiencing homelessness by waiving the $25 fee for IDs and easing the verification requirements for youth and adults who are unhoused and seeking IDs. The bill would apply to standard Mass IDs, not REAL ID Act-compliant Mass IDs, for which residents must provide additional verifications that meet federal standards. Versions of this bill were passed unanimously by the Senate during the past three sessions. | Fact sheet available here: https://mahomeless.org/legislative-priorities-2023-2024/ | Joint Committee on Transportation | Heard on June 13, 2023. See the hearing page for more details. | Referred to Joint Committee on Transportation | Link to organizational endorsement form: https://tinyurl.com/massid2324 | House Bill 3515 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H3515 | ||||||||||||||||
7 | An Act to provide identification to youth and adults experiencing homelessness | Senate Bill 2251 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S2251 | Senator Robyn Kennedy | The Mass ID access bill (a.k.a. Everyone Needs ID bill) would ease access to Mass IDs for people experiencing homelessness by waiving the $25 fee for IDs and easing the verification requirements for youth and adults who are unhoused and seeking IDs. The bill would apply to standard Mass IDs, not REAL ID Act-compliant Mass IDs, for which residents must provide additional verifications that meet federal standards. Versions of this bill were passed unanimously by the Senate during the past three sessions. | Fact sheet available here: https://mahomeless.org/legislative-priorities-2023-2024/ | Joint Committee on Transportation | Heard on June 13, 2023. See the hearing page for more details. | 7/31/23 Referred to the Committee on House Ways and Means | Link to organizational endorsement form: https://tinyurl.com/massid2324 | Senate Bill 2612 = redrafted version of Senate Bill 2276 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S2612 | ||||||||||||||||
8 | An Act improving emergency housing assistance for children and families experiencing homelessness | House Bill 145 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H145 | Representative Marjorie Decker | This omnibus legislation would address access and administrative issues for families and children seeking to access or retain Emergency Assistance shelter and HomeBASE rehousing benefits. It would allow families that appear to be imminently at risk of homelessness to gain admission into EA shelter. It also would prohibit the Department of Housing and Community Development from turning families away due to lack of documentation and mandate that DHCD look in existing state benefits databases to obtain requested documentation instead of delaying applications by requiring families to provide such documentation directly. The bill also would establish an independent ombudsperson unit located in the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development (or the anticipated successor Executive Office of Housing) to mediate between EA and HomeBASE participants/applicants and DHCD. | Fact sheet available here: https://mahomeless.org/legislative-priorities-2023-2024/ | Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities | Heard on June 13, 2023. See the hearing page for more details. | Referred to Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities | Link to organizational endorsement form: https://tinyurl.com/ea2324 | House Bill 202 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H202 | ||||||||||||||||
9 | An Act improving emergency housing assistance for children and families experiencing homelessness | Senate Bill 86 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S86 | Senator Adam Gomez | This omnibus legislation would address access and administrative issues for families and children seeking to access or retain Emergency Assistance shelter and HomeBASE rehousing benefits. It would allow families that appear to be imminently at risk of homelessness to gain admission into EA shelter. It also would prohibit the Department of Housing and Community Development from turning families away due to lack of documentation and mandate that DHCD look in existing state benefits databases to obtain requested documentation instead of delaying applications by requiring families to provide such documentation directly. The bill also would establish an independent ombudsperson unit located in the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development (or the anticipated successor Executive Office of Housing) to mediate between EA and HomeBASE participants/applicants and DHCD. | Fact sheet available here: https://mahomeless.org/legislative-priorities-2023-2024/ | Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities | Heard on June 13, 2023. See the hearing page for more details. | Referred to Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities | Link to organizational endorsement form: https://tinyurl.com/ea2324 | Senate Bill 111 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S111 | ||||||||||||||||
