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Page 18 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2025 By Bob Katzen If you have any questions about this week’s report, e-mail us at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com or call us at (617) 720-1562 GET A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MASSTERLIST — Join more than 22,000 people, from movers and shakers to political junkies and interested citizens, who start their weekday morning with MASSterList—the popular newsletter that chronicles news and informed analysis about what’s going on up on Beacon Hill, in Massachusetts politics, policy, media and influence. The stories are drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications. MASSterlist wil l be e - mailed to you FREE every Monday through Friday morning and will give you a leg up on what’s happening in the blood sport of Bay State politics. For more information and to get your free subscription, go to: https:// MASSterList/subscribe/ THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. GOV. MAURA HEALEY SIGNS MORE BILLS INTO LAW — Here are some of the many bills that were signed into law by Gov. Healey following the end of the 2024 session: INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DOWN SYNDROME (S 2970) — Gov. Healey signed into law legislation called requiring health insurance companies to provide Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) for Down syndrome patients. The legislation, sponsored by the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress (MDSC), will require private insurers and MassHealth to cover the cost of in-home ABA therapy for children with a single diagnosis of Down syndrome. “My first sister was born with Down syndrome,” said Rep. Jack Lewis (Framingham), a sponsor of the proposal. “And while she passed away before I was born, the question of how our family and society could have best ensured she had a lifetime of opportunities was regularly discussed in our house, especially around what would have been milestone events for her, like starting school and her first job.” Lewis continued, “My first volunteer job was at a local summer camp for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, initially because it was a place my sister may have enjoyed. This led to my first job as a habitation assistant in a group home for adults who had formed a community together. Filing this bill … answered the same question my mom regularly asked, how could we have ensured that my sister had all the opportunities she needed and deserved to thrive?” “Unfortunately, until now [ABA] has remained only available to people with Down syndrome who either happen to have a dual diagnosis of autism or who have family that can afford to pay privately,” said Maureen Gallagher, MDSC Executive Director. “Ultimately, for those families in our community who need but have not received at-home ABA therapy, insurance coverage will now have the potential to change their and their children’s lives in real, meaningful and lifelong ways.” ALLOW CAMERAS ON SCHOOL BUSES (H 4940) — Gov. Healey signed into law legislation that will allow cities and towns to use cameras, installed on school buses, to identify and record vehicles that illegally pass stopped school buses. The measure does not change the current fines for these violations. The fines would remain at $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second offense, and $1,000 for a third and subsequent offense. The bill also prohibits these violations caught on camera from being considered “moving violations” that would raise a diver’s insurance premiums. “As a dedicated advocate for schoolchildren and improved traffic safety, I was honored to have [the bill] which I sponsored, signed into law,” said Rep. Paul Donato (D-Medford) who sponsored an earlier version of the measure. “This bill gives school districts the opportunity to add cameras to school buses that will allow municipalities to ticket drivers for dangerous maneuvers. Children around the commonwealth will be further protected by this law while they are riding the bus.” “With the signing of this bill, we are taking a big step toward safer streets and more local control for communities across the commonwealth,” said Sen. Michael Moore (D-Millbury), also a sponsor of an earlier version of the bill. “Passing a stopped school bus endangers our children and is against the law. In cities and towns that choose to use them, school bus mounted traffic safety cameras will help apply the law to those who violate it evenly and without bias. I’m thrilled that Massachusetts has joined over half of U.S. states in legalizing this type of automated traffic enforcement. I look forward to continuing our work to make our roads safer for all in the new legislative term.” CAMERAS ON PUBLIC TRANSIT BUSES (H 4057) — Gov. Healey signed into law a measure that would allow public transit agencies to use bus-mounted cameras to record and issue fines against illegal parking in bus lanes and bus stops. The bill sets a minimum fine of $25 and a maximum of $125 for bus lane violations, and a flat $100 fine for bus stop violations. It also prohibits bus lane and bus stop violations caught on camera from being considered “moving violations” that would raise a diver’s insurance premiums. “This is something the MBTA has been looking to do for a long time,” said Christian MilNeil, the editor of StreetsblogMASS. “The MTA has been using cameras to enforce bus lanes in New York City since 2019, and the vast majority of drivers who receive a camera-based bus lane violation don’t make the same mistake twice. So the value in these systems isn’t in issuing more fines — it’s in keeping bus stops clear so riders can access buses safely and keeping bus lanes clear so that bus operators can spend more time moving passengers instead of waiting stuck in traffic.” FEBRUARY 4TH IS NOW ROSA PARKS DAY (H 3075) — Gov. Healey signed into law a bill establishing February 4th as Rosa Parks in recognition of the historic civil rights leader. “Rosa Parks’ bravery on that Montgomery bus was not just a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement—it was a lesson in courage, dignity and the power of standing up for what is right,” said co-sponsor Rep. Kip Diggs (D-Barnstable). “February 4th is the birthday of Rosa Parks, so it will be a great reminder to all those within the commonwealth to reflect on the role she played in raising international awareness of the struggles for civil rights,” said co-sponsor Rep. Mike Kushmerek (D-Fitchburg). BOSTON CAN RAISE FINES (H 4507) — Gov. Healey signed into law legislation that would allow the city of Boston to raise from the current $300 to up to $2,000, the fines imposed on property owners, landlords and businesses that violate the city’s sanitary code. The bill also allows Boston to adjust the maximum fine for inflation every five years. Supporters said that the city’s fine limit has not been raised since 1989. They said that raising fines will help crack down on repeat offenders who are not deterred by the small current $300 fee. Rep. Kevin Honan (D-Boston), the sponsor of the bill, did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill to comment on the bill being passed and signed into law. ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL MARIJUANA SALES CLIMB TO AN ALLTIME HIGH — Marijuana establishments in Massachusetts generat

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