Policy Advocacy
The Public Health Institute of Western MA (PHIWM) advocates for strategic policy changes at the state level.
LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
In collaboration with our Board of Directors and its Data to Policy Action Board Committee, PHIWM staff work with local, regional, and statewide coalitions to help turn better policy proposals into realities that will advance racial justice and health equity. Our policy priorities originate from our prior research and coalition building work. They are rooted in the data and stories we gather from our Resident Advisory Council and other people with lived experience. Additionally, we may choose policy priorities that reflect the unique needs of Western MA. We utilize the Health Equity Policy Framework created by the MA Public Health Alliance before endorsing any policy proposal.
- Scroll down to see our current priorities.
- Policy Updates:
Nov 2025 | Aug 2025 | Jun 2025 | Late Jan 2025 | Early Jan 2025
Nov 2024 | Oct 2024 | Aug 2024
Policy Information and Resources
Online sports betting became legal in Massachusetts in 2023, and now the Legislature is considering a bill (H4431) to legalize internet casino gambling—also known as “iGambling” or “iGaming.” What would more options for 24/7 gambling mean to the public health of our communities? Speakers include Mark Gottlieb of Northeastern Law’s Public Health Advocacy Institute, Samantha Hamilton of Public Health Institute of Western MA, Victor Ortiz from the MA Dept. of Public Health Office of Problem Gambling, and State Representative Lindsay Sabadosa. The discussion will be moderated by Jessica Collins of the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts, and attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions during a live Q&A.
2025-26 Ballot Question Timeline Initiative Petition for a Law
Our 2025-2026 Legislative & Budget Priorities
As of 12/29/25
- TO COMBAT POVERTY -
1. Clean Slate Legislation
Join the Clean Slate MA Coalition | Fact Sheet | More Info | Supporting Organizations & Legislative Co-sponsors
PHIWM's written testimony | Others' written testimonies
- An Act requiring clean slate automated record sealing
- S.1114 by Sen. Cindy Friedman. The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for this bill on 6/3/25 and reported it bill favorably to Senate Ways & Means on 6/16/25.
- H.1811 by Reps. Mary Keefe & Andres Vargas. The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on this bill on 9/9/25.
- An Act to remove collateral consequences and protect the presumption of innocence
- S.1124 by Sen. Adam Gomez. The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for this bill on 6/3/25 and reported it bill favorably to Senate Ways & Means on 6/16/25.
- H.1693 by Rep. Brandy Fluker-Reid. The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on this bill on 9/9/25.
2. Level-fund 413Cares
Fact sheet (FY26) | 413Cares.org
- FY27 budget request - $100k in Line Item 4510-0110
3. End the ‘cliff effect’ (Continue support for the Bridge to Prosperity pilot)
- FY27 budget request - $2.2m in Line Item 4400-1000
4. Healthy Incentive Program
- FY27 budget request tbd in Line Item 4400-1004
5. Increase access to affordable, safe, and healthy homes.
- Access to Counsel - Fact Sheet | More Info |Supporting Organizations | Year 1 report from the MA Legal Assistance Corporation
- S.968 by Sen. Sal DiDomenico. The Housing Committee held a hearing for this bill on 11/19/25 and reported it favorably to Senate Ways & Means on 12/8/25.
- H.1952 by Reps. David Rogers & Michael Day. The Judiciary Committee held a hearing for this bill on 10/21/25.
- FY27 budget request - $4m in Line Item 0321-1800; (FY26=$2.5m). More info
- An Act Relative to Affordable Housing and Environmental Adaptation Dollars (The AHEAD Act) - Fact sheet | More info
- S.1973 by Sen. Jamie Eldridge. The Revenue Committee held a hearing for this bill on 7/15/25 and reported it favorably to Senate Ways & Means on 12/22/25.
- H.3194 by Rep. Samantha Montaño. The Revenue Committee held a hearing for this bill on 7/15/25; the reporting deadline is 2/20/26.
- MA Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) - Help tenants afford to stay in their homes - More info
- S.1008 by Sen. Joan Lovely. The Housing Committee held a hearing for this bill on 7/23/25; then redrafted it to be S.2826, then favorably reported it to Senate Ways & Means on 12/11/25.
- H.1547 by Rep. Adrian Madero. The Housing Committee held a hearing for this bill on 7/23/25 and favorably reported it to House Ways & Means on 11/5/25.
