There were no roll call votes in the House or Senate last week.

This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call reports local representatives’ roll call attendance records for the 2026 session through Aug. 28.

The House has held 154 roll calls so far in the 2026 session. Beacon Hill Roll Call tabulates the number of rolls calls on which each representative voted and then calculates that number as a percentage of the total roll call votes held. That percentage is the number referred to as the roll call attendance record.

Sometimes a representative is not able to attend only one or two sessions during which roll calls are held. However, since there are sometimes multiple roll calls on each one of those days, the number of roll calls they missed can be high even though they only missed one or two sessions.

Eighty-four (53.2%) of the 158 representatives did not miss any roll call votes and had a 100% roll call attendance record.

Seventy-four (46.8%) of the representatives missed one or more roll call votes.

The representative who missed the most roll calls is Rep. Tackey Chan, D-Quincy, who missed 34 roll calls (77.9% roll call attendance record).

“For the past 14 years I was the primary caretaker for my mother who had Stage 4 lung cancer,” Chan said. “This year her condition changed from stable to terminal. I was caring for her in her final days. This resulted in my absence from formal sessions.”

The representatives who missed the next highest number of roll calls are Reps. Chynah Tyler, D-Roxbury, and Amy Sangiolo, D-Newton, who each missed 27 roll calls (82.4% attendance record).

“Both absences were family-related,” Sangiolo told Beacon Hill Roll Call. “I was out on Feb. 26, 2026, for my nephew’s wedding in San Francisco and missed 16 roll call votes on that day. We had purchased tickets months in advance and booked for Thursday so I would not miss a formal session [because formal sessions are rarely held on Thursdays]. But a formal session was held on [that] Thursday. I was also out on April 27, 2026, to watch my son, who lives in England, at his competition in Florida and missed 11 roll call votes that day.”

Tyler did not respond to requests from Beacon Hill Roll Call seeking comment.

Fourteen other representatives missed 10 or more roll call votes. Beacon Hill Roll Call asked all 14 why they missed roll calls. Five responded.

“Rep. Silvia was out due to a medical issue (cardiac surgery), and he had two very significant deaths,” said Rep. Alan Silvia spokesperson Monica Sousa. “His 23-year-old grandson who was on active duty at Camp Lejeune and his longtime legislative aide, Clara Fallon.” Silvia missed 25 roll calls (83.7% attendance record).

“During the recent roll call votes, I was out of state supporting my wife and family following the passing of my father-in-law — a man who has been a cherished part of my life since I was 17 years old — after he was hospitalized on Father’s Day and placed in hospice care,” said Rep. Homar Gomez, D-Easthampton, who missed 11 roll calls (92.8% attendance record). “While my commitment to serving our community remains absolute, being at his bedside and standing by my family through this profound loss was my essential duty.”

Rep. Margaret Scarsdale, D-Pepperell, who missed 10 roll calls (93.5% attendance record), said she missed roll calls because she was out of state for her niece’s wedding and then also out of state for her only son’s wedding.

Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian, D-Melrose, who missed 12 roll calls (92.2% attendance record), said she missed roll calls “due to parenting responsibilities.”

Rep. Marjorie Decker, D-Cambridge, who missed 12 roll calls (92.2% attendance record), said she missed roll calls on Feb. 11 because of a family emergency, and then again on July 31 because of a death in the family.

“The vast majority of votes I missed — if not all of them — occurred the week of June 3, 2026, when I traveled to attend the wedding of my niece, where I served as officiant,” said Rep. Ken Gordon, D-Bedford, who missed 10 roll calls (93.5% roll call attendance record). “It is a choice I expect my constituents would understand.”

The remaining nine representatives who missed more than 10 roll calls did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking them why they missed roll calls. They are Reps. John Barrett, D-North Adams, and John Rogers, D-Norwood, who each missed 16 roll calls (89.6% attendance record); Colleen Garry, D-Dracut, and Nick Boldyga, R-Southwick, who each missed 14 roll calls (90.9% attendance record); Joe McGonagle, D-Everett, and Tram Nguyen, D-Andover, who each missed 11 roll calls (92.8% attendance record); and Chris Flanagan, D-Dennis, and Mark Cusack, D-Braintree, who each missed 10 roll calls (93.5% attendance record).

The percentage listed next to the representative’s name is the percentage of roll call votes on which the representative voted. The number in parentheses represents the number of roll calls that he or she missed.

