Author: john_velis

Bill continues Senate’s work to lower prescription drug costs,  
promote transparency, and increase patient access  

BOSTON (11/15/2023) — Today, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed the bipartisan Act Relative to Pharmaceutical Access, Costs, and Transparency, otherwise known as the PACT Act 3.0. The legislation would make urgent and much-needed reforms to the pharmaceutical system in the state by lowering the cost of drugs at the pharmacy counter and improving oversight of the pharmaceutical industry.  

It also takes firm steps to create more equitable access to life-saving medications by providing a free, no-cost sharing option for certain drugs used to treat chronic illnesses that disproportionately affect people of color. 

“Relief from prescription drug costs can’t wait when lives are at stake,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “I look forward to this bill getting signed into law so that residents and seniors who go to the pharmacy counter will finally pay less for the medications they use to stay alive and maintain their quality of life. This reform is in line with the Senate’s commitment to addressing affordability, equity, and transparency, and maintaining the Commonwealth’s competitiveness as a place to live and work. I am extremely grateful for the diligent and tireless work of Senator Friedman and Chair Rodrigues for their leadership on this bill, and to the rest of my colleagues in the Senate for their strong support.” 

“I am pleased the Senate has passed this crucial prescription drug legislation,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “Healthcare is all about accessibility and affordability, and this reform-minded consumer focused bill will allow increased access to prescription drugs while also considerably driving down the cost of everyday medications. I thank Senator Friedman for her leadership on this and many healthcare issues as this bill will literally save lives.” 

“Massachusetts often serves as a national leader, providing ground-breaking health care services and fostering innovative breakthroughs for our biotech and life sciences sector, but everyday residents of our Commonwealth are being priced out of essential and life-saving medications,” said Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. “This bill begins to meet the urgency of this challenge by eliminating cost-sharing for generic drugs and capping out-of-pocket costs for brand name drugs used to treat insulin, asthma, and the most prevalent heart conditions. In addition, this legislation will provide much needed relief for certain high-cost drugs, improve patient access to medications and pharmacies of their choice, and enhance transparency and oversight within the pharmaceutical industry. I thank President Spilka, Chair Rodrigues, my Senate colleagues and the many stakeholders who helped to craft and improve this pressing legislation. Massachusetts deserves a health care system that delivers affordable, high quality and accessible care to all our residents and this bill brings us one step closer to that goal—I hope this is the year we can get this bill signed into law.”  

“I often hear from seniors and families who are living on fixed incomes about the dramatic price increases of their medications and the difficult decisions they must make between refilling their prescriptions and putting food on the table.” shared Senator John Velis (D-Westfield) “I am proud to be a member of the Senate which has continuously prioritized driving down these costs and expanding the accessibility of everyday and essential medications for our residents.” 

By connecting the need for greater drug price transparency with policies to improve oversight for the pharmaceutical industry, the PACT Act 3.0 puts the Senate at the forefront of the state’s efforts to tackle rapidly increasing prescription drug costs. It will also reduce drug costs for patients and lower health care costs overall.  

Lowering costs for life-saving medications 

Far too often, patients cannot access the medications they need due to high prescription drug prices. This legislation takes a step towards addressing this by offering immediate price relief and limiting out-of-pocket spending for prescription drugs used to treat diabetes, asthma, and chronic heart conditions, all of which disproportionately affect black and brown residents of Massachusetts.  

For each of the chronic conditions identified, the bill requires insurers to eliminate deductibles and cost-sharing requirements for one generic drug and to cap co-payments on one brand-name drug at $25 per 30-day supply. Capping the costs of these medications will help improve access and reduce the financial burden of prescriptions, which far too often causes the dangerous practice of rationing life-saving drugs. 

To make sure patients pay the lowest possible cost at the pharmacy counter, the PACT Act 3.0 also ensures that a patient purchasing a prescription drug is not charged a cost-sharing amount, such as a co-pay, if it would be cheaper for them to purchase the drug without using their insurance. 

Ensuring patients can use their preferred pharmacy 

The bill takes significant steps toward ensuring that patients can get their prescription drugs from the pharmacy that they choose. This bill will allow independent pharmacists the opportunity to become licensed to dispense specialty medications, and allow any network pharmacy to contract with carriers to provide mail-order prescriptions, changing the current practice of carriers determining what pharmacies are available to patients for mail-order prescriptions. 