10 | An Act establishing a bill of rights for individuals experiencing homelessness | House Bill 211 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H211 | Representative Smitty Pignatelli and Representative Frank Moran | This bill would recognize and affirm various rights of people experiencing homelessness, such as the right to move freely in public spaces, the right to confidentiality of records, the right to privacy of property, the right to register to vote and to vote, etc., and would provide additional civil rights protections for people experiencing homelessness. The bill also would affirm the right to rest, eat, pray, and be in public spaces by amending the Commonwealth's public spaces laws (Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 45), amend the Commonwealth's voting laws to affirm the right to vote and register to vote without a permanent address (Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 50, Section 1), amend the Commonwealth's anti-discrimination laws to include housing status (Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 151B), and repeal archaic sections of Massachusetts General Laws regarding so-called "tramps"," vagrants", and "vagabonds" (Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 272, Sections 63-69). The bill would give the Superior Court jurisdiction to enforce the rights included in the legislation: "(e) It shall be an affirmative defense to a civil claim or criminal charge related to use of public spaces that a person experiencing homelessness was exercising any right set forth in this section. (f) The superior court shall have jurisdiction in equity to enforce any right set forth in this section and award damages in connection with any violation thereof." | Fact sheet available here: https://mahomeless.org/legislative-priorities-2023-2024/ | Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities | Heard on June 13, 2023. See the hearing page for more details. | Referred to Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities | Link to organizational endorsement form: https://tinyurl.com/rights2324 | House Bill 264 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H264 | ||||||||||||||||
11 | An Act providing a bill of rights for people experiencing homelessness | Senate Bill 1112 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S1112 | Senator Becca Rausch | This bill would recognize and affirm various rights of people experiencing homelessness, such as the right to move freely in public spaces, the right to confidentiality of records, the right to privacy of property, the right to register to vote and to vote, etc., and would provide additional civil rights protections for people experiencing homelessness. The bill also would affirm the right to rest, eat, pray, and be in public spaces by amending the Commonwealth's public spaces laws (Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 45), amend the Commonwealth's voting laws to affirm the right to vote and register to vote without a permanent address (Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 50, Section 1), amend the Commonwealth's anti-discrimination laws to include housing status (Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 151B), and repeal archaic sections of Massachusetts General Laws regarding so-called "tramps", "vagrants", and "vagabonds" (Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 272, Sections 63-69). The bill would give the Superior Court jurisdiction to enforce the rights included in the legislation: "(e) It shall be an affirmative defense to a civil claim or criminal charge related to use of public spaces that a person experiencing homelessness was exercising any right set forth in this section. (f) The superior court shall have jurisdiction in equity to enforce any right set forth in this section and award damages in connection with any violation thereof." | Fact sheet available here: https://mahomeless.org/legislative-priorities-2023-2024/ | Fact sheet available here: https://mahomeless.org/legislative-priorities-2023-2024/ | Heard on June 13, 2023. See the hearing page for more details. | Referred to Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities | Link to organizational endorsement form: https://tinyurl.com/rights2324 Fact sheet available here: https://mahomeless.org/legislative-priorities-2023-2024/ | Senate Bill 142 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S142 | ||||||||||||||||
12 | An Act promoting housing stability for families by strengthening the HomeBASE program | House Bill 1297 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H1297 | Representative Christine Barber | This bill would put the HomeBASE program into state statute, direct the the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (HLC, formerly the Department of Housing and Community Development) to provide renewals of HomeBASE rental assistance to families and children who otherwise would be facing a return to homelessness, and increase the maximum benefit levels. | Fact sheet available here: https://mahomeless.org/legislative-priorities-2023-2024/ | Joint Committee on Housing | Heard on June 26, 2023. See the hearing page for more details. | Referred to Joint Committee on Housing | Link to organizational endorsement form: https://tinyurl.com/homebase2324 | House Bill 1372 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H1372 | ||||||||||||||||
13 | An Act promoting housing stability for families by strengthening the HomeBASE program | Senate Bill 890 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S890 | Senator Liz Miranda | This bill would put the HomeBASE program into state statute, direct the the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (HLC, formerly the Department of Housing and Community Development) to provide renewals of HomeBASE rental assistance to families and children who otherwise would be facing a return to homelessness, and increase the maximum benefit levels. | Fact sheet available here: https://mahomeless.org/legislative-priorities-2023-2024/ | Joint Committee on Housing | Heard on June 26, 2023. See the hearing page for more details. | Referred to Joint Committee on Housing | Link to organizational endorsement form: https://tinyurl.com/homebase2324 | House Bill 1372 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H1372 | ||||||||||||||||