  • Rep. Aaron Saunders — 100% (0)
  • Rep. Susannah Whipps — 98.7% (2)

Also up on Beacon Hill

Toxic medical devices (H 5550/S 3106)

A new law that would ban the use and sale of DEHP, a toxic chemical that is commonly added to plastic intravenous bags and tubing and that has been linked to breast, liver, lung and testicular cancer, took effect on Aug. 25. The bag ban will begin on Jan. 1, 2030, while the tubing ban will begin on Jan. 1, 2035.

Supporters of the law said this timeline gives health care providers and manufacturers time to transition to safer alternatives that are already in use at hospitals in Massachusetts.

Many IV bags and tubing currently contain DEHP, which is added to improve the plastic’s flexibility but can pose serious health dangers to patients. The measure also prevents manufacturers from replacing DEHP with similar ortho-phthalates and encourages the transition to safer alternatives while preserving limited exemptions for specialized blood collection and cell therapy products.

“The Toxic-Free Medical Devices Act was filed because patients should never have to worry that the tools meant to heal them are exposing them to a cancer-linked chemical, especially when safe alternatives already exist and are already in use at hospitals here in Massachusetts,” said Senate sponsor Sen. Joan Lovely, D-Salem. “This is a real step forward for safer medical care in the commonwealth.”

Domestic Workers’ Rights Day (H 3417)

The Senate, on a voice vote without a roll call, approved a measure that would establish June 16 as Domestic Workers’ Rights Day to honor all domestic workers who work in private homes and in recognition of Massachusetts’ historic enactment of basic labor standards in the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights.

The House has already approved the bill. Only another round of approval in each branch is needed before the measure goes to Gov. Maura Healey for her signature.

“This legislation is an extension of the important work that began with the passage of the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights before I joined the House of Representatives,” said co-sponsor Rep. Judy Garcia, D-Chelsea. “While establishing Domestic Workers’ Rights Day is symbolic in nature, it is deeply meaningful in honoring the workers whose care and labor are so essential to families across our commonwealth.”

$15.3 million to convert commercial property into 856 new homes

Gov. Maura Healey announced $15.3 million in Commercial Conversion Tax Credit Initiative awards to support five projects that will transform vacant or underused commercial properties into 856 new rental homes in Boston, Dedham, Springfield, Westford and Worcester.

“The reality is that many commercial conversion projects are difficult to finance even when the sites are in prime locations, have community support and ready to move forward,” said Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Juana Matias. “The Commercial Conversion Tax Credit Initiative helps close that gap. This second round of awards will not only unlock another 856 homes, but will preserve historic buildings, support transit-oriented development and help revitalize downtowns across Massachusetts.”

$3.5 million to protect nonprofits

The Healey-Driscoll administration announced that 30 Massachusetts nonprofits that are at high risk of terrorist or extremist violence will receive nearly $3.5 million in federal funds for security improvements.

“The right to practice one’s faith freely and safely is essential, and our administration is committed to ensuring that no one experiences harm while practicing this right,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll. “We will not allow threats or acts of violence to infringe on free expression or the freedom of religion. And the security investments made through these grants will help further protect members of our communities.”

“The Healey-Driscoll administration recognizes the important role of nonprofit and faith-based organizations in making Massachusetts the best place to live and raise a family,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Gina Kwon. “This grant program is one element of our strategic efforts to strengthen the integrity of the spaces where they provide essential social services and gathering space for people from every walk of life.”

Protect animals in hot vehicles

Last week marked 10 years since former Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law a bill protecting animals. Known by many as the “Hot Car Law,” the measure prevents animal suffering and death by ensuring animals can be rescued from hot or cold vehicles, limiting the time dogs spend on a tether and increasing enforcement of prior prohibitions on keeping dogs in cruel conditions.

“Despite ongoing efforts to share information about the dangers of animals left in cars in extreme heat or cold, it was clear that state and local officers needed more tools to ensure animals are not suffering — and do so before the animals, usually dogs, were at risk of dying,” said MSPCA-Angell Advocacy Director Kara Holmquist. “We were proud to help advocate for this law in the State House.”

Holmquist encourages the public to familiarize themselves with the steps to take if they see an animal in distress in a hot vehicle.

“The first step is to call 911, then try to locate the animal’s owner,” she said. “If the animal is in immediate danger, Massachusetts law allows a person to remove the animal in the least forceful manner, with breaking the window as a last resort.”