Sponsored Legislation

The deadline for “Timely filed” legislation for the 193rd session was January 20, 2023. You can review all legislation that has been filed in the House by clicking here. You can also track the legislation I filed by clicking here.

Legislation Introduced by State Representative Natalie M. Blais in the 193rd Session

BILL SUMMARIES

Agriculture and Farms

An Act promoting equity in agriculture (H.87) - REPORTED FAVORABLY OUT OF COMMITTEE

According to the 2017 USDA Census of Agriculture, BIPOC farmers are represented on only 2.3% of the Commonwealth’s farms, farms that steward just .3% of the land in farming and sell just .4% of the market value of agricultural goods in Massachusetts, despite people of color making up 29% of the state’s population. This bill will establish a commission charged with developing recommendations for MDAR to equitably serve socially disadvantaged farmers to address these disparities.

An Act strengthening local food systems (H.88)

Farmers in Massachusetts struggle to remain sustainable, on average earning just 96 cents for every dollar they spend producing food. They must compete in the global marketplace while facing higher input costs, more restrictive regulations, and fewer support resources than farmers in other states. This bill will create a “circuit rider” program at MDAR to coordinate support, establish a $3 million Next Generation Farmers Fund to provide education grants, direct MEMA to incorporate food production capacity into disaster planning, and make changes to land protection programs and laws to help make farms more sustainable.

An Act to enhance agricultural operations (H.3269)

This bill would allow All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) used in agriculture to utilize public ways without a registration in the same way that tractors, trailers and other farm vehicles are allowed to be used without a registration, and with the same limitations. As with other farm vehicles, liability insurance would be required if traveling more than half a mile from the farm.

An Act relative to agricultural disaster relief (H.753) - REPORTED FAVORABLY OUT OF COMMITTEE

Establishes a Massachusetts Agricultural Disaster Relief Fund to assist farmers whose farms have suffered serious losses from unforeseen circumstances such as natural disasters. 

An Act supporting farm diversification and sustainability (H.754) - REPORTED FAVORABLY OUT OF COMMITTEE

Under existing law, special permits are required to be issued by MDAR to allow non/quasi-agricultural activities on farms under an Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR). Special permits are increasingly important as farms attempt to diversify their income and marketing efforts through value added processing and events such as charity races, weddings, etc. Presently the law limits the duration of special permits to 5 years. In some cases, 5 years is insufficient such as with long-term marketing strategies or infrastructure improvements that involve loans with terms greater than 5 years. This bill would give MDAR the flexibility to approve special permits for a period greater than 5 years.

An Act expanding agricultural preservation restrictions for hemp cultivation (H.93) - co-filed with Rep. Smitty Pignatelli

Farmers are diversifying crops in order to meet the demands of consumers and increase their bottom line. This bill authorizes local farmers to grow hemp on agricultural land designated for horticultural use or preserved for agricultural purposes under an Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR), putting MGL on par with regulations established by the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture. 

Children and Families

An Act Regarding Families and Children in Need of Assistance (H.134)

After two years of study, the Juvenile Justice Policy and Data (JJPAD) Board found that while the current Child Requiring Assistance (CRA) system is an improvement from the prior system, the overarching goals of the 2012 reforms to that system have not been fully realized. This legislation aims to support as many children and families as possible outside of the juvenile court process by creating a Family Resource Center-based CRA diversion process, changing the Juvenile Court CRA filing process, raising the lower age of Juvenile Court jurisdiction for CRA filings and increasing data reporting. 

Democracy and Transparency

An Act relative to access to statements of financial interest (H.2991)

Many other states in New England including Maine, New York, Rhode Island and New Hampshire, provide online access to public officials’ statements of financial interests. Massachusetts also provides online access but requires an online request before gaining access to this information. This legislation eliminates the need to fill out a form, thereby bringing Massachusetts in line with other New England states. 

An Act relative to Gender Neutral Language in Elections Law (H.660)

Chapter 53 governs Massachusetts elections laws. There are over 180 mentions of he, him, his, chairman, chairmen, alderman and aldermen in this chapter alone. Our laws should reflect who we are as a Commonwealth. This legislation aims to replace these terms with gender neutral language.

An Act relative to candidate information on ballots (H.659)

Massachusetts is the only state in the nation to list the complete home addresses of candidates on ballots. While some states require the listing of a candidate’s hometown on the ballot, the majority simply require the candidate’s party affiliation. This legislation aligns the Commonwealth with other states by removing the requirement that a candidate’s street address must appear on the ballot.

Economic Development

An Act relative to the rural policy advisory commission (H.403) 

The 15-member Massachusetts Rural Policy Advisory Commission (RPAC) was created by the legislature in 2015. The RPAC Commissioners have identified the lack of a full-time staff member as a major challenge in accomplishing its mandate. This legislation would create an Office of Rural Policy, staffed by an Executive Director, whose mission would be to enhance the economic vitality of rural communities and to advance the health and well-being of rural residents. 

An Act to establish the Office of Outdoor Recreation (H.756)

The Office of Outdoor Recreation was created in 2022 by the outgoing Baker-Polito Administration. This bill will codify this newly-established office into law. 

