Submitted by Rep. Ken Gordon
State Rep. Ken Gordon (D-Bedford) joined his colleagues in the House of Representatives last week in passing two pieces of legislation; “An Act relative to treatments and coverage for substance use disorder and recovery coach licensure,” and “An Act to ensure legal parentage equality.”
In addition, “An Act to prevent abuse and exploitation,” that the House passed in January was enacted by the Legislature last week. Gordon believes these bills will each work to serve and enhance protections for vulnerable populations within the Commonwealth.
“Last week in the Legislature we passed a variety of policies that will help people in many areas across the Commonwealth,” said Gordon. “I look forward to seeing this legislation advance to the Governor’s office.”
Building on the House’s established commitment to meaningfully address the opioid epidemic, “An Act relative to treatments and coverage for substance use disorder and recovery coach licensure” will expand treatment options and their accessibility. By empowering health care providers, ensuring greater access to overdose reversal drugs, protecting harm reduction workers, removing barriers to mothers in recovery, and licensing recovery coaches, the bill aims to empower both individuals and communities to save lives. Having passed the House of Representatives, 153-0, the bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.
As announced by House Speaker Ron Mariano earlier this month at the Pride Flag Raising Ceremony, “An Act to ensure legal parentage equality” was brought to the floor and passed on Wednesday. The bill will update the Commonwealth’s parentage laws so that common paths to parentage may be utilized equally by all families, regardless of marital status.
In addition, it will create a new path to parentage for those who are “de facto” parents, ensuring that every child has the same rights and protections to parentage without regard to the marital status, gender identity or sexual orientation of the parents, or the circumstances of their birth.
Gordon believes that although Massachusetts leads the nation in easing the path for assisted reproduction, current laws do not adequately outline rights, requirements, procedures and safeguards for parents, donors, surrogates, and others involved in the process. This bill establishes paths to parentage for individuals or couples utilizing assisted reproduction and surrogacy in order to provide legal recognition and status prior to the child’s birth. This bill will now be sent to the Senate to be considered.
The House passed “An Act to prevent abuse and exploitation” in early January, and last week it was enacted by the Legislature. This piece of legislation criminalizes the non-consensual sharing of explicit images known as “revenge porn,” creates a diversion program for teens who share explicit images, statutorily defines coercive control as an element of domestic abuse and extends the statute of limitations to pursue criminal charges for certain domestic violence offenses from 6 years to 15 years. With the same version of the bill having been passed by both chambers, the legislation now goes to the Governor’s desk for her signature.
The Legislature also approved Aug. 10 and 11 as a sales tax holiday weekend for Massachusetts. On those days, the Massachusetts sales tax of 6.25 percent will be suspended for most items that retail for less than $2,500.
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