Legislative Agenda

2025-2026
LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

Since our founding, Progressive Mass has been motivated by the idea that we all do better when we all do better. It’s the heart of our Progressive Platform.

It’s been made clear by the pandemic: that our health is intertwined, and that the road to a robust recovery depends on the investments we make in the public good.

And it’s true across issues.

We all do better when we all have access to high-quality universal public goods and when we invest in the foundations of thriving communities.

We all do better when our legal systems deliver on the promise of liberty and justice for all.

We all do better when our built environment ensures that we can breathe clean air and when we invest in a green economy.

And we all do better when we can all participate in our democracy to the fullest.

Our Shared Prosperity Agenda

Large corporations need to pay their fair share so that we can protect essential services and continue to invest in our Commonwealth.

Corporate Fair Share (HD.3390 / SD.1684)

Title: An Act combating offshore tax avoidance
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Carlos González; Sens. Jason Lewis & Liz Miranda
What It Does: Makes large global mega-corporations pay the state’s existing corporate tax rate on a higher share of the excess profits they conceal in offshore tax havens

All students deserve well-resourced, supportive schools that set them up for success.

Thrive Act (HD.4328 / SD.1401)

Title: An Act empowering students and schools to thrive
Lead Sponsor: Rep. Sam Montaño; Sen. Adam Gomez
What It Does: Ends state takeovers of public schools/districts, establishes a commission to shape the future of student assessments, and curbs the privatization of public education

Funding Our Public Schools (HD.2334 / SD.1719)

Title: An Act to fix the Chapter 70 inflation adjustment
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Orlando Ramos; Sen. Robyn Kennedy
What It Does: Makes a technical fix to the state education funding formula so that state funding to public school districts keeps pace with inflation over time

Debt-Free Public Higher Ed (HD.1473 / SD.300)

Title: An Act relative to debt-free public higher education
Lead Sponsors: Reps. Natalie Higgins & Carmine Gentile; Sen. Jamie Eldridge
What It Does: Creates a higher education system where every Massachusetts resident has a right to attend any public college or university free of tuition and fees

We need to empower our cities and towns to take action to address our housing crisis.

Real Estate Transfer Fee (HD.1112 / SD.1216)

Title: An Act granting a local option for a real estate transfer fee to fund affordable housing
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Mike Connolly & Rep. Carmine Gentile; Sen. Jo Comerford
What It Does: Enables cities and towns to levy a modest fee on high-end residential and commercial real estate transactions to create dedicated funding for affordable housing

Rent Stabilization (HD.2501 / SD.1084)

Title: An Act enabling cities and towns to stabilize rents and protect tenants
Lead Sponsors: Reps. Dave Rogers & Sam Montaño; Sen. Pat Jehlen
What It Does: Enables cities and towns to pass rent stabilization ordinances to fight displacement

Tenant Opportunity to Purchase (HD.1925 / SD.1068)

Title: An Act to guarantee a tenant’s first right of refusal
Lead Sponsors: Reps. Jay Livingstone & Rob Consalvo; Sen. Pat Jehlen
What It Does: Enables cities and towns to give tenants the right of first refusal to purchase a building when the owner puts it up for sale

We are all healthier when we all have access to high-quality care without cost burden.

Medicare for All (HD.1228 / SD.2341)

Title: An Act establishing medicare for all in Massachusetts
Lead Sponsors: Reps. Lindsay Sabadosa & Margaret Scarsdale; Sen. Jamie Eldridge
What It Does: Establishes a single payer system, in which the state provides health care to all residents as a right

Our Shared Prosperity Agenda

Endorsed

Large corporations need to pay their fair share so that we can protect essential services and continue to invest in our Commonwealth.

Corporate Fair Share (H.3110 / S.2033)

Title: An Act combating offshore tax avoidance
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Carlos González; Sens. Jason Lewis & Liz Miranda
What It Does: Makes large global mega-corporations pay the state’s existing corporate tax rate on a higher share of the excess profits they conceal in offshore tax havens

All students deserve well-resourced, supportive schools that set them up for success.

