Beacon Hill Roll Call reports on local representatives’ and senators’ votes on roll calls from the week of April 6 to April 10.
Cannabis regulation changes (H 5350)
The House, 155-0, and the Senate 33-6, approved and sent to Gov. Maura Healey a conference committee version of a bill that would restructure the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC), dissolving it and downsizing its membership from five members to three. It also gives all the power to the governor to make the three appointments, replacing the current law giving that power to the governor, the attorney general and treasurer. The House and Senate had approved different versions of the measure and a conference committee was appointed in December 2025 to hammer out this compromise version.
Other provisions include making it clear that the CCC chair is responsible for personnel and administrative matters and the executive director reports directly to the chair; an increase from 1 ounce to 2 ounces in the amount of marijuana that an adult can purchase or possess for recreational use; increasing from three to six the number of licenses a business owner can hold; allowing medical marijuana operators to specialize in cultivation, manufacturing or retail sales by eliminating current costly requirements; directing the CCC to study and make recommendations for the regulation of intoxicating hemp, which has grown in prevalence in recent years and will effectively be banned under federal law this fall unless Congress takes action; and giving the CCC the ability to allow retailers to advertise sales, discounts and customer loyalty programs inside the store and via opt-in email, both of which are currently not permitted.
“Massachusetts has one of the most established cannabis industries in the country, and our laws need to evolve with that reality,” said Sen. Adam Gomez, D-Springfield, Senate chair of the Committee on Cannabis Policy and co-chair of the conference committee. “This legislation strengthens oversight of the Cannabis Control Commission while making smart updates that support small businesses, improve accountability and ensure consumers can access cannabis safely and legally. By modernizing license caps, clarifying delivery and advertising rules and increasing transparency across the industry, we are building a more stable, equitable and responsible cannabis marketplace for the commonwealth.”
“We should work to ensure the cannabis industry operates responsibly and safely,” said Sen. John Keenan, D-Quincy, who voted against the measure. “I would have liked to see [the bill] put greater emphasis on creating sufficient guardrails to mitigate the potential negative public health outcomes related to a sharp increase in cannabis accessibility. I also advocated for more education on public and mental health risks of cannabis consumption. Constituents have shared with me how cannabis has negatively impacted their lives. With them in mind, I voted against the bill.”
A “Yes” vote is for the bill.
- Rep. Aaron Saunders — Yes
- Rep. Susannah Whipps — Yes
- Sen. Jo Comerford — Yes
- Sen. Paul Mark — Yes
Kids, social media and cellphones (H 5349)
The House, 129-25, approved a bill that would prohibit the use of cellphones by students from the time they arrive in school until dismissal. School districts would be required to notify parents of this policy and ensure that parents still have the ability to contact their children during the school day and vice versa.
Other provisions require the secure storage of personal electronic devices; allow the use of technology that renders personal electronic devices inoperable; require school districts to make accommodations and exceptions for documented medical needs, language access and translation needs for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or disabilities that require the use of electronic devices; and in cases of an emergency.
The bill also restricts the use of social media by children. Provisions include requiring social media companies to implement an age verification system based on the best technology available to reasonably and accurately identify a current or prospective user’s age; banning minors under the age of 14 from social media platforms by requiring platforms to terminate users under that age and delete associated personal information, effective Oct. 1, 2026; requiring social media platforms to acquire verifiable parental consent for 14- and 15-year-old users of their platforms; prohibiting social media platforms from sharing information about a minor’s LGBTQ status or other characteristics protected under state law; and fining platforms that violate any of these provisions.
The Senate has already approved a different version of the cellphone ban without the social media restrictions. A House-Senate conference committee will hammer out a compromise version.
“Social media is robbing our teenagers of their time, their education and most importantly their health,” said Rep. Bill MacGregor, D-Boston. “By removing addictive social media feeds for users under 15 years old, we’ll be making major strides toward protecting our kids, and helping them build healthy habits online before they’re addicted. I supported this amendment to protect all the kids that have been or will be online, and the parents like me that have a hard time saying no to their little ones but worry about an unregulated and safe internet. With this legislation, we’re one step closer to a safer and more healthy world for our kids to grow up in.”
“Today the House took an important step in helping protect the children of the commonwealth from predatory social media platforms,” said Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, D-Boston, chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means. “The science is clear that exposure to social media at a young age can have a harmful effect on a minor’s development. By banning it for those 13 and under and allowing for parental consent for those who are 14 or 15, we will ensure that children are protected while giving them the ability to express themselves online at a safe and appropriate age.”
