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THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, OCTObEr 3, 2025 Page 19 THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local senators’ votes on the only roll call from the week of September 22-26. There were no roll calls in the House last week. DATA PRIVACY ACT (S 2619) Senate 40-0, approved and sent to the House legislation that guards personal privacy and provides data protection for Massachusetts residents. The bill establishes clear rights regarding residents’ personal data, including the right to know what information is being collected and the ability to opt out of having their data used for targeted advertising or being sold to other companies. Protected data includes health care information; face scans and fingerprints; precise geolocation; information about a person’s religion or ethnicity; information related to a person’s immigration status; and information pertaining to a child. Specific provisions include giving people the right to know if their personal data is being collected, allowing them to see what data was collected and allowing them to fi nd out with whom their data has been shared; giving people control over their personal data through new guaranteed rights to correct inaccurate data, delete personal information and opt out of having their personal data sold to others; giving the Offi ce of the Attorney General broad regulatory authority to enforce the provisions of the bill; and constraining companies’ unfettered collection of personal data by limiting them to only collecting what is reasonably necessary in order to provide their product or service. Other provisions include prohibiting all entities from selling minors’ personal data; blocking targeted ads for minors; and prohibiting companies from collecting or processing a child’s personal information for the purposes of targeting ads. “I am thrilled that the Senate has passed the Massachusetts Data Privacy Act,” said Senate Majority Leader Cindy Creem (D-Newton), a sponsor of an earlier version of the bill. “This bill positions Massachusetts to have among the strongest data privacy laws in the country and makes it clear that our personal data can no longer be profited from without transparency and accountability to Massachusetts consumers.” “Big tech companies make billions of dollars selling your personal data without giving you any say in what information they collect or how they use it,” said Sen. Mike Moore (D-Millbury), Senate Chair of the Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity. “No one should profit off of anyone’s personal data. The Massachusetts Data Privacy Act returns the power of choice back to the people because your data belongs to you.” “Massachusetts urgently needs strong privacy laws to prohibit companies from collecting or manipulating our personal information in ways that threaten our safety, discriminate against us or otherwise threaten our most essential rights,” said Carol Rose, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts. “Protecting privacy is more urgent today than ever before, as the Trump administration unleashes attack after attack on the rule of law and our most cherished freedoms. We look forward to working with leaders in the House to pass these critical democratic protections in their strongest possible form.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Sen. Brendan Crighton Yes ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL FINANCIAL RELIEF TO HOSPITALS AND COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS (H 4530) - Gov. Maura Healey signed into law a $234 million supplemental budget including provisions that would provide fi nancial relief to hospitals and community health centers across the state. The measure ensures critical funding for hospitals and community health centers in the Bay State while also reimbursing for services for uninsured and underinsured residents. The package includes $199 million in relief for acute care hospitals, including $122 million in targeted payments to facilities serving low-income patients and facing the greatest fi nancial distress. Another $77 million would be transferred to the Health Safety Net Trust Fund, which helps reimburse hospitals and health centers for care provided to uninsured residents. Community health centers would receive $35 million, including $2.5 million directed to the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers for initiatives such as shared services. “It is important to support our hospitals and community health centers so our residents get the access and quality of care they deserve across Massachusetts,” said Gov. Healey. “This package is a step forward in maintaining our world-class health care ecosystem. We have the best hospitals in the world, but with existing strains on our health care system and the harm coming from President Trump’s budget cuts, we need to support our trusted institutions that provide people the care they need.” “Our hospitals and community health centers continue to step up to care for those most in need despite being under enormous fi nancial pressure,” said Sen. Cindy Friedman (D-Arlington), Senate Chair of the Committee on Health Care Financing. “New policies from the federal government will only exacerbate the strain on our health care infrastructure, so for Massachusetts to continue to be a leader in providing exceptional health care, we need care to be accessible, especially to our most vulnerable populations.” “This funding will help to ensure that financially strained hospitals and community health centers can continue to serve patients across Massachusetts,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy). “As broad fi scal uncertainty and actions taken by the Trump Administration continue to exacerbate the challenges that hospitals are already facing, this supplemental budget is the latest example of the work that we are doing here in Massachusetts to provide targeted support where it is needed most.” “Massachusetts has a healthcare ecosystem that is the envy of other states, and that doesn’t happen by accident,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). “It is in large part because of our health care providers’ commitment to providing top-notch care to every resident who comes through their doors. This funding will help stabilize our hospitals and community health centers as we continue to face federal chaos.” REQUIRE ARMCHAIRS IN RESTAURANTS (S 158) – The Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities held a hearing on a bill that would require all restaurants, lounges and bars to have at least 5 percent of their seating options be armchairs, or have armchairs on-site and available upon request. “I fi led this legislation after meeting a constituent in June 2022 who expressed the dangers the elderly and physically impaired individuals face when using chairs without arms, namely that they run the risk of slipping or falling,” said sponsor Sen. Joan Lovely (D-Salem). “Armchairs provide support for individuals who need assistance standing up or sitting down, while also inhibiting them from falling once seated. It is my hope that by providing the physically handicapped with the available assistance, it will make their service safer and more accommodating.” STUDY CHINESE COMPANIES IN MASSACHUSETTS (H 487) – A hearing was held by the Economic Development and Emerging Technologies Committee on a measure that would establish a special commission to study the fi nancial relationship between Massachusetts entities and companies owned by the Chinese government. “This legislation will provide lawmakers and the public with vital information about the nature and size of Chinese investment in the commonwealth,” said sponsor Rep. Brad Jones (R-North Reading). “In recent years, the Chinese government has attempted to use its economic power to infl uence the policies of foreign governments, such as Canada and Australia, by imprisoning visiting businesspeople on spurious charges, abruptly terminating contracts with foreign companies after upfront expenses have been paid and stealing intellectual property.” Jones continued, “Massachusetts companies, specifically those in the biotech, software, manufacturing and fi nance sectors, are particularly vulnerable to pressure applied by the Chinese government. By creating a commission to study the fi nancial relationship between Massachusetts entities and companies owned by the Chinese government, [this bill] will help identify the state’s economic vulnerabilities so we can devise an eff ective strategy to protect local industries.” POLICE AND FIREFIGHTER DISABILITY PENSION (H 2940) – The House gave initial approval to a proposal that would allow a police offi cer or fi refi ghter who is granted a disability retirement pension, to have any previous period of leave from their service to be covered as if that time out of service was an absence. By such designation, they will have the right to receive any retroactive pay or personnel actions on account of this absence designation. Rep. Angelo Puppolo (D-Springfield), the sponsor of the measure, said he filed this legislation after a member of the National Association for Government Employees brought it to his attention that police officers and firefightBEACON | SEE PAGE 20 ers were not receiving compensation during their leave of absence prior to them being granted their disability retirement pension. “The negative financial impacts placed on our first responders due to this delay in pay is unjust. Our fi rst responders put their lives on the line every day to serve communities across the commonwealth, and this bill is a step forward in making sure they are supported when they sustain injuries in the line of duty.” said Puppolo. BILLS HEARD BY THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY – Several bills had a hearing before the Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security including: ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT FOR INJURED POLICE DOGS (H 2738) – Would ensure that specially trained police dogs who are hurt in the line of duty can receive timely, advanced emergency medical care from licensed EMS personnel. The bill authorizes EMTs and paramedics to provide treatment — including advanced life support procedures and transport — to injured K9s without facing

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