Thrive Act (HD.4328 / S.374)

Title: An Act empowering students and schools to thrive
Lead Sponsor: Rep. Sam Montaño; Sen. Adam Gomez
What It Does: Ends state takeovers of public schools/districts, establishes a commission to shape the future of student assessments, and curbs the privatization of public education

Funding Our Public Schools (H.678 / S.388)

Title: An Act to fix the Chapter 70 inflation adjustment
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Orlando Ramos; Sen. Robyn Kennedy
What It Does: Makes a technical fix to the state education funding formula so that state funding to public school districts keeps pace with inflation over time

Debt-Free Public Higher Ed (H.1436 / S.929)

Title: An Act relative to debt-free public higher education
Lead Sponsors: Reps. Natalie Higgins & Carmine Gentile; Sen. Jamie Eldridge
What It Does: Creates a higher education system where every Massachusetts resident has a right to attend any public college or university free of tuition and fees

We need to empower our cities and towns to take action to address our housing crisis.

Real Estate Transfer Fee (H.3056 / S.1937)

Title: An Act granting a local option for a real estate transfer fee to fund affordable housing
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Mike Connolly & Rep. Carmine Gentile; Sen. Jo Comerford
What It Does: Enables cities and towns to levy a modest fee on high-end residential and commercial real estate transactions to create dedicated funding for affordable housing

Rent Stabilization (H.2328 / S.1447)

Title: An Act enabling cities and towns to stabilize rents and protect tenants
Lead Sponsors: Reps. Dave Rogers & Sam Montaño; Sen. Pat Jehlen
What It Does: Enables cities and towns to pass rent stabilization ordinances to fight displacement

Tenant Opportunity to Purchase (H.1544 / S.998)

Title: An Act to guarantee a tenant’s first right of refusal
Lead Sponsors: Reps. Jay Livingstone & Rob Consalvo; Sen. Pat Jehlen
What It Does: Enables cities and towns to give tenants the right of first refusal to purchase a building when the owner puts it up for sale

We are all healthier when we all have access to high-quality care without cost burden.

Medicare for All (H.1405 / S.860)

Title: An Act establishing medicare for all in Massachusetts
Lead Sponsors: Reps. Lindsay Sabadosa & Margaret Scarsdale; Sen. Jamie Eldridge
What It Does: Establishes a single payer system, in which the state provides health care to all residents as a right

Other Endorsed Legislation

Although we have chosen to prioritize the pieces of legislation listed above for this agenda, we also endorsed a number of other bills. You can find a select list below.

If you want to help us out, reach out to get involved!

For a printable list with the bills below, click here.

For an additional list of bills that we are watching and that align with our mission, click here. If you would like to bring a bill to our attention, email us at issues@progressivemass.com.

$20 Minimum Wage (H.2107 / S.1349)

Title: An Act relative to the minimum wage
Lead Sponsors: Reps. Carmine Gentile & Dan Donahue; Sen. Jason Lewis
Title: Raises the minimum wage to $20 per hour over four years and indexes it to inflation to better align the minimum wage with a living wage

State House Unionization (H.2093 / S.1343)

Title: An Act relative to collective bargaining rights for legislative employees
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Carol Doherty; Sen. John Keenan
What It Does: Extends collective bargaining rights to State House staff

Gig Workers (H.1339 / S.1305)

Title: An Act establishing protections and accountability for Delivery Network Company workers, consumers, and communities
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Andy Vargas; Sen. Lydia Edwards
Description: Ensures delivery workers receive the same protections, wages, rights, and benefits that all Massachusetts workers are entitled to under law

PILOT Reform (H.3264 / S.2016)

Title: An Act relative to payments in lieu of taxation by organizations exempt from the property tax
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven; Sen. Adam Gomez
What It Does: Enables cities and towns with nonprofits owning total property valued at or above $15 million to require them to make payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) equal to 25% what they would have owed without the exemption

Corporate Tax Disclosure (H.3083 / S.2037)

