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Economic Development & Other Key Bills Stall in
Chaotic End of Session
Legislative Leaders on Beacon Hill left many key priorities fall to the last day of the 2-year legislative session, including Economic Development Legislation that would have authorized billions of dollars of borrowing into key industries such as life sciences and clean energy technology. Other key bills, such as clean energy siting, hospital oversight and reform, prescription drug pricing control, and legislation to invest in the Rainy-Day fund all went without a compromise as the Session ended on August 1st.
Legislative leaders have indicated a willingness to try to complete key legislative initiatives in the fall, either through informal voting or through the potential of a special legislative session – which would be an unprecedented move in recent times.
Importantly, the Economic Development legislation has key initiatives within the bill, specifically language that would allow the Executive Office of Economic Development to utilize the Workforce Investment Trust Fund to allocate some $30 million dollars currently in the fund to workforce development programs and initiatives.
Despite Chaos, IT Bond, Housing Bill & Wage Transparency
Signed Into Law
Despite many key initiatives succumbing to the August deadline, the legislature & Gov. Healey were able to push a few priorities across the finish line. A new law reforming how firearms are sold, licensed and used was passed and signed by the Governor, amongst others.
Information Technology Bond Bill Signed Into Law
IT Bond legislation was signed into law that pledged $1.66 billion in digital infrastructure investments from the Commonwealth. The legislation is aimed at making is easier for residents to interact with government. The bond legislation also invests $25 million into artificial intelligence projects across the state. Further, the bill authorizes $30 million in grants to cities and towns to increase access to internet and fiber broadband infrastructure.
Importantly, this legislation invests into the Employment Modernization Transformation project (EMT), a key project for MWA members. The EMT project is focused on overhauling the state’s online unemployment system and revamping the data system used by MWA members. MWA has started to work with the Executive Office of Labor & Workforce Development on the initial steps for overhauling the state’s outdated workforce data and reporting system, and will continue to do so as the EMT project progresses.
New Requirements for Employers under Wage Transparency Law
Under a new law signed by Gov. Healey, employers of 25 and over will be required to disclose and publish salary ranges on job postings and provide salary ranges to current employees whom request them. Massachusetts now joins over ten other states in requiring to disclose salary ranges on job postings. The law also requires that employers who are subject to Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) wage and data reporting, submit those reports to the Commonwealth. The data from businesses across the Commonwealth will be aggregated and published on the State’s website. The new law goes into effect October 29, 2025.
The purpose of the legislation is to give job-seekers and employees the tools necessary to negotiate a fair salary in the workplace. When the initial Pay Equity legislation was passed in 2016, employers were disallowed from asking a prospective employee “what did you make in your last job” – a tactic used that would continue to pay lower wages to woman and people of color. Instead, the question became, “what are your salary expectations”. This shift did little to reduce the gender and racial wage gap. Now, prospective employees and current employees have a baseline level of what someone in their position is earning.
Further, with the new data collection element, the State can better measure how the wage gap is trending across various demographic metrics. As folks say, you can’t fix what you don’t know.
$5.16 Billion Housing Bill Signed into Law
In one of the largest investments into Housing ever in the Commonwealth, the new Housing Bill signed into law would invest $2 billion into housing over the net five years.
Other provisions would invest $2 billion into public housing and another $800 million into affordable housing production in the coming years. Several key policy provisions were included, such as allowing accessory dwelling units by-right which Gov. Healey’s office says could create more than ten thousand units across the Commonwealth.
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