14 | An Act relative to assisting elders and people with disabilities in the Commonwealth | House Bill 205 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H205 | Representative Jim O’Day | This bill would put the 2018 removal of the EAEDC homelessness penalty into statute, increase monthly grant levels, and provide an annual cost of living adjustment for older adults and people with disabilities who are participating in the Department of Transitional Assistance’s Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children program. | Fact sheet available here: https://mahomeless.org/legislative-priorities-2023-2024/ | Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities | Heard on September 12, 2023 | Referred to Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities | Link to organizational endorsement form: https://tinyurl.com/eaedc2324 | House Bill 750 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H750 | ||||||||||||||||
15 | An Act relative to assisting elders and people with disabilities in the Commonwealth | Senate Bill 371 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S371 | Senator Patricia Jehlen | This bill would put the 2018 removal of the EAEDC homelessness penalty into statute, increase monthly grant levels, and provide an annual cost of living adjustment for older adults and people with disabilities who are participating in the Department of Transitional Assistance’s Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children program. | Fact sheet available here: https://mahomeless.org/legislative-priorities-2023-2024/ | Joint Committee on Elder Affairs | Heard on September 12, 2023 | Referred to Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities | Link to organizational endorsement form: https://tinyurl.com/eaedc2324 | Senate Bill 411 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S411 | ||||||||||||||||
16 | An Act enabling cities and towns to stabilize rents and protect tenants | House Bill 2103 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H2103 | Representative Dave Rogers and Representative Sam Montaño | This bill would remove the statewide ban on rent control and establish a local option for cities and towns to regulate rents. If passed, cities and towns opting in would be able to limit annual rent increases and limit no fault evictions for certain dwelling units. The bill would limit annual rent increases for covered dwelling units to the change in the Consumer Price Index or 5%, whichever is lower. | Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government | Not scheduled yet as of July 5, 2023 | 5/30/23 House discharged to the Committee on Housing; 6/1/23 Senate concurred | ||||||||||||||||||||
17 | An Act enabling cities and towns to stabilize rents and protect tenants | Senate Bill 1299 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S1299 | Senator Patricia Jehlen | This bill would remove the statewide ban on rent control and establish a local option for cities and towns to regulate rents. If passed, cities and towns opting in would be able to limit annual rent increases and limit no fault evictions for certain dwelling units. The bill would limit annual rent increases for covered dwelling units to the change in the Consumer Price Index or 5%, whichever is lower. | Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government | Not scheduled yet as of July 5, 2023 | 5/30/23 House discharged to the Committee on Housing; 6/1/23 Senate concurred | ||||||||||||||||||||
18 | An Act to lift kids out of deep poverty | House Bill 144 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H144 | Representative Marjorie Decker | This bill seeks to increase Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) and Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children (EAEDC) cash assistance benefits 25% each year to bring benefits up to the deep poverty level (50% of the official poverty level). Once the deep poverty level is reached, benefits would continue to be adjusted annually to keep up with inflation. | Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities | Heard on September 12, 2023 | Referred to Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities | See campaign information: https://www.liftourkidsma.org/ | House Bill 199 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H199 | |||||||||||||||||
19 | An Act to lift kids out of deep poverty | Senate Bill 75 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S75 | Senator Sal DiDomenico | This bill seeks to increase Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) and Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children (EAEDC) cash assistance benefits 25% each year to bring benefits up to the deep poverty level (50% of the official poverty level). Once the deep poverty level is reached, benefits would continue to be adjusted annually to keep up with inflation. | Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities | Heard on September 12, 2023 | Referred to Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities | See campaign information: https://www.liftourkidsma.org/ | Senate Bill 96 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S96 | |||||||||||||||||
20 | An Act promoting access to counsel and housing stability in Massachusetts | House Bill 1731 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H1731 | Representative Dave Rogers and Representative Michael Day | This bill seeks to expand access to counsel and level the playing field by increasing the number of low-income tenants, occupants, and certain owner-occupants with representation in court during eviction proceedings. | Joint Committee on the Judiciary | Heard on May 9, 2023. Watch the recording of the hearing here. | Referred to Joint Committee on the Judiciary | See campaign information: https://www.massrtc.org/ | House Bill 1436 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H1436 | |||||||||||||||||
21 | An Act promoting access to counsel and housing stability in Massachusetts | Senate Bill 864 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S864 | Senator Sal DiDomenico | This bill seeks to expand access to counsel and level the playing field by increasing the number of low-income tenants, occupants, and certain owner-occupants with representation in court during eviction proceedings. | Joint Committee on Housing | Heard on September 27, 2023. | Referred to Joint Committee on the Judiciary | See campaign information: https://www.massrtc.org/ | Senate Bill 874 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S874 | |||||||||||||||||
