Beacon Hill Roll Call reports on local representatives’ votes on roll calls from the week of March 23 to March 27. There were no roll calls in the Senate last week.
The PROTECT Act (H 5305)
The House, 134-21, approved and sent to the Senate the PROTECT Act that supporters said would establish statewide standards governing interactions between state and local systems and federal immigration enforcement. They said the measure would strengthen due process protections, limit civil immigration enforcement in courthouses, expand protections for victims of crime and increase transparency, accountability and clarity for correctional facilities and law enforcement.
Provisions include restricting state and local involvement in federal civil immigration enforcement by prohibiting law enforcement from inquiring about immigration status unless the inquiry is directly material to a specific criminal offense; limiting civil arrests in courthouses by requiring a judicial warrant or order, and a review by a judicial official; prohibiting in most cases a civil arrest from being made in a courtroom; creating uniform standards for individuals in correctional facilities, including requiring notice of legal rights to be read to the prisoner in his or her primary language at intake; guaranteeing confidential attorney-client communication; authorizing the governor to restrict civil immigration enforcement in nonpublic areas of state facilities; and requiring multilingual guidance for agencies, private entities, law enforcement and the public.
Other provisions would require employers to notify employees within 48 hours of any federal immigration inspection, and give victims of crimes, including human trafficking and labor exploitation, a clearer and faster path to obtain certifications needed to apply for certain immigration visas, with safeguards against retaliation tied to immigration status.
“Since the beginning of President Trump’s second term, ICE and Border Patrol agents have continued to harass and disappear innocent Americans with total impunity — a reckless approach that has led to the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and to children being separated from their families,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano, D-Quincy. “Those actions have immigrants in Massachusetts living in fear as they go to work or bring their children to school, and they jeopardize the trust that local law enforcement has worked hard to build. By passing the PROTECT Act, we will create a statewide standard for governing interactions between state and local systems and federal immigration enforcement.”
“The PROTECT Act reinforces the longstanding understanding that, absent explicit consent, state resources will not be used for federal civil immigration enforcement,” said Rep. Dan Cahill, D-Lynn, House chair of the Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security.
“[The bill] continues to put illegal aliens in front of American citizens,” said Rep. John Gaskey, R-Carver, who opposed the measure. “It’s performative and was just an excuse for the speakers to generate campaign speeches.”
Gaskey continued, “The thing that was lost in all the speeches and I tried to remind everyone, that all of this is being targeted toward illegal aliens, undocumented immigrants if you must, not legal immigrants. There is a six-month mandatory jail sentence for coming across illegally. A second time is two years. If you were previously deported and you sneak back in, it’s 10 years.”
A “Yes” vote is for the bill.
- Rep. Aaron Saunders — Yes
- Rep. Susannah Whipps — Yes
ICE in schools (H 5305)
The House, 135-18, approved an amendment that would require the governor to publish, prominently on the state’s website, multilingual guidelines for all school districts on how to handle interactions with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and other law enforcement officers regarding civil immigration enforcement.
The guidelines would include designating a contact person to be notified of the presence of, or information requests from, law enforcement agents engaged in enforcement; verifying the identity and authority of any law enforcement officer engaged in enforcement; verifying the validity of any judicial warrant or judicial order provided; documenting and maintaining records of all interactions with law enforcement agents engaged in enforcement; and informing all persons how to respond to requests relating to enforcement.
Amendment supporters said these guidelines will help protect young students and ensure that ICE is following the rules and not unfairly targeting kids. They noted that attendance at schools is down in many areas because students are afraid and anxious about ICE raids.
Rep. John Gaskey, R-Carver, opposed the amendment. “If a student’s parent is arrested or worse, authorities go get the student. If parents are being deported, it is only just for the authorities to go get the student to be with their parents.”
Rep. Sean Reid, D-Lynn, the sponsor of the amendment, did not respond to requests from Beacon Hill Roll Call seeking comment.
A “Yes” vote is for the amendment.
- Rep. Aaron Saunders — Yes
- Rep. Susannah Whipps — Yes
Pending release of a prisoner (H 5305)
The House, 154-0, approved an amendment to a section of the bill that prohibits providing advance notice of the pending release of a prisoner who is the subject of an ICE warrant. The amendment would allow for ICE to be notified of a prisoner’s pending release if they have been convicted of certain serious crimes.
“I believe that ICE should adhere to its stated mission of targeting the ‘worst of the worst’ for arrest and deportation to help keep our communities safe,” said sponsor Rep. Brad Jones, R-North Reading. “My amendment reinforces this goal by allowing law enforcement officers to share private information about an individual with federal immigration authorities and provide advance notice of their release date if the individual has been convicted of a serious crime, including attempted murder, rape of a child, assault and battery on an elderly or disabled person, and enticement of a child under the age of 18 to engage in prostitution, human trafficking or commercial sexual activity.”