An Act to establish the Massachusetts Outdoor Recreation Program (H.757)

Building off of the establishment of the Office of Outdoor Recreation, this legislation establishes and funds an outdoor recreation program dedicated to enhancing and expanding outdoor recreational use and growing the outdoor recreation economy. 

An Act to support rural job creation and business expansion (H.404)

The 170 rural communities in the Commonwealth require a comprehensive and sustained commitment from the state to address decades of disinvestment – resulting in declining population growth; a disproportionately aging population; lower wages; and difficulty attracting or retaining a young, skilled workforce. A slower recovery from the great recession, compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, has further deteriorated the economic and demographic conditions of rural communities. This legislation establishes a rural development initiative to provide technical assistance to identify and implement strategies that will spur direct investment in rural communities to create jobs and expand businesses, identify cross-sector partnerships, accelerate the engagement of community members in actionable planning, and implement local economic development initiatives.

An Act to promote jobs and economic growth in tourism (H.2715)

The MA Tourism Trust Fund has not been updated in 10 years. This legislation would add 1.5% of the occupancy excise tax each year to the $10 million tourism trust fund baseline so that the Commonwealth can better market all that we have to offer visitors, thereby fueling economic development.

Education

An Act to provide a sustainable future for rural schools (H.3567)

Rural school districts in Massachusetts face unique and long-standing fiscal challenges. The Student Opportunity Act of 2019 acknowledged the need for the state to examine this area in further detail and established the Commission on the Long-term Fiscal Health of Rural School Districts for that purpose. This omnibus bill builds on the commission’s 36 recommendations and serves as a continuation of the work of the Student Opportunity Act. Passage of this legislation will ensure students in every corner of the Commonwealth receive the resources and opportunity they deserve. 

Energy and Environment

An Act protecting consumers from unreasonable utility rate increases (H.3143)

Current rules allow utilities in Massachusetts to make higher profits off of consumers than utilities in other states. This legislation protects electricity and gas consumers by eliminating automatic annual rate hikes and limiting the return on equity that utilities can earn to no more than the average of neighboring states. 

An Act reforming energy system planning for equity and climate transformation (RESPECT) (H.755)

Last session, the legislature advanced transformative legislation to address the climate emergency. In order to meet these ambitious climate goals, the Commonwealth must commit to re-examining and re-imagining the regulatory framework as it pertains to the intricate relationships between the gas and electric utility systems, the interdependence between gas and electric demand, and the current laws that separately regulate them by state public utility commissions (PUCs).  This legislation calls for a coordinated effort to better align planning with climate, equity and clear energy goals and requirements while also reducing costs for consumers. 

An Act Relative to Sustainable and Equitable Funding for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation (H.750)

This legislation ensures that the Commonwealth’s climate change goals and associated funding programs are equitable and prioritize those communities who are first and worst impacted by climate change, especially Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and people of color, low-income low-wealth residents, and English isolated residents.

An Act expanding community access to electric bicycles (H.3145)

Modeled after the successful Denver program, the Community Access to Electric Bicycles Grant Initiative will help finance bike share programs and ownership programs that municipalities, businesses, and nonprofit organizations administer. 

An act waiving sporting, hunting or fishing license fees for people who use a wheelchair as their primary source of mobility (H.751) - co-filed with Rep. Susannah Whipps

Filed at the request of a constituent, this legislation expands the existing fee waiver to include those who use a wheelchair as their primary source of mobility.

An Act to encourage solar canopies on parking lots (H.3144)

Establishes a program to encourage the construction and operation of solar power generating canopies over large commercial parking lots. Incentivizing the construction of solar canopies will help the state meet its greenhouse gas emission reduction requirements and increase overall renewable energy generation, as well as provide shade and weather protection in summer and winter to both the vehicles under the canopies and people moving from their cars into the buildings served by the parking lot.

An Act authorizing the establishment of old growth forest reserves (H.752)

Old-growth forests are extremely rare. Although Massachusetts has over 3 million acres of forested land, only about 3,600 acres of this is original, old-growth forest. This legislation requires the Commonwealth to establish a permanent system of old growth forest reserves, including “buffer areas” adjacent to old growth forests. 

Health and Public Safety

An Act requiring prospective payment system methodology for reimbursement to community health centers  (H.948)

This legislation will help health centers in Massachusetts remain financially sound and sustainable by codifying the Prospective Payment System (PPS) methodology for federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). This will guard against potential (federal) political risk leading to loss of federal legal protections and ensure that MA adheres to these federal requirements. 

An Act to Promote Primary Care Through Medicaid Graduate Medical Education Funding (H.1170)

This legislation would require MassHealth to reimburse for expenses related to graduate medical education for physicians training in primary care, behavioral health, and other residency training in fields experiencing shortages.  Given the workforce challenges and increased emphasis on primary care and behavioral health, MassHealth should once again fund its share of these expenses, so providers have the funding to train the next generation of physicians.  

An Act relative to menstrual product ingredient disclosure (H.2138) - REPORTED FAVORABLY OUT OF COMMITTEE

As part of their Civic Action Project, several Frontier Regional School 8th grade students introduced the idea of this legislation to require menstrual product companies to disclose ingredient information on the packaging of their products. Modeled after bills passed in CA and NY, this legislation ensures the public has the information it needs to make informed decisions while also lifting up the voices of young people in our legislative process. 

An Act relative to non-membership service in public safety (H.2449)

Small-town, non professional fire and police departments are unable to work past the age of 65 without obtaining special legislation to do so. Because of demographic shifts in rural western Massachusetts where population is decreasing and getting increasingly older,  towns are relying more and more on fire and police members to work past the age of 65. This legislation allows towns the ability to continue the employment of these public safety professionals up to the age of 72 with town approval. 

COVID-19 Remembrance Day (H.3016) - co-filed with Rep. Mindy Domb

Modeled after federal legislation, this legislation would designate the first Monday in March as “COVID–19 Remembrance Day” in Massachusetts thereby allowing the space to memorialize loved ones lost to the virus, acknowledge the suffering of survivors and recognize the efforts of volunteers and essential workers in communities across the Commonwealth. 

Justice Reform

An Act establishing employee screening requirements in schools to prevent child sexual abuse (H.434)

Strengthens hiring and retention policies to screen out individuals who may be a safety risk for children, and to prohibit the practice referred to as "passing the trash" -  the aiding and abetting of a school employee engaged in sexual misconduct from securing a position in another school. This legislation would require standardized screening of prospective new school employees who would have to confirm any previous history of sexual misconduct as a prerequisite to hiring.

An Act Relative to Controlling and Abusive Litigation (H.1399)

Individuals who abuse their intimate partners often misuse court proceedings in order to control, harass, intimidate, coerce, and/or impoverish the abused partner. Court proceedings can provide a means for an abuser to exert and reestablish power and control over a domestic violence survivor long after a relationship has ended. This legislation provides the courts with an additional tool to curb controlling and abusive litigation and to mitigate the harms that this litigation perpetuates.

Municipal Support

An Act to reform payments in lieu of taxes for state-owned land (H.2714)

In December 2020, State Auditor Bump issued a report that found that the Commonwealth’s payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) program for state-owned lands (SOL) is underfunded and disproportionately disadvantages smaller, rural communities in favor of larger, wealthier communities. Per a recommendation in the report, this legislation changes the formula to address this finding. 

An Act creating a municipal and public safety building authority (H3802)

Many towns across the Commonwealth do not have the tax base or borrowing ability to upgrade or build new public safety complexes and municipal buildings. This legislation creates an independent public authority, similar to authorities that help finance municipal school buildings and libraries, to provide matching funds for local public safety and municipal buildings.

Transportation

An Act to Improve and Expand Regional Transit Accessibility in the Commonwealth (H.3272) 

 Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) are a lifeline to over 250 communities beyond the reach of the MBTA and serve a disproportionate number of people with low incomes, older adults and people with disabilities. Yet, for years RTAs have faced budgetary challenges and struggled just to maintain stable service levels, let alone expand to meet 21st century needs. This bill will fund RTAs at a minimum of $150M and advance the findings of the 2019 Task Force on Performance and Funding for RTAs by requiring annual funding increases tied to inflation, improving representation on the RTA Council, and identifying a dedicated funding stream to support RTAs. 

An Act relative to unpaved roads (H.3270)

In many rural communities across the Commonwealth, unpaved roads and paved low volume roads (LVR) constitute a significant portion of the total road miles. Unpaved roads are relatively cheap to construct but require a high annual investment for maintenance. With town budgets stretched to the limit and limited Chapter 90 funding available, it is a struggle for municipalities to fund roadway maintenance and improvements. This legislation instructs the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to convene a working group to identify and evaluate the safe, efficient and environmentally sound maintenance and improvement of unpaved roads and paved low volume roads (LVR) in the Commonwealth.

An Act to invest in local roads (H.3273)

This legislation builds on Chapter 90 by codifying a local roads improvement program to be distributed using a formula based on each municipality’s share of road mileage. The program will provide grants to municipalities for the rehabilitation, reconstruction, resurfacing or preservation of roadways and appurtenances; the repair or replacement of traffic control devices, signage, guardrails and storm grates; or road striping or painting. 

An Act facilitating cost-efficient transportation (H.3271)

One of the cost drivers for municipalities operating transfer stations is hauling materials from the site. Multiple trips are currently required due to weight limits imposed on trucks. Trucks safely carrying more materials will save towns from these expensive and unnecessary costs. This legislation allows tandem trucks operating on approved public roads to weigh up to 99,000 lbs if they have a permit, thereby reducing the need for multiple trips and saving towns money.

Veterans

An Act providing for timely reimbursement of cities and towns for veterans’ benefits (H.3488)

Our local veterans’ services offices provide vital services to veterans living in our communities. This legislation directs the state Veterans’ Administration to reimburse municipalities in a more timely manner, so that our municipalities can continue to provide a high level of service to our veterans and not be financially burdened while awaiting reimbursement.

An Act to Support Veteran-Owned Businesses (H.3487)

This legislation proposes that LLC fees be waived for veteran-owned businesses.