Home for Little Wanderers

Legislative Priorities 2019-2020

All of our advocacy and lobbying work is done in partnerships with different coalitions and our provider agencies. The reason why we think working in coalitions is important is because the nature of child welfare policy impacts all children in the system and not just children in our care. We strive to create positive outcomes for children across the Commonwealth, and we understand that working in partnership with like-minded organizations strengthens our ability to create change. Our legislative partners include the Lift our Kids MA Campaign, the Providers’ Council, the Children’s League of and the Citizens for Juvenile Justice Coalition. We support every piece of legislation listed below.

Lift Our Kids MA Campaign

Bill Name Bill Number Filed by Committee Assignment An Act to Lift the Cap on Kids H.104 Rep. Children, Families An Act Relative to Well-Being and S.37 Sen. Sal DiDomenico and Persons with Care of a Child Disabilities An Act to Reduce Deep Poverty H.102 Rep. Marjorie Decker Children, Families Among Kids and Persons with An Act to Lift Kids out of Deep S.36 Sen. Sal DiDomenico Disabilities Poverty

For more information on bills being filed by the Lift our Kids MA Campaign, click here.

Provider’s Council

Bill Name Bill Number Filed by Committee Assignment An Act relative to Fair Pay for H.138 Rep. -Children, Families Comparable Work and Persons with Disabilities S.1077 Sen. -Labor and Workforce Development An Act Establishing a Loan H.163 Rep. Children, Families Repayment Program for Direct S.56 Sen. and Persons with Care Human Service Workers Disabilities An Act Relative to Affordable H.1171 Rep. Jack Lewis -Health Care Health Insurance Group Financing Purchasing for Human Service S.573 Sen. Sal DiDomenico -Financial Services Providers

An Act Relative to Exempting H.1594 Rep. Gerry Cassidy Labor and Human Services Organizations S.1098 Sen. Michael Moore Workforce from Making EMAC Supplemental Development Payments

For more information on the bills filed by the Providers’ Council, click here.

Children’s League of Massachusetts

Bill Name Bill Number Filed by Committee Assignment An Act Ensuring the Continuous H.124 Rep. Children, Families Healthcare Coverage for Youth S.35 Sen. Sal DiDomenico and Persons with who Have Aged Out of the Disabilities Department of Children and Families

An Act Expanding Access to H.1492 Rep. Jack Lewis The Judiciary Adoptions An Act Relative to Expanding Access S.63 Sen. Children, Families to Adoption and Persons with Disabilities An Act Granting Equal Access to H.1892 Rep. & Public Health Original Birth Certificates to All S.1267 Rep. Daniel Cullinane Persons Born in Massachusetts Sen. James Eldridge An Act Relative to Abusive H.110 Rep. Kay Khan Children, Families Practices to Change Sexual S.70 Sen. and Persons with Orientation and gender Identity Disabilities in Minors An Act to End Child Marriage in S.24 Sen. Harriette Chandler Children, Families Massachusetts and Persons with Disabilities An Act relative to Fair Pay for H.138 Rep. Kay Khan -Children, Comparable Work Families and Persons with S.1077 Sen. Cindy Friedman Disabilities -Labor and Workforce Development An Act Establishing the H.112 Rep. Tricia Farley- Children, Families Massachusetts Foster Care Bouvier and Persons with Review Office Rep. Disabilities S.29 Sen. Joanne Comerford

An Act to Provide Identification H.3066 Rep. Kay Khan Transportation to Homeless Youth and Families S.2043 Sen. Harriette Chandler

An Act Establishing a Foster H.113 Rep. Tricia Farley- Children, Families Parents Bill of Rights Bouvier & Rep. Joseph and Persons with McKenna Disabilities S.30 Sen. Joanne Comerford

For more information on bills being filed and endorsed by the Children’s League of MA, click here.