22 | An Act codifying the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program | House Bill 1351 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H1351 | Representative Adrian Madaro | This bill would put the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program into state statute, and reduce tenant share of rent from 40% to 30% of income. | Joint Committee on Housing | Heard on September 27, 2023. | Referred to Joint Committee on the Judiciary | House Bill 1428 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H1428 | ||||||||||||||||||
23 | An Act relative to the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program | Senate Bill 888 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S888 | Senator Joan Lovely | This bill would put the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program into state statute, and reduce tenant share of rent from 40% to 30% of income. | Joint Committee on Housing | Heard on September 27, 2023. | Referred to Joint Committee on the Judiciary | Senate Bill 898 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S898 | ||||||||||||||||||
24 | An Act relative to summary process and rental assistance | House Bill 1682 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H1682 | Representative Sam Montaño | This bill would put into statute the two-tier process for residential summary process (eviction) cases and make so-called Chapter 257 eviction protections permanent. The bill would ensure that cases cannot be defaulted or dismissed because a party missed a first-tier event, where the case status is determined, and that all parties receive written notice of the date of any second-tier events/trials. Please note that we are asking legislators to support the bill and to amend language in the final line of the bill to require stays of execution on judgments for possession in cases where tenants have pending applications for rental assistance through programs such as Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT.) | Joint Committee on the Judiciary | Heard on May 9, 2023. Watch the recording of the hearing here. | Referred to Joint Committee on the Judiciary | ||||||||||||||||||||
25 | An Act relative to summary process and rental assistance | Senate Bill 1048 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S1048 | Senator Liz Miranda | This bill would put into statute the two-tier process for residential summary process (eviction) cases and make so-called Chapter 257 eviction protections permanent. The bill would ensure that cases cannot be defaulted or dismissed because a party missed a first-tier event, where the case status is determined, and that all parties receive written notice of the date of any second-tier events/trials. Please note that we are asking legislators to support the bill and to amend language in the final line of the bill so as to require stays of execution on judgments for possession in cases where tenants have pending applications for rental assistance through programs such as Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT.) | Joint Committee on the Judiciary | Heard on May 9, 2023. Watch the recording of the hearing here. | Referred to Joint Committee on the Judiciary | ||||||||||||||||||||
26 | An Act to eliminate asset limits for homeless shelters | House Bill 1301 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H1301/Bills | Representative Simon Cataldo | This bill seeks to amend the Emergency Assistance (EA) family shelter program statute to remove the asset limit for families applying for and/or participating in EA. While we believe that language included in an outside section of the FY22 budget already directed the previous Department of Housing and Community Development (now the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities) to remove the EA asset limit, this change has not been implemented to date. | Joint Committee on Housing | Heard on June 26, 2023. See the hearing page for more details. | Referred to Joint Committee on Housing | ||||||||||||||||||||
27 | An Act to eliminate asset limits for homeless shelters | Senate Bill 868 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S868 | Senator Jamie Eldridge | This bill seeks to amend the Emergency Assistance (EA) family shelter program statute to remove the asset limit for families applying for and/or participating in EA. While we believe that language included in an outside section of the FY22 budget already directed the previous Department of Housing and Community Development (now the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities) to remove the EA asset limit, this change has not been implemented to date. | Joint Committee on Housing | Heard on June 26, 2023. See the hearing page for more details. | Referred to Joint Committee on Housing | ||||||||||||||||||||
28 | An Act to create and implement a Massachusetts Flexible Supportive Housing Subsidy Pool Program | House Bill 1354 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H1354 | Representative Joan Meschino | Description coming soon! | Joint Committee on Housing | Heard on June 26, 2023. See the hearing page for more details. | Referred to Joint Committee on Housing | ||||||||||||||||||||
29 | An Act to create and implement a Massachusetts Flexible Supportive Housing Subsidy Pool Program | Senate Bill 855 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S855 | Senator Brendan Crighton | Description coming soon! | Joint Committee on Housing | Heard on June 26, 2023. See the hearing page for more details. | Referred to Joint Committee on Housing | ||||||||||||||||||||