A “Yes” vote is for the amendment.
- Rep. Aaron Saunders — Yes
- Rep. Susannah Whipps — Yes
Also up on Beacon Hill
Safety for firefighters (S 1646)
The Senate, on a voice vote without a roll call, approved and sent to the House legislation that would create a public database of violations of the state’s fire prevention laws and a public notification system to alert workers of violations. The bill would require the state to track written notices of code violations related to “hot work” — welding, plasma cutting and spark-producing construction — and make the information available to the public through an online database and an automated notification system.
The measure is designed to boost safety for firefighters and people conducting hot work. The proposed law has been 12 years in the making and was first prompted by the March 2014 deaths of firefighters Edward Walsh and Michael Kennedy, who perished while fighting a fire that was caused by welders, working without a city permit, on a building next door to the brownstone in which they died.
The Senate approved the same bill on March 28, 2024, and sent it to the House Committee on Ways and Means, where it was stuck for nine months and died from inaction when the 2024 session ended.
“The Senate’s action this week advances critical reforms shaped by the work of the Walsh-Kennedy Commission,” said chief sponsor Sen. Nick Collins, D-Boston. “The loss of Boston Fire Lt. Ed Walsh and firefighter Michael Kennedy is still felt deeply today, and the work to improve our laws continues in their memory. By strengthening training, oversight and accountability around hot work and welding, we are creating safer conditions for our firefighters, the building trades and the public.”
“This legislation isn’t just a precaution — it is a commitment to the well-being and protection of our first responders and residents,” said Senate President Karen Spilka, D-Ashland. “Our firefighters, and anyone whose job includes hot work, should have confidence in the safety of their workplace, and know that they are protected from a tragic situation like the one that took the lives of Lt. Edward Walsh and firefighter Michael Kennedy far too soon.”
Food trucks (H 5115)
The Committee on Public Health held a public hearing on legislation that would require food trucks to be subject to an annual health inspection by the state. The public health commissioner would establish regulations for the annual health inspection of food trucks and would prescribe rules and regulations related to inspection schedules, documentation of inspections, standards for acceptable cleanliness and the costs of these inspections.
“Food trucks in Massachusetts must secure certification from the boards of health and fire departments in each of the towns where they operate,” said bill sponsor Rep. Kate Hogan, D-Stow. “Often those municipalities have their own set of standards, inspection practices and timelines and fees, making the process expensive and time-consuming. This legislation would streamline the regulations and permitting process for food trucks with a statewide standard, creating a process that better supports Main Street and the commonwealth’s restaurant industry.”
Celiac disease (S 2928)
Another bill heard by the Committee on Public Health would establish a three-year pilot program to evaluate the potential of including the screening for celiac disease by health care providers when conducting screenings for cholesterol and lipids for 12-year-olds.
“Celiac disease is significantly underdiagnosed in children, often because symptoms are atypical or not immediately recognized,” said sponsor Sen. Joan Lovely, D-Salem. “By integrating screening for celiac disease into an existing, routine health screening at age 12, this pilot program would create a critical opportunity to identify children with celiac disease earlier, preventing years of avoidable health consequences and ensuring families are connected to evidence-based care, support and guidance.”
House GOP minority leader will not seek reelection
House GOP Minority Leader Rep. Brad Jones, R-North Reading, announced he will not seek reelection in 2026 but will serve out his current term, which ends in January 2027. Jones, who represents Lynnfield, Middleton, North Reading and Reading, said, “After 32 years serving in the House of Representatives, I have decided that I will not seek reelection to another term this fall. Serving as state representative has been a tremendously meaningful part of my life, and while difficult to leave behind, I eagerly look forward to my next chapter. It is a profound and distinct honor for which I will be eternally grateful. Representing the community where I was born and raised has made this even more of a privilege.”
Jones continued, “My colleagues in the Republican caucus have afforded me the rare privilege to serve as minority leader since 2002, allowing me to be even more impactful in my service. Working with so many talented and dedicated members, often across the aisle, on a wide range of important issues over the years has been rewarding and inspiring.”
Beacon Hill Roll Call asked Rep. Marc Lombardo, R-Billerica, who ran for the position of GOP Minority Leader against Jones last year, if he plans to seek the position in 2027 when Jones departs. “Not in my immediate plans,” responded Lombardo, who lost to Jones in 2025 when Jones received 21 votes to Lombardo’s four votes.