Page 18 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 2022 If you have any questions about this week’s report, e-mail us at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com or call us at (617) 720-1562 calls from recent sessions. There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. 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 selected by widely acclaimed and highly experienced writers Keith Regan and Matt Murphy who introduce each article in their own clever and inimitable way. MASSterlist will 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:// lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/ aPTLucK THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records representatives’ and senators’ votes on roll BORROW $5 BILLION FOR STATE PROJECTS (H 5065) House 153-0, Senate 39-0 approved and Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law most of a $5 billion bond bill that borrows money for hundreds of construction projects—the majority involving maintenance and modernization projects of buildings related to health care, higher education, information technology, workforce development, the environment and aff ordable housing. Many of the buildings are decades old. Baker vetoed several provisions including one that would have imposed a fi veyear moratorium on any prison or jail construction in Massachusetts. WASTE REMOVAL & BUILDING MAINTENANCE • Landscaping, Lawn Care, Mulching • Yard Waste & Rubbish Removal • Interior & Exterior Demolition (Old Decks, Fences, Pools, Sheds, etc.) • Appliance and Metal Pick-up • Construction and Estate Cleanouts • Pick-up Truck Load of Trash starting at $169 • Carpentry LICENSED & INSURED Call for FREE ESTIMATES! KITCHEN CABINETS To Look Like New 508-840-0501 FURNITURE STRIP & FINISH “The facilities improved by this bill will serve some of the commonwealth’s neediest citizens, help educate our future workforce, prepare for climate change, help us meet key environmental objectives, and keep our communities and workers safe,” said Gov. Baker. “This administration is proud of the work done in close collaboration with the Legislature to keep commonwealth facilities on a path of good repair, and this bill supports the continuation of many of the key themes and objectives that have guided our capital planning decisions over the past eight years. Supporters of the moratorium said it will reduce the number of inmates in overcrowded prisons as the state moves away from incarceration and focuses on community-based rehabilitation programs. Baker noted that he opposes a fi ve-year prison moratorium that would not only prohibit the construction of new correctional facilities but also studies or renovations of existing state or county correctional facilities. “I reiterate that the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security and the Department of Correction have no intention of constructing new correctional facilities now or in the foreseeable future. Nor do they believe that it will be necessary to increase overall operational capacity given that the department has experienced a continued decline in prison population statewide.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill). Rep. Jessica Giannino Rep. Jeff Turco Sen. Lydia Edwards Yes Yes Yes ELECTRIC BIKES (H 5115) House 153-0, approved and sent to the Senate a bill that would regulate the use of electric bicycles on the state’s roads. The measure classifi es electric bikes the same as nonelectric bikes and replaces a current law which classifi es them as a motorized scooter or vehicle. The bill would subject e-bike users to the same rights, privileges and duties as non-electric bike users as long as they are not operated on sidewalks. Municipalities would have the final say by having the power to adopt ordinances on the use of e-bikes on bike paths, bikeways and trails with a natural surface tread. Electric bikes would also be required to be properly labeled with classifi cation numbers and riders would be prohibited from any tampering that changes the speed capability of an e-bike. “Electric bicycles promote physical fitness and well-being, facilitate healthy aging, and help reduce transportation emissions,” said cosponsor Rep. Dylan Fernandes (DFalmouth). “Despite their increasing popularity and widespread use, e-bikes currently exist in a legal gray area under Massachusetts law. This legislation creates state standards that codify when and where e-bikes can be ridden and gives local authorities the tools to properly regulate them.” “Electric bicycles can be a piece of the puzzle to encourage mode shift,” said co-sponsor Rep. Steve Owens (D-Watertown). “They reduce traffi c and carbon emissions and can be a cheaper and healthier alternative to cars. By defi ning electric bicycles in law, we can join nearly all other states in the country and regulate this increasingly popular method of transportation.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Rep. Jessica Giannino Rep. Jeff Turco Yes Yes STEP THERAPY (H 4929) Senate 38-0, approved a bill that would limit the use of health care plan mandated prescription drug “step therapy” protocols and provide more exemptions to the mandate. Step therapy requires the patient to try less expensive options before “stepping up” to drugs that cost more. The House has approved a diff erent version of the measure and the Senate version now goes to the House for consideration. “Patients with complicated illnesses should be receiving the medications that their doctors know they need—not repeatedly taking medications that they know to be ineff ective just to help save on costs in the near-term,” said sponsor Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Truro), Senate Chair of the Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Recovery. “Waiting for treatment to fail fi rst before utilizing a preferred medication often leads to worsening symptoms that cause complications and needless suff ering for patients. It is a shortsighted practice that puts patients at unnecessary risk. Step therapy takes lower costs today in exchange for more harm, more hospitalizations and more spending in the very near future.” “Reforming the insurance-mandated practice of step therapy is long overdue,” said Sen. Cindy Friedman (D-Arlington), Senate Chair of the Committee on Health Care Financing. “Step therapy or ‘fail fi rst’ protocols too often direct patients to cheaper medications rather than those more suitable to treat their condition. With this legislation, we will join over half the states in the country reforming these practices, putting the focus back on health care providers working with patients to off er the best treatment possible.