- FY27 budget request tbd - Line Item 7004-9024
- HomeBASE - To help families that are homeless find stable housing - More info
- FY27 budget request, Line Item 7004-0108
- Real estate transfer fee to fund affordable housing - More Info | Supporting Organizations
- S.1937 by Sen. Jo Comerford. The Revenue Committee held a hearing for this bill on 9/9/25 and reported it favorably to Senate Ways & Means on 12/18/25.
- H.3056 by Reps. Mike Connolly & Carmine Lawrence Gentile. The Revenue Committee held a hearing for this bill on 9/9/25; the reporting deadline is 2/20/26.
6. Corporate Fair Share to Increase Revenue (An Act combating offshore tax avoidance)
- S.2033 by Sen. Jason Lewis. The Revenue Committee held a hearing for this bill on 10/3/25.
- H.3110 by Rep. Carlos González. The Revenue Committee held a hearing for this bill on 10/3/25; the reporting deadline is 2/20/26.
7. A Road to Opportunity (An Act to increase opportunity by ending debt-based driving restrictions)
- S.2368 by Sen. Julian Cyr. The Transportation Committee held a hearing for this bill on 7/8/25.
- H.3662 by Rep. Brandy Fluker-Reid. The Transportation Committee held a hearing for this bill on 7/8/25; the reporting deadline is 3/18/26
8. Digital Equity (An Act preserving broadband service for low-income consumers)
- S.2318 by Sen. Pavel Payano. The Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee held a hearing for this bill of 5/6/25 and favorably reported it to Senate Ways & Means on 12/11/25.
- H.3527 by Rep. Rita Mendes. The
Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee held a hearing for this bill of 5/6/25; the reporting deadline is 3/18/25.
- TO REDUCE ASTHMA & GREENHOUSE GASES -
9. Public Transportation (Support Regional transit authorities (RTAs) and micro-transit.)
RTA Fact sheet | Micro-transit Fact sheet | More info
- S.2366 by Sen. Julian Cyr. The Transportation Committee held a hearing for this bill on 9/16/25.
- H.3658 by Reps. Natalie Blais & Todd Smola. The Transportation Committee held a hearing for this bill on 9/16/25; then redrafted it in H.4649 and reported it favorably to the House Rules Committee on 11/20/25.
- FY27 budget request tbd
10. MA Healthy Homes Program
- FY27 budget request - $1m in Line Item 4400-1004 (FY26 = 0)
- Bond authorization request - $50m in the 2026 environmental bond bill
11. Get the Lead Out
- FY27 budget request - $6m to recapitalize the fund that without it, will run dry by the fall of 2026
12. Establish a Zero Carbon Renovation Fund
- S.2286 by Sen. Adam Gomez. The Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee held a hearing for this bill on 9/25/25 and on 12/4/25, they sent it to study.
- H.3577 by Reps. Andres Vargas & Manny Cruz. The Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee held a hearing for this bill on 9/25/25; the reporting deadline is 3/18/26.
13. Improve Indoor Air Quality (An Act to improve indoor air quality for highly-impacted communities)
- S.1546 by Sen. Adam Gomez. The Public Health Committee held a hearing for this bill on 6/11/25 and reported it favorably to Senate Ways & Means on 9/4/25.
- H.2427 by Reps. Judith Garcia & Samantha Montaño. The Public Health Committee held a hearing for this bill on 6/11/25; then redrafted it to be H.4590, then H.2427 and reported favorably to House Ways & Means on 10/9/25.
14. Improve Outdoor Air Quality (An Act to ensure cleaner air for communities over-burdened by outdoor pollution)
- S.1548 by Sen. Patricia Jehlen. The Public Health Committee held a hearing for this bill on 9/10/25.
- H.2369 by Reps. Christine Barber & Mike Connolly. The Public Health Committee held a hearing for this bill on 9/10/25 and referred it favorably to House Ways & Means on 11/13/25.
15. Close the Municipal Lighting Plan (MLP) Biomass Loophole (An Act to remove woody biomass from the greenhouse gas emissions standard for municipal lighting plants)
- S.2288 by Sen. Adam Gomez. TheTelecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee held a hearing for this bill on 6/18/25 and reported it favorably to Senate Ways & Means on 12/15/25.
- H.3549 by Rep. Orlando Ramos. The Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee held a hearing for this bill on 6/18/25 and add it it to H.4744 which they reported out favorably to House Ways & Means on 11/13/25.
16. Freedom to Move (An Act aligning the Commonwealth’s transportation plans with its climate goals)
- S.2246 by Sen. Cynthia Creem. The Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee held a hearing for this bill on 5/16/25 and reported it favorably to Senate Ways & Means.