“A vast majority of superintendents urged us to take the lead in restricting cellphone use from bell-to-bell in our schools,” said Rep. Ken Gordon, D-Bedford, House chair of the Committee on Education. “This legislation will help ensure students stay focused in the classroom, are protected from bullying and other forms of distraction, while also encouraging them to engage with one another and be present during non-instructional time. Beyond limiting cellphone use, the bill takes important steps to protect children from the harmful effects of social media on their health and well-being.”
“I support getting phones out of the classrooms, but a one-size-fits-all law with no funding to help school districts implement those policies, I am against,” said Rep. Kelly Pease, R-Westfield, who voted against the measure. “I think the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education should develop a policy that removes cellphones from classrooms but gives the school district the flexibility on how that is done.”
“Although marketed as a child protection law, this social media ban would force all social media users in Massachusetts, including adults, to submit biometric information to tech companies to prove that we are over 16,” said Scotia Hille, executive director of the progressive group Act on Mass. “Allowing parents to request the social media activity of children under 16 puts LGBTQ+ youth and other marginalized teens at risk. At a time of mass surveillance and a crackdown on political speech, the privacy risks of this legislation are staggering.”
“While I support the underlying goals and intentions of both aspects of the bill passed, I have concerns with several aspects, including First Amendment rights, personal data collection and storage for minors, and unintended unfunded mandates on our schools,” said Rep. Joe McKenna, R-Sutton. I believe that school districts already have the ability to craft and implement phone-free policies without needing a state law to mandate such.”
A “Yes” vote is for the bill.
- Rep. Aaron Saunders — Yes
- Rep. Susannah Whipps — Yes
No unfunded mandates (H 5349)
The House, 27-136 rejected an amendment that would exempt any school district from paying any additional costs for implementing the provisions of the social media/cellphone legislation. The amendment would allow the districts to pay for the additional cost only if they want to do so.
Rep. Kenneth Sweezey, R-Duxbury, the sponsor of the amendment, said it is important to note that when we give authority to agencies to create regulations for cities and towns, it often comes with a cost. Even if it doesn’t have dollars and cents in the line items, it can still end up costing municipal budgets. He argued that the amendment simply ensures that no policy made by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education incurs a cost for cities and towns and negatively impacts school districts.
“Cities and towns across the state are struggling with rising costs and increasing budget constraints, with more and more communities being forced to pursue Proposition 2½ overrides to preserve essential municipal services,” said co-sponsor House Minority Leader Rep. Brad Jones, R-North Reading. “Given the potential costs associated with implementing this bill, this amendment would help to ensure that we are not placing an additional financial burden on our cities and towns by imposing an unfunded mandate at the local level.”
Rep. Ken Gordon, D-Bedford, opposed the amendment and said that nothing in the bill calls for a school district to spend a penny. He noted that if a district wants to, it can tell the students to simply not bring their cellphones to school; there’s no requirement that they get the cellphone pouches.
A “No” vote is against the amendment.
- Rep. Aaron Saunders — No
- Rep. Susannah Whipps — No
$1.57 billion supplemental budget (S 3041)
The Senate, 35-4, approved a $1.57 billion fiscal year 2026 supplemental budget. Some of the funding will come from the $1.3 billion generated by the voter-approved Fair Share Amendment that imposes an extra 4% surtax, in addition to the current flat 5% one, on taxpayers’ earnings of more than $1 million annually. Language in the constitutional amendment requires that “subject to appropriation, the revenue will go to fund quality public education, affordable public colleges and universities, and for the repair and maintenance of roads, bridges and public transportation.”
Provisions include $1 million in legal defense services for immigrants; $10 million for full-tuition scholarships for UMass Chan Medical School students pursuing family medicine if they commit to remaining in Massachusetts and serving populations in need for five years after graduation; $100 million to ensure that Massachusetts’ public universities can withstand reductions in federal research funding; a $32 million investment to provide relief to strained municipal budgets by increasing special education reimbursement rates; $150 million for high-quality and accessible early education and care; $40 million for early literacy initiatives; $18.3 million to expand financial assistance offered to Massachusetts students enrolled at state universities and UMass campuses; $2.5 million to boost school-based mental health support; and $1 million to help public schools pay for costs incurred to implement the ban on cellphone use by students during school hours.
Other provisions include a sales tax exemption for building materials to incentivize the construction of new affordable, moderate-income and middle-income housing for certain projects; $535 million for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) for operational funding, commuter rail support and the low-income fare relief program; and $20 million for the Home Energy Assistance Program to assist eligible low-income elders, working families and other households with paying a portion of winter heating bills.