Holding drug companies accountable  

The PACT Act 3.0 contains enhanced accountability tools to address rising costs of medications and other barriers to care. Currently, Massachusetts cannot effectively identify the drugs that have burdensome costs. These cost barriers also contribute to unaddressed health issues and often worsen conditions. To combat this, the bill directs the Health Policy Commission (HPC), in consultation with stakeholders, to establish a process for identifying high drug prices that create access barriers to essential medicines that address the priority health care needs of residents of the Commonwealth. In addition, it allows the HPC to recommend pricing measures to increase patient access to necessary medications.  

Pharmaceutical manufacturers that fail to comply with this process will be required to pay a fee that will go into a trust fund for a new drug cost assistance program to support patients with certain chronic health conditions that disproportionately impact communities of color and low-income communities. 

To help control costs further, the PACT Act 3.0 requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to notify the state in advance of new drugs coming to market, and of significant price increases for existing drugs. With advanced notification, the state’s MassHealth program can better prepare for potential cost increases by exploring ways to mitigate the cost or negotiating improved prices.  

In addition, advance notification will enable the HPC to focus on these cost drivers at their Cost Trends Hearings, which are held each year to examine the drivers of health care costs; identify challenges and opportunities for improving care and reducing costs in Massachusetts; increase transparency and accountability for health care providers and insurers; and help the state to meet its annual health care cost growth benchmark. 

This bill also empowers the Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA), an independent state agency that provides objective analysis of the quality, affordability, utilization, and access to the Massachusetts health care system, to collect a range of drug cost information from pharmaceutical manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers to include in its annual health care cost report, which does not currently include comprehensive data on drug costs. Collecting this data will allow policymakers and consumers to better understand the role of pharmaceutical manufacturers in driving health care costs moving forward. 

Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) Oversight  

To address another potential cost driver, the bill brings oversight to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), which play a major role in determining how prescription drugs are tiered and priced on insurance plans. PBMs serve as middlemen between prescription drug buyers and sellers and currently operate with little oversight, making it unclear if they act in the best interest of consumers or health plans when they negotiate the price of drugs with pharmaceutical manufacturers. The PACT Act 3.0 authorizes the Division of Insurance (DOI) to provide much-needed oversight by licensing and regulating PBMs—and establishing sanctions for PBMs that fail to meet certain standards.  

Additionally, pharmaceutical manufacturers and PBMs will be included in the HPC’s annual Cost Trends Hearings for the first time. By participating in the hearings process, pharmaceutical manufacturers and PBMs will be required to provide public testimony on the factors that influence drug costs and provide documentation to back up their claims. HPC will use this information to analyze how pharmaceutical industry costs impact the state’s health care market—and the ultimate cost of health care for Massachusetts residents. 

The bill has also gained support from leading advocates for healthcare access.  

In a statement, the Health Equity Compact praised the legislation, saying, “The Health Equity Compact commends the Senate for including provisions to address the increasing cost burden of certain medications for chronic conditions in An Act Relative to Pharmaceutical Access, Costs and Transparency. Providing affordable medications for diabetes, asthma, and heart conditions is an important step toward addressing health inequities, and these provisions are also included in the health equity omnibus bill which would pave the way for the next chapter of health reform. We thank the Senate President and Senator Friedman for their work to address health disparities in the Commonwealth and look forward to continued partnership with our legislative colleagues.” 

“The cost of prescription drugs has risen rapidly, putting critical medications out of reach for many,” said Amy Rosenthal, Executive Director of Health Care For All. “This legislation will ensure thousands of residents are able to better afford the necessary medications to manage their diabetes, asthma and heart conditions, and bring transparency and accountability to the drug industry through the state’s cost trends process.” 

During the debate, the Senate adopted an amendment from Senator Pavel Payano (D-Lawrence) to ensure that safety net hospitals and federally qualified community health centers can purchase discounted drugs from drug manufacturers through the federal 340B program. This program helps to keep costs low for patients who are served by hospitals in vulnerable communities. 

Furthermore, the Senate adopted an amendment from Senator Cynthia Creem (D-Newton) that directs a study whether the state should adopt a statewide policy requiring schools, police stations, and fire stations to maintain a supply of epinephrine injectors on hand, to support students and residents in need. The Senate has been a leader in putting forth policies that address unaffordable drug costs. The HEALTH Act, passed by the Senate in 2017, proposed policies to incorporate pharmaceutical costs into the state’s annual health care cost oversight process and ensure that consumers are offered the lowest available prices at the pharmacy.  