- H.3726 by Rep. Jack Lewis. The Transportation held a hearing for this bill on 9/16/25.
- TO IMPROVE PUBLIC HEALTH & HEALTH EQUITY -
17. Statewide Accelerated Public Health for Every Community (SAPHE 2.0 for Local Public Health)
- FY27 budget request - $15m
18. An Act to Advance Health Equity
- S.901 by Sens. Liz Miranda& Pavel Payano. The Health Care Financing Committee held a hearing on this bill on 7/15/25.
- H.1416 by Reps. Bud Williams & Judith Garcia. The Health Care Financing Committee held a hearing on this bill on 7/15/25; the reporting deadline is 3/18/26.
- TO PROMOTE YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH -
19. Prevent Problem Gambling
PHIWM's written testimony | PHIWM's report to the MA Gaming Commission
- SUPPORT An Act addressing economic, health and social harms caused by sports betting, S.302 by Sen. John Keenan. The Economic Development Committee held a hearing for this bill on 11/13/25.
- OPPOSE An Act relative to internet gaming, H.4431 by Rep. David Muradian. The Economic Development Committee held a hearing for this bill on 11/13/25; the reporting deadline is 3/16/26.
20. Cover All Kids (An Act ensuring equitable health coverage for children)
Fact Sheet | More Info | Supporting Organizations
- S.855 by Sen. Sal DiDomenico. The Health Care Financing Committee held a hearing for this bill on 7/15/25 and favorably reported it to Senate Ways & Means on 11/6/25.
- H.1403 by Rep. David Rogers. The Health Care Financing Committee held a hearing for this bill on 7/15/25 and extended the reporting deadline to 3/18/26.
21. Funding for School-based Services (An Act relative to Mass Health reimbursement for schools)
- S.862 by Sen. Dylan Fernandes. The Health Care Financing Committee held a hearing for this bill on 7/1/25 and favorably reported it to Senate Ways & Means on 9/29/25.
- H.545 by Rep. Marjorie Decker. The Education Committee held a hearing for this bill on 7/21/25 and referred it to the Health Care Financing Committee; the reporting deadline is 3/18/26.
22. Funding for youth who are homeless and unaccompanied by an adult (Homeless Youth Services)
- FY27 budget request - tbd for Line Item 4000-0007
ADVOCACY EFFORTS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS
We are currently updating this portion of our website. Stay tuned for more!
- 2023 Signed on to a group letter to legislative leaders urging them to extend a pandemic-era eviction prevention policy, warning that the looming March 31 expiration will displace Bay Staters and stymie other efforts to keep people in their homes.
- 2023 Submitted testimony to the Western Massachusetts Passenger Rail Commission
- 2023 Springfield City Council and Mayor advance efforts for Community Choice Energy
- 2022 Submitted testimony for the Second Chance bills
- 2021 & 2022 Secured state funding to create 413cares.org
- 2021 Submitted testimony for the Cover All Kids bill
- 2019 Increased funding for Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention
- 2019 Funding of Regional Transit Authorities
- 2019 Updated School Wellness Policies for Springfield Public Schools and Square One
- 2019 Age-Friendly City designation for Springfield
- 2018 Tobacco 21 legislation (Springfield and statewide)
- 2017 Mass Food Trust funded at $1 million.
- 2017 Springfield adopts Strong, Healthy Just: Climate Action & Resilience Plan.
- 2012-2017 Springfield and Holyoke Public School Districts implement Green Cleaning practices to prevent asthma exacerbation.
- 2015 Springfield City Council passes a Resolution to adopt the Complete Streets Plan for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.
- 2014 Springfield City Council passes Resolution to create a Climate Action Plan.
- 2014 Springfield City Council passes Zoning Ordinance on 21st Century development supporting healthy community design.
- 2013 Springfield City Council passes Community Gardening Ordinance.
- 2012 Holyoke Public School District institutes evidence-based curriculum for adolescent sexual health.
- 2012 Springfield School Committee institutes policy for distribution of condoms by school nurses and evidence-based curriculum for adolescent sexual health.
- 2012 Early education and care organizations create policies to discontinue the use of fruit and vegetables canned in syrup.
- 2010 Springfield City Council Resolution establishes Springfield Food Policy Council.
- 2009 MA Department of Early Education and Care requires tooth brushing in childcare and preschool organizations to prevent childhood cavities.
