The Commission works closely with its appointing authorities and state legislators, particularly the Massachusetts Women’s Legislative Caucus, to promote and pass legislation that positively impacts women and families of the Commonwealth. The Commission’s legislative activity is coordinated through the Legislative Committee, which examines and recommends legislation to the full Commission for endorsement. When deciding whether to endorse a piece of legislation, the Legislative Committee carefully examines every facet and potential outcome of a bill and considers all of the implications it may have on the lives of Massachusetts women and girls.
CIVIL RIGHTS
The MCSW promotes active political involvement and encourages you to get involved with the political process in order to make a change in your community and state.
To obtain information on bills and legislative activity and track bill histories, or to find out who your representative and/or senator is, visit the Massachusetts General Court website
LEGISLATIVE VICTORIES
An Act Relative to the Minimum Wage
House Bill 4781
Sponsor: Representative J. James Marzilli, Jr.
Summary: This bill raises the minimum wage in Massachusetts to $7.50 an hour on January 1, 2007, and to $8.00 an hour on January 1, 2008.
Date Endorsed by MCSW: April 27, 2005
Status of Bill: Passed by House in Senate on July 13, 2006. Vetoed by Governor Romney on July 28, 2006. Veto overridden by House and Senate on July 31, 2006.
An Act to Provide Timely Access to Emergency Contraception
Senate Bill 2073
Sponsors: Senator Pamela Resor & Representative Douglas Petersen
Summary: This bill requires hospital emergency rooms to make emergency contraception available to rape survivors and will also allow pharmacists to dispense emergency contraception through a collaborative agreement with a physician.
Date Endorsed by MCSW: May 25, 2005
Status of Bill: Passed by House and Senate in May & June of 2005. Vetoed by Governor Romney on July 25, 2005. Veto overridden by House and Senate on September 15, 2005.
An Act Creating a Commission on the Status of Women in the Berkshires
Senate Bill 142
Sponsor: Senator Andrea Nuciforo, Jr.
Summary: This bill established a permanent Berkshire County Commission on the Status of Women. The Commission consists of nine persons appointed by the MCSW and operates under the umbrella of the MCSW.
Status of Bill: Signed into law by Governor Romney on September 30, 2004.
An Act Providing Equitable Coverage of Services Under Health Plans
Senate Bill 2139
Summary: This bill requires insurance companies to cover contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy for women in the same degree they cover comparable services for men.
Status of Bill: Signed into law by Acting Governor Jane Swift on March 8, 2002
An Act to Ensure Eligibility for Unemployment Insurances for Victims of Domestic Violence
Senate Bill 1984
Summary: This bill helps to ease the devastating financial impact of domestic violence by assuring employees affected by domestic violence the economic security necessary to secure a safe, stable living situation and obtain suitable future employment.
Status of Bill: Signed into law in August, 2001.
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ECONOMIC SECURITY/PAY EQUITY
An Act to Authorize the Human Resources Division to Undertake a Study of the State’s Job Classification System
Senate Bill 1858/House Bill 2826
Sponsors: Senator Harriette Chandler & Representative Alice Wolf
Summary: This bill would require the state’s human resources division to establish a job analysis study of state employees of the executive branch to update the current job classification system and review class titles, job specifications, organizational relationships and job qualifications to insure that employee compensation, pensions, and benefits are free from gender and racial bias. It would also establish a Workforce Advisory Council of experts to assist the human resources division with this work.
An Act Further Defining Comparable Work
Senate Bill 1070/House Bill 1869
Sponsors: Senator Patricia Jehlen & Representative Alice Wolf
Summary: This legislation would define comparable work as “solely based on whether the two positions entail comparable skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions between employees of the opposite sex.”
An Act to Establish Paid Sick Days
Senate Bill 1073
Sponsors: Senator Patricia Jehlen
An Act Relative to Paid Sick Days
House Bill 1803
Sponsors: Representative Kay Khan
Summary: This bill would provide every employee in the Commonwealth with seven paid sick days per year to be used for the employee or his/her children, parents, spouse, or parent of a spouse. A pro-rata amount could be used for employees who work 30 hours a week or less.
Testimony:
Click here for MCSW's Testimony on 11/6/07.