30 | An Act establishing a Massachusetts foreclosure prevention program | House Bill 942 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H942 | Representative Christine Barber and Representative Peter Capano | Description coming soon! | Joint Committee on Financial Services | Heard on June 20, 2023. See the hearing page for more details. | Referred to Joint Committee on Financial Services | ||||||||||||||||||||
31 | An Act establishing a Massachusetts foreclosure prevention program | Senate Bill 653 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S653 | Senator Adam Gomez | Description coming soon! | Joint Committee on Financial Services | Heard on June 20, 2023. See the hearing page for more details. | Referred to Joint Committee on Financial Services | ||||||||||||||||||||
32 | An Act to end housing discrimination in the commonwealth | House Bill 359 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H359 | Representative Adrian Madaro and Representative Carlos González | This bill includes provisions that would require the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General and all fair housing enforcement agencies to make referrals to the Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespeople (BRREBS) to seek license suspension for brokers who engage in discriminatory practices and require BRREBS to temporarily suspend those brokers’ licenses; raise penalties for real estate brokers who violate fair housing laws more than once; require that one member of the BRREBS be an expert in fair housing and civil rights or a tenant with a housing voucher representing a tenant organization; and establish a commission to recommend reforms to legislation, regulation, and licensure practices to end housing discrimination in Massachusetts. | Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure | Heard on June 21, 2023. See the hearing page for more details. | Referred to Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure | See campaign information: http://bit.ly/End-MA-housing-discrimination | House Bill 428 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H428 | |||||||||||||||||
33 | An Act to end housing discrimination in the commonwealth | Senate Bill 180 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S180 | Senator Adam Gomez | This bill includes provisions that would require the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General and all fair housing enforcement agencies to make referrals to the Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespeople (BRREBS) to seek license suspension for brokers who engage in discriminatory practices and require BRREBS to temporarily suspend those brokers’ licenses; raise penalties for real estate brokers who violate fair housing laws more than once; require that one member of the BRREBS be an expert in fair housing and civil rights or a tenant with a housing voucher representing a tenant organization; and establish a commission to recommend reforms to legislation, regulation, and licensure practices to end housing discrimination in Massachusetts. | Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure | Heard on June 21, 2023. See the hearing page for more details. | Referred to Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure | See campaign information: http://bit.ly/End-MA-housing-discrimination | Senate Bill 208 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S208 | |||||||||||||||||
34 | An Act allowing certain minors to consent to shelter and supportive services | House Bill 192 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H192 | Representative Kay Khan | This bill would allow unaccompanied youth ages 15-17 who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness to consent to receive shelter and certain wraparound services on their own. | Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities | Hearing scheduled for October 16, 2023 | Referred to Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities | ||||||||||||||||||||
35 | An Act allowing certain minors to consent to shelter and receive supportive services | Senate Bill 94 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S94 | Senator Adam Gomez | This bill would allow unaccompanied youth ages 15-17 who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness to consent to receive shelter and certain wraparound services on their own. | Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities | Hearing scheduled for October 16, 2023 | Referred to Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities | ||||||||||||||||||||
36 | An Act to create the executive office of housing and livable communities and to rename the Executive Office of Economic Development | House Bill 43 | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H43 | Governor Maura Healey | This bill would create the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC), elevating housing issues to the secretariat level, and rename the current Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development (EOHED) as the Executive Office of Economic Development. It would move the work of the current Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) from EOHED to EOHLC. | Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight | Heard on March 27, 2023. Watch the recording of the hearing here. | This bill will take a different path than most bills, as it is a government reorganization bill (also known as an "Article 87 bill", named after Article 87 of the Massachusetts Constitution.) Such bills have to be scheduled for a hearing within 30 days of filing and cannot be amended by the Legislature. Link to MCH's testimony in support of the bill: https://mahomeless.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/House-Bill-43-testimony-from-Massachusetts-Coalition-for-the-Homeless-3-27-23.pdf | n/a | n/a | ||||||||||||||||||
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