The Senate also championed the inclusion of provisions in the Fiscal Year 2020 budget to allow MassHealth to directly negotiate supplemental drug rebates to save the state millions of dollars each year. 

Today’s passage marks the third consecutive session that the Senate has passed legislation to rein in drug costs and reform the pharmaceutical system, as drug costs have continued to climb higher with each passing year. 

The PACT Act 3.0 now moves to the Massachusetts House of Representatives for consideration. 

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BOSTON (11/15/2023) – Yesterday, the Massachusetts Senate passed a supplemental budget designed to close out Fiscal Year 2023. The Senate’s supplemental budget totals $2.81 billion and contains several provisions to support the ongoing operations of programs and services that benefit the residents of the Commonwealth. The spending bill also includes $250 million to address the pressing issue of emergency housing. 

On emergency housing, the Senate’s supplement budget stipulates that a portion of the $250 million be spent on community-based, broad and individualized support services and resources so that individuals and families can address the complex issues and challenges they face, as well as reimbursements to school districts for increased enrollment costs associated with an influx of migrant students. It also authorizes a portion of the $250 million to be spent to address costs associated with sheltering eligible families, as well as creating temporary emergency shelter sites.  

“The term Commonwealth—‘common wealth’—reminds us that we have a responsibility to care for each other—and that is never more true than when we are facing difficult times,” stated Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “The Commonwealth must work with a sense of urgency to help those who seek shelter, whether they be long-time residents or immigrant families fleeing violence, and I’m proud of the steps that this supplemental budget takes to provide that help. I’d like to thank Senator Rodrigues for his leadership, as well as all of my colleagues in the Senate for their work on this budget.”  

In a bipartisan amendment, sponsored by Senator John Velis, that the Senate unanimously adopted on the floor, the final spending bill creates a bipartisan commission consisting of members from the Healey Administration, the legislature, and experts within the field of housing and immigration to study and make recommendations by March 1^st on the financial impact and sustainability of the Commonwealth’s current emergency shelter system and the various supports that are currently offered to individuals and families. 

“Our state’s emergency shelter program was simply never meant to handle the number of individuals that it is housing today, we need to take a hard look at the financial stability of our emergency housing assistance program, and the impact it is having on our municipalities and Commonwealth as a whole. Otherwise, we will soon be faced with some very difficult decisions on other funding priorities that we value so much.” shared Senator John C. Velis (D-Westfield) “In the absence of federal action, we need to have an honest conversation about these growing costs and what our off-ramp, if any, is going to be. I am grateful for the bipartisan support to get this work started and I am especially grateful to Senate President Spilka and Chair Rodrigues for their work on this package that will make critical investments in many other important areas for our Commonwealth.” 

To ensure oversight of the spending on the emergency shelter crisis through Fiscal Year 2025, the Senate bill requires robust reporting every 14 days. In addition to $250 million, this budget provides $10 million for resettlement agencies to assist immigrants and refugees and authorizes the use of up to $2 million in available funds from the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund to support career centers in their efforts to assist immigrants and refugees secure federal work authorizations.  

“Today the Senate took a bold step forward, and passed a supplemental budget that not only closes the books on Fiscal Year 2023, but also acts swiftly to meet the challenges of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis that deserves our full attention, care, and assistance,” said State Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “In addition, we allocated $378 million to fully fund all ratified Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA), dedicated $15 million for climate change disaster relief, and deposited $100 million to fully pay down the pension liability from the 2015 Early Retirement Incentive Program. I would like to thank my Senate colleagues for their thoughtful input to this closeout budget, and especially thank Senate President Spilka, for her steadfast and compassionate leadership through these ever-changing times.” 

 Other notable items in the closeout supplemental budget include $75 million for school districts impacted by special education tuition rate increases; $15 million for disaster relief for municipalities impacted by storms and naturals disasters that occurred in 2023; funding to support collective bargaining agreements; $500,000 for the Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning Youth; and a provision designed to allow for the building of a soccer stadium in Everett. 

A version of this supplemental budget having been passed in the House; it must now be reconciled by the branches.  

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(Boston – 11/01/2023) The Fiscal Year 2024 (FY’24) Budget included two Senate led funding initiatives for the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) to increase support for previously approved school building projects. This increased funding will benefit Holyoke’s Peck Middle School and Westfield’s Franklin Ave Elementary School- saving Westfield and Holyoke taxpayers millions of dollars on these school construction projects. 

