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Page 16 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2026 House 158-0, approved a bill 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 roll calls from recent sessions. There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND OTHER DEMENTIAS (H 5613) House 155-0, approved and sent to the Senate legislation that supporters say would strengthen dementia care, improve support for families and caregivers, expand workforce training and enhance public health eff orts to address Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. They noted the bill takes a comprehensive approach to improving care for individuals living with dementia while equipping health care providers, fi rst responders, hospitals and state agencies with the tools and resources needed to better serve patients. The legislation establishes mandatory dementia training programs for municipal and state law enforcement offi cers, firefighters and emergency medical services personnel including a minimum of two hours of initial instruction followed by biennial continuing education; expands notification requirements so that families or legal representatives are informed of an initial diagnosis of any dementia; enhances protections for patients and families by requiring acute care hospitals to allow medically appropriate visitation for patients living with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, as well as those exhibiting symptoms of cognitive impairment; expands the state’s Health Care Workforce Loan Repayment Program to provide loan repayment assistance for professionals specializing in geriatrics and geriatric psychiatry, in order to help recruit and retain clinicians with expertise in caring for older adults; and requires the Department of Public Health to expand public awareness eff orts on brain health and dementia through culturally relevant education campaigns. “Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are devastating illnesses that profoundly affect not only those diagnosed, but also the families and caregivers faced with the challenges of caring for their loved one,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy). “This legislation is about ensuring that the commonwealth is doing all that it can to care for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias by strengthening training, by improving coordination across the health care system and by investing in a workforce that is better prepared to provide the care that diagnosed individuals need.” “While the commonwealth is a global pioneer in advancing Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementia treatment and prevention, we can’t rest on our laurels,” said Rep. Tom Stanley (DWaltham), House Chair of the Committee on Aging and Independence. “The prevalence of Alzheimer’s and related dementia is expected to increase substantially over the next decade and at the same time we are experiencing workforce challenges and a shrinking pool of family caregivers.” “With passage of this legislation, we demonstrate our continued commitment to Massachusetts residents living with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia, as well as to their caregivers and healthcare providers,” said Rep. Danielle Gregoire (D-Marlborough) the sponsor of an earlier version of the measure. “This work began eight years ago with the passage of landmark Alzheimer’s legislation that made Massachusetts a national leader. Despite that work, dementia diagnoses are becoming more frequent, and patients and their caregivers need more help. As scientifi c advances continue to improve treatment options and make headway on a cure, so too must we in government adapt and implement policy such as the one we voted on today that will change lives for the better.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Rep. Jessica Giannino Yes Rep. Jeff Turco Yes PRIMARY CARE AND HEALTH CARE AFFORDABILITY (H 5630) that supporters say would expand access to primary care, shift the health care system toward prevention, invest in the health care workforce, support hospitals and community health centers, improve affordability by lowering prescription drug costs and increase accountability across the health care system. They noted the measure establishes historic primary care investment targets; creates advanced primary care payment models that reward prevention and coordinated care; expands access to innovative models of care; creates an expedited determination of need process to expand equitable care access; and strengthens oversight to ensure primary care investments actually improve access, lower costs and support a sustainable, patient-centered health care system. The Senate has already approved a different version of the proposal and a House-Senate conference committee has been appointed to hammer out a compromise version. Provisions of the House bill include $25 million to ensure there are a suffi cient number of health care professionals by funding scholarships, student loan repayment, primary care career pathways and workforce recruitment and retention; establishment of statewide primary care investment targets that gradually increase spending to 9% by 2030, 12% by 2033 and 15% by 2036; expanding the allowable uses of the Commonwealth Federal Matching and Debt Reduction Fund to help the state respond to an estimated $3.5 billion loss of federal funding; expanding access to health care by strengthening communitybased providers and allowing more patients to receive care where they live; establishing safeguards for AI in health insurance utilization review to ensure technology supports, not replaces, clinical decision-making; and reducing out-of-pocket prescription drug costs by requiring most manufacturer rebates to be applied at the pharmacy counter. “When primary care leads the way on patient wellness, the entire system benefi ts,” said Rep. Kathy LaNatra (D—Kingston), the chair of House Committee on Federal Funding, Policy and Accountability. “This legislation will help move more of our health dollar toward high-value primary care that delivers better outcomes for patients at a lower cost. It invests in the care that keeps people healthy and prevents disease, it strengthens our primary care workforce to make sure every resident of the commonwealth can access a primary care provider and it ensures that pharmaceuticals remain accessible and aff ordable.” “For many Massachusetts residents, an unsustainable rise in health care costs has made it increasingly diffi cult to access and aff ord basic health care services,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy). “That’s why this legislation is so important, as it makes critical investments in primary care and lowers outof-pocket costs for prescription drugs.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Rep. Jessica Giannino Yes Rep. Jeff Turco Yes CANCER SCREENINGS FOR FIREFIGHTERS (H 5631) House 153-0, approved and sent to the Senate a bill mandating free insurance coverage of cancer screenings for fi refi ghters. The fi refi ghters would not be subject to co-payment, deductible, coinsurance or any out-ofpocket expenses. The screenings would cover colon, lung, bladder, oral, thyroid, skin, blood, breast, cervical, testicular and prostate cancers. The measure provides that the fi rst screening would be conducted no later than three years after the firefighter starts the job, with subsequent screenings happening every three years. Supporters said that fi refi ghters are more likely to get cancer than the general public and argued that these heroes need and must have early and regular access to life-saving cancer screenings. They noted that the Occupational Cancer Research Centre attributes higher rates of sickness to greater exposure to cancer-causing hazards through inhalation of smoke, combustion by-productions and forever chemicals (PFAS) used in fi re protection gear. Rep. John Lawn (D-Watertown), House chair of the Committee on Health Care Financing and the sponsor of the original version of the proposal, did not respond to repeated requests from Beacon Hill Roll Call asking him why he sponsored the measure. (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Rep. Jessica Giannino Yes Rep. Jeff Turco Yes ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL IMMIGRANTS (H5620) — Gov. Healey signed into law the PROTECT Act that supporters said would establish statewide standards governing interactions between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement. They said the measure would create among the strongest protections in the nation for residents who have immigrated to their communities; strengthen due process protections; limit civil immigration enforcement in courthouses, public school grounds, hospitals and other sensitive locations; expand protections for victims of crime; and increase transparency, accountability and clarity for correctional facilities and law enforcement relative to civil immigration enforcement. Provisions bar Massachusetts law enforcement agencies from signing new deputization agreements with federal immigration authorities, except in narrow, criminal-law-focused arrangements that meet additional safeguards; prohibit civil immigration arrests without a judicial warrant at schools, childcare centers, medical facilities and courthouses; establish a civil cause of action against federal offi cers who violate a resident’s constitutional rights, putting them under the same accountability standards as state and local police; keep state and local police out of federal civil immigration enforcement, barring the use of local resources for that purpose, or detention, based solely on a civil immigration detainer; and protect immigrant crime victims, including traffi cking survivors, who assist law enforcement as witnesses. “Today, Massachusetts is standing up for what’s right and taking action to keep our people and our communities safe,” said Gov. Healey. “The PROTECT Act is the strongest law in the country to protect people from ICE, because no one should be afraid to send their child to school, seek medical care or fear reporting a crime or appearing in court. It makes us all less safe. So, we are getting ICE out of our courthouses, schools and hospitals. This bill is a testament to the hard work and advocacy of so many people across our state. We’re going to keep working together to make Massachusetts and this country BHRC | SEE Page 18

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