Title: An Act requiring public disclosures by publicly-traded corporate taxpayers
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Dan Donahue; Sen. Liz Miranda
What It Does: Makes publicly accessible reports that are already filed annually by publicly-traded corporations, detailing their sales, profits, taxable income, and taxes paid

Public Bank (H.1114 / S.736)

Title: An Act to establish a Massachusetts public bank
Lead Sponsors: Reps. Mike Connolly & Antonio Cabral; Sen. Jamie Eldridge
What It Does: Creates a public bank that would be able to offer lower-interest loans to local governments, small-and medium-sized businesses, and farmers

Access to Counsel (S.968 / H.1952)

Title: An Act promoting access to counsel and housing stability in Massachusetts
Lead Sponsors: Reps. Dave Rogers & Mike Day; Sen. Sal DiDomenico
What It Does: Provides legal representation for low-income tenants and owner-occupants in eviction proceedings

AHEAD Bill (H.3194 / S.1973)

Title: An Act providing for climate change adaptation infrastructure and affordable housing investments in the commonwealth
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Sam Montaño; Sen. Jamie Eldridge
What It Does: Increases the deeds excise tax on home sales to provide a funding stream for affordable housing and climate resilience

Ending Broker’s Fees (H.449 / S.224)

Title: An Act eliminating forced broker’s fees
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Tram Nguyen; Sen. Lydia Edwards
What It Does: Bans the ability for landlords to require renters to pay broker’s fees

An Act to Lift Kids Out of Deep Poverty (H.214 / S.118)

Title: An Act to Lift Kids Out of Deep Poverty
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Marjorie Decker; Sen. Sal DiDomenico
What It Does: Raises cash assistance grants by 20% per year until they reach 50% of the federal poverty level and then increase grants each year to keep up with inflation

Community Schools (H.726 / S.409)

Title: An Act to establish a community schools special legislative commission
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Chynah Tyler; Sen. Paul Mark
What It Does: Establishes a commission to study the community schools model, which is characterized by increased service provision, parent engagement, and community partnerships

Adjunct Bill of Rights (H.1429 / S.940)

Title: An Act promoting an Adjunct Bill of Rights
Lead Sponsors: Sen. Paul Mark; Reps. Pat Duffy & Sean Garballey
What It Does: Makes adjunct faculty who teach half-time or more at one or more public institutions of higher education eligible for a state pension and health insurance

Fair Wages for Faculty & Staff (H.2185 / S.1365)

Title: An Act to provide fair wages to employees of public institutions of higher education
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Andy Vargas; Sen. Pavel Payano
What It Does: Ensures that future wages of public higher education employees are at or above the national average when adjusted for cost of living

Green & Healthy Campuses (H.1426 / S.949)

Title: An Act to provide green and healthy public colleges and universities and address their deferred maintenance needs
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Manny Cruz & Rep. Aaron Saunders; Sen. Jake Oliveira
What It Does: Creates a commission relative to energy and environmental improvements on public higher education campuses and a fund to support the commission’s recommendations

Full-Spectrum Pregnancy Care (H.131 / S.761)

Title: An Act Ensuring Access to Full Spectrum Pregnancy Care
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa; Sen. Cindy Friedman
Description: Requires health insurance plans to cover all pregnancy care—including abortion, prenatal care, childbirth, and postpartum care—without any kind of cost-sharing

Community Immunity Act (SD.2117)

Title: An Act promoting community immunity
Lead Sponsors: Sen. Becca Rausch
Description: Creates statewide consistent immunization policy and provides residents throughout the Commonwealth the data necessary to prevent future outbreaks of vaccine-preventable infectious disease

All Means All: Agenda for Racial & Social Justice

Endorsed

A fair, humane criminal legal system is one that allows for
second chances and focuses on investing in economic opportunity, not in
incarceration.

