16

Page 16 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2024 BEACON | FROM Page 14 sor Public Health Care chair Sen. Julian Cyr. “Allowing pharmacists to prescribe and dispense PrEP on a short-term basis, similar to what’s already allowed for contraceptives, would signifi cantly increase the accessibility of this essential HIV prevention tool. With greater access to PrEP we can narrow the gap in PrEP utilization among LGBTQ+ people of color. I am someone who uses PrEP and most of my gay, bisexual and queer friends rely on it too. With this legislation, we are once again putting people at the center of our public health policy. I’m thrilled it has passed the Senate.” “When someone is ready to begin PrEP, it is crucial that they are able to [do so] as soon as possible,” said Carrie Richgels, Manager of Policy and Advocacy at Fenway Health. “At Fenway Health, we regularly work to overcome barriers that patients face due to trauma, stigma and discrimination. We know from experience that to overcome these obstacles we must meet people where they are and build trust. Trust is essential to getting people on PrEP, and a local pharmacy can provide a lower threshold of access and can be a trusted access point for those who may face discrimination in traditional healthcare settings.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Sen. Lydia Edwards Yes PHARMACEUTICAL ACCESS, COSTS AND TRANSPARENCY (S 2520) On November 15, 2023, the Senate 39-0, approved and sent to the House a bill that supporters say would make major changes and reforms to the state’s pharmaceutical system by “lowering the cost of drugs at the pharmacy counter and improving oversight of the pharmaceutical industry.” “The Senate has made pharmaceutical cost containment and oversight a priority for a long time, and I’m proud that we’ve had the opportunity to pass this bill in three consecutive sessions, improving it as we learn more and more about the industry,” said Sen. Cindy Friedman (D-Arlington), Senate chair of the Committee on Health Care Financing. “While we are supportive of the work of the pharmaceutical industry, we also know that far too many Massachusetts residents are struggling to access lifesaving, essential medication due to outrageous and skyrocketing costs. [This legislation] will provide necessary transparency and oversight measures, so that consumers can trust that this system is putting patients and their health before profi ts.” “I am pleased the Senate has passed this crucial prescription drug legislation,” said Sen. Mike Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “Healthcare is all about accessibility and aff ordability, and this reformminded consumer focused bill will allow increased access to prescription drugs while also considerably driving down the cost of everyday medications.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Sen. Lydia Edwards Yes ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL INCREASE FINES FOR VIOLATING HANDICAPPED PARKING (H 3261) – The House gave initial approval to a proposal that would allow cities and towns to increase the current $300 maximum fi ne for parking illegally in a parking space reserved for handicapped persons. That $300 fi ne is set by the state and goes into the municipalities’ General Fund. The measure would allow cities and towns to impose an additional $450 fi ne - making the total fi ne $750. The additional $450 would be placed into a specialized local account to be used for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) upgrades in the city or town where the violation occurred. The original $300 fi ne would still go into the community’s General Fund. “In my district and across the state, cities and towns through commissions on disabilities have plans to make their communities more accessible,” said sponsor Rep. Bruce Ayers (D-Quincy). “However, oftentimes a lack of funding prevents them from enacting their plans. This bill allows them to place some of the fi nancial burden on the backs of those who violate the laws that exist to protect the rights of people with disabilities, and to provide for greater opportunities of access.” CHANGE ARCHAIC LANGUAGE REFERRING TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (H 4396) – The House gave initial approval to a bill that would modernize written state laws to refl ect the evolution of terminology relating to persons with disabilities. Changes include replacing “handicapped persons” with “persons with disabilities,” replacing “the mentally retarded” with “persons with an intellectual disability,” replacing “retarded children” with “children with an intellectual disability” and replacing “disabled American veterans” with “American veterans with disabilities.” Supporters said the primary objective of the bill is to identify and eliminate outdated, archaic language from the General Laws of Massachusetts and replace it with more respectful, person-fi rst language. They noted that once the archaic language was found, they contacted the relevant state agency or offi ce to confi rm that the bill would have no unforeseen consequences, such as impacting funding or access to services. “Modernizing state statutes to refl ect the evolution of terminology relating to persons with disabilities is an essential step the commonwealth can take to refl ect the respect that we should have for all residents,” said sponsor Rep. Mike Finn (D-West Springfi eld). “Getting the bill to this point is a result of collaboration between many executive offi ces, stakeholders and legislative committees. My hope is that the latest version of the bill will pass legislative scrutiny and reach the fi nish line this session. Working on this bill in particular has been an honor because it represents my own personal beliefs about how every individual in this commonwealth deserves to be treated with dignity.” NOAH FERNANDES MITOCHONDRIAL AWARENESS DAY (H 4140) – The House gave initial approval to a bill designating the Friday of the third full week of September as Noah Fernandes Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Day, in recognition of the Team Noah Foundation, whose goal is to alleviate the fi nancial and emotional stress by providing transportation and home improvements to families with children who are aff ected by Mitochondrial Disease and other developmental disabilities. “Noah Fernandes was the son of a friend, Victor Fernandes, who is a business leader in New Bedford and very involved in our community,” said sponsor Rep. Tony Cabral (DNew Bedford). “Noah was diagnosed with Melas, one of the most severe forms of Mitochondrial disease when he was fi ve years old. For the next 10 years, Noah’s muscular and mental condition deteriorated as juvenile dementia overtook his body and left him unable to move or speak until he passed away at age 15.” Cabral continued, “Within their grief, Victor and Noah’s mom, Christine Fernandes, launched the Team Noah Foundation – a non-profit which helps the families of severely disabled children with conversion projects to make their homes more handicap-accessible and to help provide specialized vans, bicycles and other transportation needs. The Team Noah Foundation also was the driving force behind the Noah’s Place Playground in New Bedford which is the largest and most inclusive playground in New England. Given the great work that the Team Noah Foundation does, in the memory of Noah Fernandes, it seemed only fi tting to acknowledge this and bring awareness of this disease to the state level.” MARIJUANA AND FIRST RESPONDERS (S 48) – The Committee on Cannabis Policy has given a favorable report and recommended passage of a measure that would require the Cannabis Control Commission and the Executive Offi ce of Public Safety and Security to study and report to the Legislature on the barriers that fi rst responders face about their legal right to use cannabis. “As we move away from cannabis prohibition, we should ensure we do not hold on to pre-existing, bias-driven bans,” said sponsor Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Truro). “I fi led [the bill] to investigate the existing barriers to fi rst responders’ legal right to use cannabis … The bill would also explore the eff ectiveness of cannabis in treating anxiety, depression, stress, PTSD and other traumas.” DECLARE RACISM AS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS (S 1412) – The Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities Committee gave a favorable report and recommended passage of legislation that would declare racism as a public health crisis and direct the Offi ce of Health Equity to develop policies to dismantle systemic racism impacting health and establish programs focused on the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases disproportionately impacting communities of color. FREE DIAPERS (H 149) – Another proposal given a favorable report by the Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities Committee would create a pilot program to provide free diapers to low-income families at food pantries. “Access to new, clean diapers is necessary to preserve our babies’ health,” says sponsor Sen. Joan Lovely (D-Salem). “No parent should have to resort to reusing soiled diapers due to an inability to pay or have to undergo further economic hardships to acquire diapers. This legislation puts the well-being of our infants and families where it should be, at the forefront.” AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE (S 2589) – The Education Committee gave a favorable report to and recommended passage of a measure that would require that American Sign Language (ASL) be taught in all Bay State public elementary and secondary schools to increase interactions between hearing persons and deaf and hard-of-hearing persons, as well as children with autism. Current law allows but does not require schools to teach ASL. “I sponsored the legislation to promote greater equity and inclusion in our public school systems,” said Sen. Jake Oilveira (D-Ludlow). “In recent years, it has become apparent that instruction in American Sign Language provides children with autism with increased opportunities for education and development. It is visually based, unaided and provides a mode of quick communication. American Sign Language is a language our students should get the opportunity to learn in our public school system, and it supports inclusion and involvement for all students.” QUOTABLE QUOTES “Nearly 70 percent of those deaths took place where we should feel safest – at home. Tragically, more than half of those deaths took place in homes without working smoke alarms. And about two-thirds of last year’s fatal fi re victims were adults aged 65 or older.” ---State Fire Marshal Jon Davine on the 45 Massachusetts residents who died in fi res last year. “When a company repeatedly violates our wage and benefi ts laws, the workers and their families suff er, and sadly some of these violations took place during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. My offi ce will continue to hold accountable those who violate our worker protection laws.” ---Attorney General Andrea Campbell announcing $2.4 million in citations against Concierge Services, Inc., a Plymouth-based corporation that provides concierges staffi ng services to high-end, luxury properties in Greater Boston. The violations include failure to pay minimum wage and overtime, failure to make timely payment of wages, improper deductions from wages, record keeping violations and failure to comply with numerous provisions of Massachusetts’ earned sick time law. “As the largest fair housing lawsuit by defendant size in Massachusetts history, this lawsuit sends a clear message to every landlord and broker in the state: if you are a real estate company that discriminates against families and children with housing vouchers, the question of whether you will be caught is not a matter of if, but when.” --- Aaron Carr, Founder and Executive Director of Housing Rights Initiative on the group’s lawsuit against 20 Boston-area landlords and real estate brokers for alleged discrimination against low-income tenants. “Our communities deserve water infrastructure that fully serves their needs, protects residents from harm and preserves our natural resources. This funding will make a real diff erence in addressing combined sewer overfl ows that aff ect water quality and our environment and removing contaminants like PFAS from our drinking water.” ---Commissioner Bonnie Heiple of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, announcing the $151 million federal grant for Massachusetts drinking water and clean water infrastructure upgrades. HOW 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 fi led. 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 February 1923, the House met for a total of 56 minutes and the Senate met for a total of 30 minutes. Mon. Feb. 19 No House session No Senate session Tues. Feb. 20 House 11:02 a.m. to 11:38 a.m. Senate 11:29 a.m. to 11:43 a.m. Wed. Feb. 21 No House session No Senate session Thurs. Feb. 22 House 11:01 a.m. to 11:21 a.m. Senate 11:15 a.m. to 11:31 a.m. Fri. Feb. 23 No House session No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com Bob founded Beacon Hill Roll Call in 1975 and was inducted into the New England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA) Hall of Fame in 2019.

17 Publizr Home