You can review all legislation that has been filed in the House here, where you can see that there have been 6,543 bills filed by Representatives and Senators in the Massachusetts Legislature this session. Every bill that is filed requires a public hearing during this session; after the hearing the committees will take action to on the bill, this action can include: “ought to pass”, “ought not to pass”, recommend further study or discharged to another committee. More on how a bill becomes a law here.
You can also track the legislation I filed – or co-sponsored – here.
Legislation Introduced by State Representative Mindy Domb
in the 192nd Session (2021-2022)
BASIC NEEDS
An Act establishing a diaper benefits pilot program (HD 2972)
Co-filed with Rep. Smitty Pignatelli, this bill would create a diaper benefit pilot program to assist efforts of diaper banks, food banks and food pantries to purchase and distribute diapers to low-income parents to address diaper need and diaper insufficiency.
An Act establishing the Massachusetts Hunger-Free Campus Initiative (HD2969)
Co-filed with Rep. Andy Vargas this bill would create a statewide hunger-free campus initiative to address student food insecurity on college campuses in Massachusetts by providing capacity building support and funding to allow 2- and 4-year public colleges to take steps to alleviate food insecurity on their campus.
CLIMATE
An Act relative to protecting public health and reducing health care costs (HD1974)
Co-filed with Rep. Marjorie Decker, this bill mandates the Department of Public Health to create an assessment tool to quantify the health impacts and costs of emissions associated with policies involving grid electricity and delivered fuels, and the benefits of energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy in the Commonwealth to document the public health impacts and costs related to greenhouse gas emissions on environmental justice populations, MassHealth, community hospitals, state budget and public health.
An Act to mandate the review of climate risk in order to protect public pension beneficiaries and taxpayers (placeholder)
This bill will require the Pension Reserves Investment Management Board (PRIM), the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission (PERAC) and all Massachusetts Public Retirement Systems to recognize climate change as a systemic risk to financial markets, and to the economy as a whole in their decision-making in an effort to decarbonize their portfolio to be net zero by 2035 in line with the Paris climate accord. In doing so, the bill protects taxpayers from shouldering losses in pension funds from continuing investment in carbon-based fuel industries
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Proposal for a legislative amendment to the Constitution relative to the oaths and affirmations of public office (H80)
This would amend the MA state constitution to allow state legislators, regardless of their religion, to have the option to swear or affirm their oath of office. Currently, the state constitution only allows people who identify as Quakers to affirm their oath of office.
Proposal for a legislative amendment to the Constitution relative to use of gender in the Massachusetts Constitution (H79)
This amendment would replace the word “he” in the MA state constitution with the gender inclusive term “the person”
COVID-19
An Act effectuating equity in COVID-19 vaccination (HD1283)
This bill was co-filed with Rep. Liz Miranda, it includes four goals to ensure vaccine equity in the distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccine in the commonwealth.
An Act relative to Massachusetts-manufactured face coverings (“masks”) (HD 2935)
This would authorize the Department of Public Health to establish mask manufacturing in the commonwealth for purposes of PPE and individual protection. It would also authorize the Department to distribute masks for free for residents’ and public employee’s use.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Proposal for a legislative amendment to the Constitution relative to voting rights (HD3580); and An Act relative to voting rights (HD3701)
Both bills are co-filed with Rep Chynah Tyler. Together these bills would expand and restore voting rights to people who are incarcerated due to a felony conviction. These individuals lost their right to vote via a Constitutional Amendment passed by the voters in 2000 which was then subsequently enshrined in statute. Both bills must pass in order for this change to take effect.
An Act to remove barriers to medical parole (HD3975)
This bill would clarify the criteria for eligibility for people who are incarcerated people who are terminally ill or permanently incapacitated, as well as the process for revocation. It also ensures access to the medical parole process for those with cognitive disabilities and creates a clear path to placement in a public medical care facility if no other private placement is available.
DISABILITY RIGHTS AND ACCESS
An Act relative to individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities (HD4022)
This bill is co-filed with Rep. Kay Khan as lead. It would modernize statutory language to better respect persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities by rejecting and striking outdated words that cause harm. These simple word changes will ensure that all individuals are treated equally and fairly.
An Act to ensure dependent health coverage for adults with disabilities (HD827)
Co-presented with Rep. Christine Barber, this bill would ensure that persons with disabilities would be covered as a health care dependent for health insurance purposes regardless of their age.
ENERGY
An Act expanding equitable access for solar energy net metering (HD1679)
The adoption and expansion of 100% renewable energy – including solar energy – is necessary to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. However, restrictive rules prevent the use of rooftop solar panels where there is more than one structure on a single property. For example, only one condo owner in a development (or co-housing) can install solar panels. Jointly Presented with Rep. Natalie Blais, this legislation removes a current restriction on rooftop solar panels by permitting multiple solar installations on a single tax parcel when the land is used for municipal buildings, low-income housing, or separate buildings on a single parcel.
