By Emily Costello and Kathy Bell
Legislature Working to the Very End of 2024:
With 2025 now in full swing, Massachusetts continues to set a national standard with bold legislative action. This past year saw sweeping reforms in gun control, expanded maternal health access, and took steps in climate action to accelerate green energy projects, to give a few examples. The Economic Development package now on the books provides significant investments to make Massachusetts more attractive, competitive, and affordable.
In the final hours of the 2023-2024 session, Governor Maura Healey signed into law legislation to increase transparency in healthcare dealings and investments. The legislation would give state health regulators and Attorney General Andrea Campbell more regulatory oversight over transactions involving private equity investors, healthcare real estate investment trusts, and management service organizations. The legislation stemmed from Steward Health Care’s 2024 bankruptcy and exit from the Massachusetts market.
This legislation comes alongside a prescription drug reform package that the legislature also sent to Governor Healey. The package aims to lower the cost of prescription drugs at the pharmacy counter and improve oversight of the state’s pharmaceutical industry.
Investments in public health – including new opioid measures – reflected the state’s ongoing commitment to equity. The HERO Act further underscored the state’s commitment to veterans. This past year solidified the Commonwealth’s long stance of tackling today’s toughest programs with decisive legislative action.
Housing Remains a Priority
Affordable housing led the way at the top of everyone’s priority list at the beginning of the 2023-2024 Legislative Session because of a growing statewide housing crisis. Massachusetts lawmakers enacted several key reforms in the last session to address rising costs, expand housing supply, and protect residents.
Governor Healey signed the sweeping Affordable Homes Act, a five-billion-dollar investment in tackling the state’s housing crisis, that boosts programs that support first-time homebuyers and homeownership and provides resources to build more housing for low to moderate-income residents. The bill was the largest housing bill in Massachusetts history and will work in tandem with the economic development bill to ensure Massachusetts remains competitive while making the state more affordable for all residents.
What’s in Store for 2025
Legislators took their oath of office on New Year’s Day. As we look toward the 2025-2026 legislative session, we anticipate a continued focus on housing, health care, transportation, emergency shelter protections, education, and other pressing challenges in the state.
The Healey-Driscoll Administration, House Speaker Mariano, and Senate President Spika continue to remain focused, and are planning to make considerable changes to the current rules in place. This session, the legislature sent 122 bills to the governor’s desk in the last two weeks of December. With adjustments to the legislative calendar expected, the upcoming sessions is showing signs of beginning with new rules, setting the stage for continued progress in the Commonwealth. .
We look forward to witnessing the work of the 2025-2026 session and remain optimistic about the opportunities this session presents for the Commonwealth.
Happy New Year!