Raise the Age (H.1923 / S.1061)

Title: An Act to promote public safety and better outcomes for young adults
Lead Sponsors: Reps. Jim O’Day & Manny Cruz; Sen. Brendan Crighton
What It Does: End the automatic prosecution of
older adolescents as adults by gradually shifting 18- to 20-year-olds
into the juvenile justice system

Clean Slate (H.1811 / S.1114)

Title: An Act requiring clean slate automated record sealing
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Mary Keefe & Rep. Andy Vargas; Sen. Cindy Friedman
What It Does: Creates an automated system in Massachusetts to seal criminal records as soon as people are eligible

Prison Moratorium (H.3422 / S.2114)

Title: An Act establishing a jail and prison construction moratorium
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Chynah Tyler; Sen. Jo Comerford
What It Does: Enacts a five-year pause on new
prison and jail construction in order to provide time to develop more
effective, community-based approaches to public safety

The family separation of deportation and incarceration weakens our communities. Families belong together.

Safe Communities Act (H.2580 / S.1681)

Title: An Act to protect the civil rights and safety of all Massachusetts residents
Lead Sponsors: Reps. Manny Cruz & Priscila Sousa; Sens. Jamie Eldridge & Liz Miranda
What It Does: Limits local and state police
collaboration with federal immigration agents, bars law enforcement and
court personnel from inquiring about immigration status, protects access
to justice in our courts, and ensures due process protections

Immigrant Legal Defense Act (H.1954 / S.1127)

Title: An Act ensuring access to equitable representation in immigration proceedings
Lead Sponsors: Reps. Dave Rogers & Frank Moran; Sen. Adam Gomez
What It Does: Creates a funded program for legal defense of immigrants facing deportation proceedings, especially those in federal detention

Visitation Bill (H.2591 / S.1720)

Title: An Act to build restorative family and community connection
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Marjorie Decker; Sen. Liz Miranda
What It Does: Eliminates arbitrary, unnecessary restrictions on visitation rights in prisons, jails, and ICE detention units

Privacy rights are essential to protect abortion patients and providers, trans people and their families, journalists, and more from attack by bad actors.

Location Shield Act (H.86 / S.197)

Title: An Act to protect safety and privacy by stopping the sale of location data
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian; Sen. Cindy Creem
What It Does: Prohibits companies from selling cell phone location data

An inclusive society is one where we celebrate our diversity, not seek to ban books or whitewash history.

Right to Learn Bill (H.3594 / S.2328)

Title: An Act regarding free expression
Lead Sponsors: Rep. John Moran & Rep. Adam Scanlon; Sen. Julian Cyr
What It Does: Ensures that public and school
libraries can offer diverse and inclusive books, media, and materials
without political interference

CARE Bill (H.655 / S.371)

Title: An Act to promote comprehensive and inclusive curriculum in schools
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Tram Nguyen & Rep. Steve Ultrino; Sen. Adam Gomez
What It Does: Sets standards of accuracy and
comprehensiveness in public school instruction for all students to learn
about the histories, experiences, perspectives, heritages, and cultures
of all Americans

Dignity Not Deportations (H.1588 / S.1122)

Title: An Act relative to immigration detention and collaboration agreements
Lead Sponsors: Reps. Christine Barber & Dave Rogers; Sen. Adam Gomez
What It Does: Bans collaboration agreements between state/local law enforcement and ICE and bans ICE detention beds in Massachusetts

Juvenile Diversion (H.1695 / S.1051)

Title: An Act promoting diversion of juveniles to community supervision and service
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Brandy Fluker-Reid; Sen. Cindy Creem
Description: Helps keep youth out of the prison
system by allowing for community supervision or community service as a
non-incarceration alternative in more cases

Ending Life without Parole (H.2052 / S.1178)

Title: An Act to reduce mass incarceration
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Chris Worrell; Sen. Liz Miranda
What It Does: Repeals mandatory sentences of life
without parole, which have strong racial biases and have been deemed
human rights violations by international courts

Elder and Medical Parole (H.2693 / S.1722)

Title: An Act relative to elder and medical parole
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa & Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven; Sen. Liz Miranda
Description: Establishes the right to a parole hearing for people 55 and older who have served more than 15 years or at least half their sentence and addresses gaps in existing medical parole legislation to improve access and equity