Due to the rising inflation impacting cities, towns, and school districts’ school building projects, the Massachusetts Senate fought to raise the annual cap on grants approved by the MSBA and provide additional supplemental funding to previously approved school building projects. Included in the FY’24 Budget is an increase to the statutory limit on the grants approved by the MSBA from $890 million to $1.2 billion, in addition to $100 million allocated to supplemental grants for previously approved school building projects.  

“Our children deserve to be educated in school buildings and classrooms that are equipped with the resources that meet the needs of modern-day education. Both the current Peck School and Franklin Ave School were two aging school buildings that were in desperate need of replacement,” shared Senator John C. Velis “We have heard loud and clear that, despite the generous contributions of the MSBA, municipalities still face substantial tax burdens to fully fund these projects. As Senator, one of the most important tasks I have is securing funding for the district; whether that be directly in the form of local earmarks or supporting statewide initiatives that will bring more funding home and save local taxpayers money. ” 

The MSBA maintains a competitive construction grant program to help sustain and create school buildings across the Commonwealth. Last week, the MSBA Board of Directors voted favorably to revise the MSBA Project Funding Limits and adjust the Maximum Total Facilities Grants policy due to the additional resources and flexibility provided in the FY’24 budget. The exact amount in additional contributions from the MSBA to the Holyoke and Westfield school construction projects have not yet been finalized but are estimated to save each community well over $1,000,000.  

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(BOSTON–10/26/23) Today, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed An Act enabling pharmacists to prescribe, dispense and administer PrEP, a bipartisan bill that would allow Massachusetts pharmacists to prescribe PrEP—pre-exposure prophylaxis—a life-saving medication that is nearly 100 per cent effective in stopping the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

“PrEP is a true example of how preventative healthcare saves lives,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “By allowing pharmacists to prescribe PrEP in Massachusetts, we are expanding equitable access to healthcare by breaking down another barrier that our residents—and especially our LGBTQ+ community—face when they act to protect themselves from HIV.”

Today in Massachusetts, individuals who take PrEP must make an appointment and go through their doctor, a barrier that can stand in the way for people who need the medication on short notice, cannot make an appointment, or cannot access medical care.

If signed into law, the Senate bill—S.2480, An Act enabling pharmacists to prescribe, dispense and administer PrEP—would expand access to PrEP, help reduce the spread of HIV in the state, and ultimately save lives.

“I’m thrilled we have moved this important healthcare initiative forward for consideration. The Senate has long made quality and accessible healthcare a top priority, and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) will greatly reduce the risk of HIV transmission for all,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.

“PrEP is a game changer in HIV prevention. Yet, while this life-saving medication reduces the risk of transmission by 99 per cent, it remains inaccessible for too many,” said Senator Julian A. Cyr (D-Truro), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Public Health and lead sponsor of the bill. “Allowing pharmacists to prescribe and dispense PrEP on a short-term basis, similar to what’s already allowed for contraceptives, would significantly increase the accessibility of this essential HIV prevention tool. With greater access to PrEP we can narrow the gap in PrEP utilization among LGBTQ+ people of color. I am someone who uses PrEP and most of my gay, bisexual and queer friends rely on it too. With this legislation, we are once again putting people at the center of our public health policy. I’m thrilled it has passed the Senate.”

This legislation builds off provisions in the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget that ensured that preventive care services, including PrEP, are covered by insurers without patient cost-sharing. In the same budget, the Legislature gave pharmacists the power to prescribe hormonal contraceptives.

Of the nearly 25,000 people at high risk for HIV transmission in Massachusetts, only 36.5 per cent—about 9,000 people—were prescribed PrEP, according to a 2020 survey from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). In the same year, there were 23,368 individuals in Massachusetts living with an HIV infection, an increase of 16 per cent since 2011. A total of 314 people in the state died from an HIV infection in 2020.

The issue disproportionately impacts members of the LGBTQ+ community who were assigned male at birth, who made up 54 per cent of new HIV infection diagnoses from 2018 through 2020. Individuals who use injection drugs are also disproportionately impacted, accounting for 32 per cent of deaths related to HIV infections in 2020.

