This Year's Legislative Agenda
From transgender equality to important protections for LGBTQ youth and seniors, there's still more work to do! This legislative session, join us in advocating for key bills that will directly, substantively improve the lives of the LGBTQ community.
An Act Regarding Free Expression S.2328/H3594 Sen. Julian Cyr & Rep. John Moran
This bill is intended to protect intellectual freedom by preventing attempts to ban or remove books from libraries and schools based on their viewpoints or content, ensuring that students and the public retain access to diverse ideas and perspectives
An Act protecting personal security S.1045/H.1973 Sen. Joanne Comerford & Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis & Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa
This bill shall eliminate the requirement for individuals seeking a legal name change to publish their name change in a local newspaper, thereby enhancing safety and privacy for transgender, gender-nonconforming individuals, and survivors of domestic violence
An Act relative to LGBTQ+ health disparities of health care services to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community S.1545/H.2501 Sen. Julian Cyr & Rep. Samantha Montano
This bill aims to collect voluntary demographic data with the intent of reducing LGBTQ+ health disparities of health care services to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community and increasing cultural competence of working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer persons
An Act Relative to Trans-Inclusive Health Care Access S.681/H.1188 Sen. Joanne Comerford & Rep. Natalie Higgins & Rep. Christine Barber
The bill requires insurance companies to cover gender-affirming care upon receipt of one letter from a qualified mental health professional, aligning state law with the accepted World Professional Association for Transgender Health standard.
An Act to stop profiling transgender people and low-income women S.1062/H.1893 Sen. Julian Cyr & Rep. Samantha Montano
Aims to reduce the targeting of transgender people through law enforcement profiling and offers legal protections who report a crime. This legislation is part of a broader effort to reform laws that have been used to criminalize marginalized communities, and to encourage the reporting of crimes without fear of prosecution for related offenses.
An Act to Protect Safety and Privacy by Stopping the Sale of Location Data S.197/H.86 Sen. Cynthia Stone Creem, Rep Kate Lipper-Garabedian & Rep David T. Viera
This bill will prohibit companies from selling, trading, or renting your location information in Massachusetts and ensure that companies collect and use your location data only with your permission. This will protect domestic abuse survivors, abortion patients, transgender people and their families, doctors, nurses, journalists, and all Massachusetts residents.
An Act Relative to Archaic Laws S.1034/H.1849 Sen. William Brownsberger & Rep Jay Livingstone & Rep Lindsay Sabadosa
This bill seeks to eliminate laws that criminalize consensual sexual activities between adults, such as sodomy and "unnatural or lascivious" acts, as well as the term "common nightwalkers," historically used to target individuals engaged in sex work
An Act Providing for Gender Neutral Bathrooms S.2116/H.3124 Senator Joanne Comerford, Rep. Mindy Domb & Rep Samantha Montano
This legislation aims to allow the creation of gender-neutral bathrooms in various public and private spaces, by updating the plumbing code. Such facilities would provide safe and equitable restroom options for individuals of all gender identities, including transgender and nonbinary individuals, as well as those who may feel uncomfortable or unsafe in gender-segregated restrooms.
An Act to promote rehabilitation including guaranteed health, treatment, and safety for incarcerated LGBTQI+ People S.1660/H.2656 Sen. Julian Cyr & Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis
This bill addresses the human rights crisis experienced by LGBTQ people incarcerated in our state’s prisons. Key provisions include implementing safety procedures to protect LGBTQ individuals in shared housing; access to HIV prevention and treatment; prohibiting involuntary solitary confinement or punishment for LGBTQ status or disclosure of assault; allowing and facilitating culturally competent programming; and clearer data reporting and transparency.