Decriminalizing Drug Possession (H.2693 / S.1722)

Title: An Act relative to elder and medical parole
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Sam Montaño & Rep. Mike Connolly; Sen. Julian Cyr
Description: Removes criminal penalties for drug possession, paraphernalia, and conspiracy charges in order to shift focus to equitable, effective public health approaches to drug use that expand access to consensual care and treatment

Massachusetts Survivors Act (H.1587 / S.1256)

Title: An Act Relative to Justice for SurvivorsLead Sponsors: Rep. Christine Barber & Rep. Brandy Fluker-Reid; Sen. Mike Rush
Description: Creates a fair and equitable process for courts to consider and act when a person who has been charged or convicted is a survivor of domestic and sexual violence

Overdose Prevention Centers (H.2196 / S.1393)

Title: An Act relative to preventing overdose deaths and increasing access to treatment
Lead Sponsors: Sen. Julian Cyr; Reps. Marjorie Decker & John Lawn
What It Does: Creates a ten-year pilot programs for
overdose prevention centers that use harm reduction strategies to
address the opioid crisis

Regulating Facial Surveillance (H.1946 / S.1053)

Title: An Act to implement the recommendations of the special commission on facial recognition technology
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Orlando Ramos; Sen. Cindy Creem
Description: Implements the recommendations of the
commission created by the 2020 police reform bill to create a tight
regulatory framework for facial surveillance

Healthy Youth Act (H.656 / S.340)

Title: An Act relative to healthy youth
Lead Sponsors: Reps. Jim O’Day & Vanna Howard; Sen. Sal DiDomenico
What It Does: Requires school districts that
provide sex education to ensure that it is comprehensive,
age-appropriate, and LGBTQ-inclusive, with an emphasis on consent

Language Access Bill (H.3384 / S.2125)

Title: An Act relative to language access and inclusion
Lead Sponsors: Reps. Adrian Madaro & Carlos González; Sen. Sal DiDomenico
What It Does: Builds the capacity of key public-facing state agencies to meet the language access needs of an increasingly diverse population

Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment Agenda

Endorsed

We need to leave fossil fuels in the ground and ensure that the
major polluters who have caused the climate crisis pay for the cost of
climate action.

Put Gas in the Past (H.3547 / S.2290)

Title: An Act preventing gas expansion to protect climate, community health and safety
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Bud Williams & Adrianne Ramos; Sen. Adam Gomez
What It Does: Prevents the expansion of gas
infrastructure near Environmental Justice communities and requires gas
companies and the Commonwealth to undergo planning for a just transition
to green energy

Make Polluters Pay (H.1014 / S.558)

Title: An Act establishing a climate change superfund
Lead Sponsors: Reps. Steve Owens & Jack Lewis; Sen. Jamie Eldridge
What It Does: Requires major polluters to pay a fee based on historic emissions to pay for the costs of climate resilience

Zero-Carbon Renovation Fund (H.3577 / S.2286)

Title: An Act establishing a zero carbon renovation fund
Lead Sponsors: Reps. Andy Vargas & Manny Cruz; Sen. Adam Gomez
What It Does: Creates a fund for green and healthy
home retrofits, with a prioritization of affordable housing,
low-to-moderate-income homes, gateway cities, and environmental justice
communities

No Ratepayer Money for Utility Lobbying (H.3400 / S.2239)

Title: An Act prohibiting the use of ratepayer funds for utility lobbying, promotions or perks
Lead Sponsors: Reps. Steve Owens & Jenny Armini; Sen. Cindy Creem
What It Does: Prohibits utility companies from using customer money for lobbying, promotions, and perks

Air Quality Bill (H.2369 / S.1548)

Title: An Act to ensure cleaner air for communities overburdened by outdoor air pollution
Lead Sponsors: Reps. Christine Barber & Mike Connolly; Sen. Pat Jehlen
Description: Improves indoor and outdoor air quality, especially for Environmental Justice populations and those communities burdened by air emissions from highways, ports, airports, and congested roadways by expanding outdoor air monitoring for key pollutants, setting ambitious targets for 2030 and 2035, requiring better ventilation systems in medium and large buildings, among other measures