“Today, the Senate passed a consolidated Fair Share supplemental budget that makes significant strides in educational initiatives and transportation infrastructure, while maintaining our focus on municipal relief and regional equity,” said Sen. Mike Rodrigues, D-Westport, chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “The Senate continues to support special education, literacy growth and also establishes a primary care higher education scholarship pilot program at UMass Medical that will help fill the shortage of primary care physicians in the commonwealth. We also go big on transportation, investing Fair Share dollars to support the ongoing renovation and infrastructure improvements at the MBTA. This spending plan also addresses the harsh winter and historic blizzard of 2026, dedicating $100 million for municipal relief to beleaguered municipalities all across Massachusetts.”
“The Senate found time to pass yet another massive supplemental budget that did not include any reforms to our broken welfare system, any tax relief for our small businesses and taxpayers, and no relief for ratepayers,” said Paul Craney, executive director of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. “The Massachusetts Legislature thinks it’s their job to spend every penny they can extract from the taxpayers for their pet projects.”
A “Yes” vote is for the budget.
- Sen. Jo Comerford — Yes
- Sen. Paul Mark — Yes
Also up on Beacon Hill
Alcohol donations for charities (H 442)
The House approved and sent to the Senate legislation that would allow local licensing authorities to issue temporary licenses to charities in order for the charities to accept donations of wine, beer and alcohol for their events. These licenses were previously allowed under 1997 legislation, but the authorization has since expired.
“Today, more than ever, nonprofits are in need of charitable donations to stay afloat,” said sponsor Rep. Joan Meschino, D-Hull. “This bill would allow for safe and regulated alcohol licensure for nonprofits in order to raise revenue at charity events by partnering with alcohol manufacturers, wholesalers or retailers.”
Protect rights of homeless individuals (H 4783)
The Judiciary Committee held a public hearing on legislation that would prevent the punishment of individuals experiencing homelessness for conducting life-sustaining activities on public property when no shelter is available. The measure also prohibits discrimination in the use of public areas based solely on housing status and affirms rights such as the right to practice faith and the right against unreasonable search and seizure for individuals experiencing homelessness in public areas.
“I filed this bill in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2024 Johnson v. Grants Pass decision, which allowed communities to penalize people for life-sustaining activities in public when no alternatives exist,” said sponsor Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, D-Northampton. “These policies effectively criminalize homelessness, impose burdensome fines and make it harder for people to secure stable housing, without improving public health or safety. Our approach prioritizes directing resources toward real public safety needs and lasting housing solutions.”
Protect residents from federal government violations (S 2976)
The Judiciary Committee held a public hearing on a bill that supporters say will protect Massachusetts residents from direct actions by federal law enforcement that violate individual protections under the U.S. Constitution. Under the proposal, a person who subjects a resident of Massachusetts to the deprivation of any rights, privileges or immunities secured by the Constitution would be liable to the injured party.
“Our commonwealth has long been a place where civil rights are respected and protected,” said co-sponsor Sen. Cindy Creem, D-Newton. “At a time when abuses by federal agents have caused fear and uncertainty among immigrant communities and protesters, this legislation makes clear that no one is above the law. By creating a pathway to hold federal agents accountable for civil rights violations, we are reinforcing our commitment to fairness, due process and the protection of our immigrant neighbors.”
Strengthen mental health support for students
The Healey-Driscoll administration announced it is soliciting ideas from educators, providers and community partners on how to strengthen mental health support for students, from birth through higher education.
The administration seeks this input while it is developing a framework that will guide a coordinated statewide strategy to strengthen mental health support in Massachusetts, improving alignment among early education providers, K-12 schools, higher education institutions, families and community-based service systems.
“This is an opportunity for practitioners, community organizations, researchers and educators to help shape the future of student mental health in Massachusetts,” said Education Secretary Stephen Zrike Jr. “We are looking for bold, thoughtful ideas that are grounded in evidence, centered in equity and built to last.”
For more information and to learn how to submit an idea, go to commbuys.com/bso.
Health care for state workers (H 5348)
The House and Senate approved and sent to Gov. Maura Healey a bill that would provide $300 million for health insurance coverage for the 460,000 public employees, retirees and dependents who access health care through the state’s Group Insurance Commission. Supporters said these additional funds are necessary because of higher-than-anticipated use and pharmaceutical expenses.
“With the swift passage of this mini supplemental budget, the Legislature is prioritizing access to vital health care for state employees and doing our due diligence, paying providers on time for the health care services our residents depend on,” said Sen. Mike Rodrigues, D-Westport, chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “I look forward to the governor’s quick and decisive action on this bill.”