ELECTIONS
An Act relative to random placement for candidate names and removal of incumbent information on primary and state ballots (HD2428)
Currently, incumbents enjoy two ballot advantages in the Commonwealth. One, their name is located in the sought after first placement, and, two, their description reminds voters of their incumbent status. This bill would put all candidates on a level playing field where it concerns the ballot by eliminating these incumbent advantages on ballots as it regards name placement and description.
An act addressing Gubernatorial selection for US Congress vacancies (HD2426)
This bill would change the way US Congressional vacancies are filled in the commonwealth by requiring the Governor to select an individual who is registered in the same political party as the individual leaving office. With razor thin margins in Congress, this bill seeks to ensure integrity with the public’s decisions as it regards party preference in the US House of Representatives and US Senate in filling vacancies.
ENVIRONMENT
An act relative to the pesticide board (placeholder)
This bill will transfer the Pesticide Board to be under the auspices of the Department of Environmental Protection.
GENDER EQUITY
An act providing for a gender-neutral designation on state documents and identifications (HD3866)
This bill would provide a non-binary gender-neutral option (“X”) on all state documents and identifications. The Registry of Motor Vehicles began this process for MA drivers licenses in 2019 with no ill consequences. This legislation would authorize the practice across all applications and identifications to support consistency and standardization of practices across state departments and allow accurate representation on all documents. This bill is co-presented with Rep. Marjorie Decker.
An act establishing gender neutral bathrooms (HD2423)
This bill would direct and change the state building code to create regulations to make gender neutral (or gender inclusive) bathrooms a readily available option in new construction or renovations. Sex segregated bathrooms in schools can pose unnecessary stress and a potential threat to transgender and gender non-conforming students. Currently, the construction of a gender-neutral bathroom requires a variance process, which can be a barrier for these inclusive accommodations.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
An Act prohibiting non-consensual pelvic examinations of anesthetized or unconscious patients (HD2928)
This bill prohibits doctors and medical students from performing pelvic exams on an anesthetized or unconscious patient without first obtaining written informed consent, unless the exam is required for the patient’s care.
An Act to enhance child passenger safety (HD2415)
This bill requires that children under the age of 2 or weighing less than 30 pounds will be seated in rear-facing car seats as per CDC guidelines and medical recommendations.
An Act for healthy and green public schools (HD3590)
The COVID-19 pandemic has made the health of our school buildings and school infrastructure apparent and undeniable. This bill directs the state to set standards for healthy and green schools that provide students and teachers a healthy environment that is conducive to learning and teaching, while efficiently using energy. The bill also calls for a plan to be developed to ensure that these standards are met equitably for all schools by 2050.
An Act relative to the board of registration in naturopathy (HD1812)
This bill makes technical changes to the board of registration in naturopathy as recommended
An Act relative to reducing the risk of unintended fatal opioid overdose (HD3723)
Co-filed with Rep. David LeBoeuf, this bill addresses the overdose risk factor of mixing certain medicines with opioids by requiring patient education of these risks at the time of opioid prescription.
An Act relative to state buildings codes and temporary shelters (HD2933).
Establishes a building code for houses of worship to provide sanctuary.
REVENUE
An Act establishing an excise tax on guns and ammunition (HD1813).
This bill would add a 36% excise tax on guns and ammunition in the Commonwealth. Revenue generated from this bill would establish a Public Health and Safety Fund which would support gun buy-back programs for low-income communities; community- based public health interventions and research to prevent gun violence; and services for gun violence survivors and victims’ family members.
TRANSPARENCY
An Act to increase health insurer reporting transparency (HD2934).
This bill enhances the transparency of data for health care consumers by requiring the Division of Insurance to make current insurer public filings publicly available on the Division website in a manner that is easily accessible to citizens across the Commonwealth. This bill simply requires the Division to post the information it already collects on the Division website in a user-friendly and easily accessible format.
An Act relative to notice of the activation of the Massachusetts organized militia (National Guard) (HD3763).
The bill requires the Executive Branch to notify legislators in advance when the National Guard is deployed to their districts and provide information on the purpose of their activation.
VETERANS
An Act to extend veterans retirement buyback opportunities (HD2427).
This bill would increase the current 4 years that military veterans are permitted to “buy back” their military service for state retirement service to 10 years maximum. Under current law, 5 years of National Guard or reserve service can count as one year of military service for buy-back eligibility. This bill would lower that to a 4 to 1 ratio. The thinking is that if the maximum buyback was expanded to 10 years, the maximum amount of guard or reserve service that could be bought back would thus be 50 years, exceeding the mandatory retirement provisions for guard and reserves.
MISCELLANEOUS
An Act establishing the official dinosaur of the commonwealth (HD1392)
Co-filed with Rep. Jack Lewis, the bill will name the dinosaur Podokesaurus holyokensis as the official state dinosaur. This dinosaur was discovered in 1910 near Mount Holyoke College by American paleontologist and Mt Holyoke professor Mignon Talbot. Talbot was the first female scientist to name and describe a dinosaur. Read more about this effort here.
HOMERULE PETITIONS
An Act relative to the implementation of the charter for the Town of Amherst (HD3738)
A homerule petition allowing the town of Amherst to fulfill its Charter obligations as it relates to conducting its municipal elections.