Plastics Reduction Act (H.1019 / S.654)

Title: An Act to reduce plastics
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Ted Philips; Sen. Becca Rausch
What It Does: Reduces single-use plastics in the
Commonwealth, including a uniform plastic bag ban, disposable food
service ware limits, and the creation of fund to support transitions to
environmentally friendly products

Good Government,
Strong Democracy Agenda

Endorsed

Same Day Registration (H.834 / S.505)

Title: An Act establishing same day registration of voters
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Carmine Gentile; Sen. Cindy Creem
What It Does: Enables eligible citizens to register to vote at the polls, eliminating the arbitrary 10-day voter registration window

Decoupling the Municipal Census from the Voter Rolls (H.799 / S.503)

Title: An Act decoupling the municipal census from voter registration
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Shirley Arriaga; Sen. Cindy Creem
What It Does: Ends the use of the municipal census to remove voters from the active voter lists

Sunlight Act (S.2099)

Title: An Act to provide sunlight to state government
Lead Sponsor: Sen. Jamie Eldridge
What It Does: Promotes transparency in state
government by removing the Governor’s exemption from public records law,
requiring committee votes and legislative testimony to be public, and
requiring 2 weeks notice for legislative hearings

Hybrid Meeting Access (H.3299)

Title: An Act to modernize participation in public meetings
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Antonio Cabral
What It Does: Requires that all public bodies have
options for hybrid participation and creates a trust fund and
competitive grants to help municipalities with the technology needed to
do so

Voting Rights Restoration (H.63 & H.874 / S.7 & S.524)

Title: An Act relative to voting rights restoration
& Proposal for a legislative amendment to the Constitution
relative to voting rights
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven; Sen. Liz Miranda
What It Does: Ends remaining incarceration-based disenfranchisement in Massachusetts

Local Option RCV (S.531)

Title: An Act providing a local option for ranked choice voting in municipal elections
Lead Sponsors: Sen. Becca Rausch
Description: Enables cities and towns in Massachusetts to adopt ranked choice voting for municipal elections

Ending Foreign Corporate Influence of Local Elections (H.875 / S.525)

Title: An Act to Limit Political Spending by Foreign-Influenced Corporations
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven; Sen. Mark Montigny
What It Does: Requires corporations seeking to make
independent expenditures to attest, under penalty of perjury, that they
are not a foreign-influenced corporation and labels them as such if
they do not

An Accountable State House (SD.1301 / HD.4303)

Title: An Act to strengthen representation and promote democratic, transparent, and efficient lawmaking
Description: Improves the pay structure and incentives for Massachusetts legislators by reforming the stipend system

Legislative Research Bureau (HD.1802)

Title: An Act Establishing Offices of Legislative Research and Fiscal Analysis
Description: Creates a new office to conduct policy analysis, comparative legal analysis, statistical research, fact-finding, bill-drafting upon request, and review of bills and amendments in third reading.

Opposed Legislation

The Progressive Mass Issues Committee sometimes highlights bills that legislators should reject. Although there are hundreds (possibly thousands) of bills filed that do not merit passage, we are highlighting ones that could gain momentum due to their support by allies, backing by powerful figures in the state, or their superficial appearance to back progressive goals that they, upon further inspection, would undermine.

If you want to highlight a bill for inclusion on this list, please email issues@progressivemass.com.

Legislative Agenda

2025-2026
LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

Our Shared Prosperity Agenda

Our Shared Prosperity Agenda

Endorsed

All Means All: Agenda for Racial & Social Justice

Endorsed

Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment Agenda

Endorsed

Good Government,
Strong Democracy Agenda

Endorsed

Opposed Legislation

no

SD.1980

HD.2582

Legislative Agenda

2025-2026LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

Our Shared Prosperity Agenda

Our Shared Prosperity Agenda

Endorsed

All Means All: Agenda for Racial & Social Justice

Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment Agenda

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2025-2026
LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES