Page 24 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023 patient without a prescription. The bill requires pharmacists 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 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 local senators’ votes from the week of October 23-27. There were no roll calls in the House last week. MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS (S 2481) Senate 39-0, approved and sent to the House a bill that would require all prisons, homeless shelters and K-12 schools to maintain free menstrual products, including sanitary napkins, tampons and underwear liners in private and public restrooms and to make them available in a “convenient manner that does not stigmatize any persons seeking the products.” Supporters say that according to the Massachusetts Menstrual Equity Coalition, approximately one in seven children in Massachusetts is living in poverty and struggles to pay for menstrual products. They argue that research shows that the inability to access menstrual products affects students’ class attendance. They also note that women facing homelessness or who are incarcerated face high barriers to access, with Massachusetts shelters reporting that menstrual products are among the least donated items. They argue that restricted access in shelters and correctional facilities means that products can be used as bargaining chips and tools of control for people in vulnerable circumstances. “I learned about this issue from young people in Medford High School, Somerville High School and Cambridge Rindge and Latin who took leadership at the local level to make menstrual hygiene products available in their own communities,” said sponsor Sen. Pat Jehlen (D-Somerville). “This is a true grassroots movement starting with girls talking about their experiences of missing valuable class time or feeling embarrassed to access products during the school day. These conversations have already started to change the culture and have motivated us to expand this across the state.” “Period products are not luxuries, but necessities required for people’s basic needs, health and hygiene,” said Sen. Julian Cyr (DTruro), Senate Chair of the Committee on Public Health. “Today’s passage of the … bill affi rms that women and all menstruating people deserve access to menstrual products. An inaccessibility of period products speaks to the longstanding and persistent misogyny in our society, a bias that intersects with inequalities in housing, education, socioeconomics and beyond. By ensuring better access to these products, we support further access to essential health needs regardless of our situation in life.” During fl oor debate, Cyr commented, “I think it’s pretty obvious that if most men could menstruate, these products would be as ubiquitous and free as toilet paper.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Sen. Lydia Edwards Yes HIV PREVENTION DRUGS (S 2480) Senate 38-0, approved and sent to the House a bill that would allow pharmacists to prescribe, dispense and administer a short-term supply (60-days once in a two-year period) of HIV prevention drugs, known as preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), to a For Advertising with Results, call The Advocate Newspapers at 781-286-8500 or Info@advocatenews.net to provide counseling to the patient regarding the use of PrEP, to inform the patient’s primary care doctor that the pharmacist has prescribed the drug and to connect patients without a primary care provider with a health care provider for ongoing care and to obtain a prescription for PrEP Under the bill, pharmacists could only prescribe PrEP to patients who have tested negative for HIV within the past seven days, do not have HIV symptoms and are not taking medications that are not safe to use with PrEP. Supporters say that PrEP is a life-saving medication that is nearly 100 per cent eff ective in stopping the transmission of HIV. They note that that under current law, individuals who take PrEP must make an appointment and go through their doctor, a barrier that can stand in the way for people who need the medication on short notice, cannot make an appointment or cannot access medical care. “PrEP is a game changer in HIV prevention. Yet, while this life-saving medication reduces the risk of transmission by 99 per cent, it remains inaccessible for too many,” said sponsor Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Truro), Senate Chair of the Committee on Public Health. “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.” “PrEP is a true example of how preventative healthcare saves lives,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). “By allowing pharmacists to prescribe PrEP in Massachusetts, we are expanding equitable access to healthcare by breaking down another barrier that our residents—and especially our LGBTQ+ community—face when they act to protect themselves from HIV.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Sen. Lydia Edwards Yes ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL SIGN UP FOR THIS SPECIAL EVENT ON NOVEMBER 9: BUILDING THE ENERGY GRID OF THE FUTURE - Massachusetts has set leading goals for slashing greenhouse gas emissions. While clean energy generation and consumer technologies receive the lion’s share of attention, the grid infrastructure can’t support a sharp increase in megawatts without historic investments. Join MASSterList and the State House News Service at an in-person event on Nov 9 at the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) in Downtown Crossing, with leading energy experts and business and energy executives to dive deeper into the sheer scale of needed investments and how regulators can ensure that the commonwealth keeps pace with its goals and the opportunities the transition can provide. Learn more/sign up: https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/building-the-grid-of-the-future-tickets-741550075237?aff =BHRC REQUIRE TRAINING COURSES FOR MEMBERS OF SEVERAL LOCAL BOARDS IN CITIES AND TOWNS (H 2047) – The Municipalities and Regional Government Committee held a hearing on legislation that would require new members of local boards of health, conservation commissions, planning boards and zoning boards of appeals to attend a free state-sponsored program of education and training annually. “Members of local regulatory boards and commissions make consequential decisions that directly impact their communities,” said sponsor Rep. Chris Flanagan (D-Dennis). “There are many members steeped in town bylaws and state regulations. However, there are many appointed and elected members who do not have this expertise or knowledge base. [The bill’s] objective is to support local board and commission members in their work and give members a baseline understanding of laws and procedures to assist them in their deliberations.” FENTANYL STRIPS (H 2009) – The Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery held a hearing on a proposal that would create a pilot program for the purpose of implementing and studying the effi cacy of fentanyl testing strips in combating the increasing rate of opioid-related deaths of individuals addicted to opioids and other substances. These small strips of paper are used to detect the presence of fentanyl in many diff erent kinds of drugs including cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin. “I decided to sponsor this bill because there were 2,301 opioid-related overdose deaths [in Massachusetts] in 2021 and according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, synthetic opiates, mainly fentanyl, accounted for 90 percent of all opioid-related deaths in Massachusetts,” said sponsor Rep. Smitty Pignatelli (D-Lenox). “Fentanyl testing strips – and the pilot program that this legislation creates – can protect against the pervasive threat of fentanyl exposure in our neighborhoods, our homes, our schools and our communities.” MAGIC MUSHROOM THERAPY (S 1263) – Another measure heard by the Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery Committee would establish a psilocybin-assisted therapy pilot program operated by the state Bureau of Substance Use Addiction Services to provide qualifi ed patients with the funding necessary to receive psilocybin-assisted therapy as part of any expanded access program approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration. Psilocybin is a hallucinogenic substance found in magic mushrooms and is used to treat mental health disorders including major depressive disorder and substance abuse. “There is mounting evidence from over 50 years of medical studies that suggest psilocybin has potential as a form of treatment for a variety of disorders, particularly substance use disorder,” said Sen. Susan Moran (DFalmouth). “This bill is a proactive step towards establishing a framework for the medicinal use of psilocybin and bringing a potentially revolutionary therapy to those suff ering from mental health disorders.” ELECTRIC VEHICLE (EV ) CHARGING STATIONS IN CONDO PARKING SPACES (S 852) – The Housing Committee’s hearing included a bill that would prevent condominium associations from prohibiting or unreasonably restricting owners from installing EV charging equipment in or near an owner’s parking space. Restrictions that signifi cantly increase the cost of the equipment, decrease its effi ciency or eff ectively prohibit its installation would not be permitted. The bill would also require owners to pay the costs of installing and maintaining the charging equipment and for the costs of the electricity consumed during charging. “The commonwealth needs to install hundreds of thousands of residential electric vehicle chargBEACON | SEE Page 26
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