Citizens for Juvenile Justice Coalition

Bill Name Bill Number Filed by Committee Assignment An Act Improving Juvenile Justice H.2141 Rep. Chynah Tyler Public Safety and Data Collection S.1386 Sen. Cynthia Creem Homeland Security

An Act to Promote the Education H.531 Rep. Joan Meschino Education Success of Court Involved S.297 Sen. Patricia Jehlen Children An Act Relative to Expungement, H.1386 Rep. Marjorie Decker The Judiciary Sealing and Criminal Records Rep. Kay Khan Provisions An Act Relative to Expungement S.900 Sen. Cynthia Creem An Act to Promote Public Safety H.3420 Rep. Jim O’Day The Judiciary and Better Outcomes for Young Rep. Kay Khan Adults S.825 Sen. An Act to Reduce Recidivism H.1486 Rep. Jim O’Day The Judiciary Among Emerging Adults Rep. Kay Khan S.940 Sen. Cindy Friedman An Act Clarifying Consent Laws or H.1493 Rep. Jack Lewis The Judiciary Adolescents Rep. Aaron Vega An Act Relative to Consensual S.1014 Sen. Rebecca Rausch Adolescent Sexual Activity An Act Relative to Multi-System H.1514 Rep. Joan Meschino The Judiciary Youth

For more information on the bills filed by the Citizens for Juvenile Justice Coalition, click here.

National Association of School Psychologists

Bill Name Bill Number Filed by Committee Assignment An Act Relative to Abusive H.110 Rep. Kay Khan Children, Families Practices to Change Sexual S.70 Sen. Mark Montigny and Persons with Orientation and gender Identity Disabilities in Minors An Act updating terminology and H.117 Rep. Sean Garballey Children, Families investigative practices related to S.53 Sen. John Keenan and Persons with the protection of persons with Disabilities disabilities An Act relative to marriage and H.1904 Rep. Danielle Gregoire Public Health family therapists, rehabilitation counselors, mental health counselors, educational psychologists, applied behavior analysts; licenses; qualifications An Act relative to early literacy H.425 Rep. Michael Day Education education S.234 Sen. Joseph Boncore An Act establishing mandatory H.433 Rep. Education school lockdown drills in the Commonwealth An Act promoting trauma H.577 Rep. Chynah Tyler Education informed supports in schools An Act relative to school safety H.1562 Rep. Theodore Speliotis The Judiciary

Resolve establishing an enhanced H.2018 Rep. Public Safety and public school safety commission Homeland Security An Act relative to dropout H.550 Rep. Alice Hanlon Education prevention and re-engagement S.241 Peisch Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz An Act requiring critical incident H.594 Rep. Thomas Walsh Education drills in schools Rep. Gerry Cassidy An Act relative to community H.1402 Rep. Dykema The Judiciary support for at-risk youth Rep. Keefe An Act relative to emergency H.2152 Rep. Timothy Whelan Public safety and response in an active shooter or S.1450 Sen. Patrick O’Connor Homeland hostile event situation Security An Act relative to juvenile S.922 Sen. Diana DiZoglio (By The Judiciary violence request) An Act to prioritize violence S.243 Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz Education prevention and social emotional health in school support staff hiring An Act implementing the Every S.299 Sen. Patricia Jehlen Education Student Succeeds Act An Act promoting local control S.317 Sen. Patrick O’Connor Education and effective training of school resource officers An Act relative to school safety S.338 Sen. Education issues An Act relative to school safety S.343 Sen. Education and security

Other

Bill Name Bill Number Filed by Committee Assignment An Act to Authorize the H.90 Rep. Jay Barrows Children, Families Commonwealth of Massachusetts S.47 Sen. and Persons with to Establish Additional Mandated Disabilities Reporters for the Purpose of the Protection and Care of Children An Act Relative to mandated H.137 Rep. Kay Khan Children, Families Reporter Reform S.62 Sen. Joan Lovely and Persons with Disabilities An Act Relative to the Penalties H.3332 Rep. Judiciary for the Crime of Female Genital Rep. Mutilation S.834 Sen. Joseph Boncore An Act Relative to Female Genital Mutilation

We will keep continue to post updates on this page as the legislative session continues. Next will be bill assignments to committees as well as bill number assignments and, in the spring, public hearings.