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Page 16 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2026 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 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 offi cers 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. Jessica Giannino Yes Rep. Jeff Turco 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-fi fth 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 fi ve 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 fi lling 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 fl oor. 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 fi ve 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 fi ve 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 fl exibility 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 BHRC | SEE Page 19

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