An Act Supporting Strong Families by Providing Paid Family and Medical Leave, Increasing Tax Deductions for Working Families, and Establishing a Work-Family Council
Senate Bill 114
Sponsor: Senator Karen Spilka
Summary: This bill provides job protected leave for eligible employees to recover from their own serious illness or injury, to care for a seriously ill child, spouse, parent, newborn, newly adopted, or foster child. It would also offer wage replacement and ensure that workers receive 100% of their wages up to a cap of $750.00 a week during the job protected leave.
An Act Relative to Equitable Coverage in Annuity Policies
Senate Bill 622
Sponsor: Senator Therese Murray
Summary: This legislation would establish that state-regulated annuity policies sold to residents of Massachusetts must be gender-neutral in all the terms and conditions of the contracts, including premiums, benefits, and rate changes.
An Act to Establish a Self-Sufficiency Standard in the Commonwealth
House Bill 1774/Senate 1113
Sponsors: Representative Daniel Bosley & Senator Marian Walsh
Summary: This bill will establish a realistic, independent benchmark of economic status by region throughout Massachusetts. The Self-Sufficiency Standard will calculate the realistic costs of housing, food, child care, transportation, medical care, taxes, and miscellaneous costs by region within the state. The standard will be used as an official and accurate reference point for policymakers.
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CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
An Act Establishing the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Commission
Senate Bill 86/House Bill 617
Sponsors: Senator Michael Knapik & Representative John Lepper
Summary: The legislation would establish a commission of experts to assess the challenges and unique needs associated with grandparents raising grandchildren and kinship care providers raising their related children. The Commission would serve as a liaison between grandparents and kinship care providers and organizations and agencies to foster relationships and ensure that caregivers have access to the services and assistance they need to raise and care for their children in their care.
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VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
An Act Relating to Anti-Human Trafficking and Protection
Senate Bill 97
Sponsor: Senator Mark Montigny
Summary: This legislation would establish a Victims of Human Trafficking Trust Fund which would administer grants to public, private non-profit or community based programs in the Commonwealth to provide services to human trafficking victims, including, but not limited to legal and case management services, health care, mental health, social services, housing or shelter services, ESL classes, victim’s compensation, and public and private non-profit collaborations to protect and assist human trafficking victims. The bill would also advance any legal proceedings to a speedy trial so a victim’s case is heard and determined with little delay as possible, establish a Human Trafficking Safe House, to provide emergency shelter for victims, and enhance sentencing guidelines for parties found guilty of trafficking, and requires the court to provide restitution to victims. Additionally, the bill would establish an Anti-Trafficking Task Force lead by the Office of the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
An Act to Prevent Harassment
Senate Bill 1002
Sponsor: Senator Pamela Resor
Summary: The act would establish a criminally enforceable Harassment Protection Order by replacing wording in the General Laws with wording that appropriately fills the void when there is a stalking, indecent assault, or battery with a person that does not have a specific relationship to the victim.
An Act Establishing a Campus Rape and Sexual Assault Prevention Advisory Council
Senate Bill 737
Sponsor: Senator Pamela Resor
Summary: This bill would establish a campus rape and sexual assault prevention advisory council through the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education. This council would support campus groups that assist rape and sexual assault victims.
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EDUCATION
An Act to Provide Health Education in Schools
House Bill 597
Sponsor: Representative Alice Wolf
Summary: This bill would provide for the Department of Education to implement health education into its core curriculum. School districts would be required to teach adequate age-appropriate health information, defined as “sufficient self-knowledge and knowledge of his or her mental and physical wellness”1, for grades K-12. The Massachusetts Comprehensive Health Curriculum Framework outlines this health education which includes nutrition, personal self-care and safety.
An Act Relative to Early Education and Care
House Bill 3776
Sponsor: Representative Patricia Haddad
Summary: This bill, which will be phased in over ten years, will ensure that every preschool-aged child has access to high-quality early childhood education and full-day public school kindergarten, and will create a state commitment to improving the training, education, and compensation of the early education and care workforce.
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CIVIL RIGHTS
An Act Establishing the Bristol County Commission on the Status of Women
Senate Bill 1172
Sponsor: Senator Joan Menard
Summary: This legislation would create a permanent commission on the status of women in Bristol County; it will be charged with conducting an ongoing study of all matters concerning women in Bristol County and advising local and state officials on their findings and recommended solutions. In addition, findings and recommended solutions will also be reported annually to the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women. The Act would be modeled after legislation which created the Berkshire County Commission on Status of Women.