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Sen. Lydia Edwards Yes ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE PACKAGE (S 3097) Senate 39-0, (House on a voice vote without a roll call), approved and sent to Gov. Baker a bill designed to make mental health care more accessible in the Bay State. Provisions include mandating coverage for an annual mental health wellness exam, comparable to an annual physical; a public awareness campaign on the state’s red flag laws that limit access to guns for people at risk of hurting themselves or others; implementation of the nationwide 988 hotline to access 24/7 suicide prevention and behavioral health crisis services; mandating coverage and eliminating prior authorization for mental health acute treatment and stabilization services for adults and children; establishing an Offi ce of Behavioral Health Promotion to coordinate all state initiatives that promote mental, emotional and behavioral health and wellness for residents; and creating an interim licensure level for licensed mental health counselors so that they can be reimbursed by insurance for their services and be eligible for state and federal grant and loan forgiveness programs. “Today, the Massachusetts Legislature took vital strides toward transforming mental health care in Massachusetts,” said Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Truro), Senate chair of the Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery. “By unanimously passing the Mental Health ABC Act, we affi rm that mental health is just as essential as physical health and take a leap forward to ensure that all people in Massachusetts can access the mental health care they need and deserve.” “Too many people in communities across the commonwealth struggle to get the mental, emotional and behavioral health care they deserve,” said Rep, Adrian Madaro (D-Boston), House Chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery. “This legislation helps reduce barriers to resources, support, and treatment residents need for their overall wellbeing. It enables enforcement of existing parity laws, enhances emergency response services and acute psychiatric care, develops programs to strengthen the workforce, and invests in mental health. Importantly, our legislation also creates initiatives to address the unique mental health needs of young people. This legislation is the fi rst step in addressing the structural defi cits in our mental health care delivery system by prioritizing the people it serves and the people who make it work.” “The health care system in Massachusetts is only as strong as its weakest link, and for far too long, mental health care has been overlooked and underfunded,” said Sen. Cindy Friedman (D-Arlington), Senate Chair of the Committee on Health Care Financing. “This legislation confronts this reality with the most comprehensive mental health care legislation the commonwealth has seen in recent years, and it builds off of the historic investments we made in this care system over this past two-year legislative session. Of particular importance to me, this bill will fi nally provide the state the tools it needs to enforce existing mental health parity laws and it will address the emergency department boarding crisis that’s impacting too many of our children and their families. I have long believed that Massachusetts should deliver aff ordable, high quality, and accessible care to its residents, and this includes mental health care.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Sen. Lydia Edwards Yes ACCESS TO BIRTH CERTIFICATES (S 2294) Senate 40-0, (House on a voice vote without a roll call), approved and sent to the governor legislation giving equal access to original birth certifi cates to all persons born in Massachusetts. Under current law, adoptees born between 1974 and 2008 are unable to obtain original birth certificates without a court order that also unseals their record. The measure would close this gap and allow adopted individuals over the age of 18 or the adoptive parents of a child under 18 to access the adoptee’s original birth certifi cate without the unsealing of the information. “The Joint Committee on Public Health heard powerful testimony from adoptees who could not access their original birth certificate due to a current loophole in state law addressed by this legislation,” said Sen. Jo Comerford (DNorthampton), Senate Chair of the Committee on Public Health.” “Today, the Senate took a major step in assuring equality by guaranteeing that all adoptees, regardless of when they were born, will have access to their original birth certifi - cate,” said Sen. Anne Gobi (D-Spencer), sponsor of the bill. She noted that she has waited six years for its passage and that so many have waited their entire lives. “Today we tell them the wait is over and they matter,” said Gobi. “Many adoptees have been waiting their whole lives to learn their history, and I am honored to have played a part in helping them access their original birth certifi cates,” said Sen. Joan Lovely (D-Salem). “For the sake of preserving our health and well-being, it is crucial to know what physical or mental health conBEACON | SEE Page 20
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