Under the bill, pharmacists could only prescribe PrEP to patients who have tested negative for HIV within the past seven days, do not have HIV symptoms, and are not taking medications that are not safe to use with PrEP. Pharmacists would be capped at prescribing a 60-month supply of the medication to an individual patient once every two years.

If passed into law, Massachusetts would join 13 states around the country that already allow pharmacists to prescribe PrEP, including Arkansas, California, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, and Virginia.

The legislation has broad support from public health leaders and experts around the Commonwealth.

“We are grateful to the Senate and to the leadership of Senator Cyr and Senate President Spilka for demonstrating such a strong commitment to removing barriers to PrEP. PrEP is a game-changing tool for ending the HIV epidemic, but it remains extremely underutilized, and the racial disparities in access are shocking,” said Ben Klein, Senior Director of Litigation and HIV Law at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD). “In Massachusetts only roughly one third of all those for whom PrEP is indicated are currently using it, and nationally only 13 per cent of eligible Black individuals currently have access. Passage of S.2480 by the Senate today gets us one major step closer to ensuring PrEP is available for all who need it.”

“When someone is ready to begin PrEP, it is crucial that they are able to as soon as possible. At Fenway Health, we regularly work to overcome barriers that patients face due to trauma, stigma, and discrimination,” said Carrie Richgels, Manager of Policy and Advocacy at Fenway Health. “We know from experience that to overcome these obstacles we must meet people where they are and build trust. Trust is essential to getting people on PrEP, and a local pharmacy can provide a lower threshold of access and can be a trusted access point for those who may face discrimination in traditional healthcare settings. Traditional access points have gotten us this far, now we need to think outside of the box and provide as many opportunities as possible for people to get the healthcare they need.”

“For the first time since PrEP became available eleven years ago, over a third of the people CDC believes could benefit from being on PrEP are being prescribed it. However, there are stark and widening racial,

ethnic, and gender disparities in PrEP use in Massachusetts and nationwide,” said Kevin Herwig, Health Policy Manager at HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute. “Allowing pharmacists to prescribe PrEP, as well as to link people with PrEP clinical services and HIV testing, will help remove barriers to getting HIV preventive medication for people and communities who have not yet been able to benefit from the promise of PrEP. We thank the Senate, Senate President Spilka, Senator Cyr, and others for supporting this important legislation.”

This is the second consecutive legislative session in which the Senate has passed this legislation. Having been passed by the Senate, the bill will now be sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.

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(BOSTON – 10/26/2023) Today, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed bipartisan legislation to broadly expand access to menstrual products in a wide range of public facilities across the state.

The bill—S.2481, An Act to increase access to disposable menstrual products—would require safe and disposable menstrual products to be provided in the Commonwealth’s primary and secondary schools, correctional institutions, and shelters and temporary housing facilities at no cost to recipients. It would also require products to be distributed in a non-stigmatizing and convenient way.

“We live in a world where roughly 50 per cent of people menstruate, yet today in Massachusetts, we offer them nowhere near the support that we should,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “If we truly believe in equality for women and menstruating people in our Commonwealth, then making period products accessible to our students and those in vulnerable situations is the right thing to do, and something we must do.”

Residents who require menstrual products like pads and tampons currently need to buy them, an expense that is particularly burdensome for with low incomes or in vulnerable situations. Accessing menstrual products is also difficult for young people and people without access to reliable transportation.

“I’m heartened to see this bill establish no cost disposable menstrual products for women in schools, temporary housing facilities, and correctional institutions. It’s long overdue and another proactive step forward for the Senate,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.

“I learned about this issue from young people in Medford High School, Somerville High School and Cambridge Rindge and Latin who took leadership at the local level to make menstrual hygiene products available in their own communities,” said Senator Patricia D. Jehlen (D-Somerville). “This is a true grassroots movement starting with girls talking about their experiences of missing valuable class time or feeling embarrassed to access products during the school day. These conversations have already started to change the culture and have motivated us to expand this across the state. I am so thankful for the advocacy of students, MassNOW and the support of Chairs Cyr and Decker as well as Senate President Spilka.”

“Period products are not luxuries, but necessities required for people’s basic needs, health, and hygiene. Today’s passage of the I AM bill affirms that women and all menstruating people deserve access to menstrual products,” said Senator Julian A. Cyr (D-Truro), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Public Health. “An inaccessibility of period products speaks to the longstanding and persistent misogyny in our society, a bias that intersects with inequalities in housing, education, socioeconomics, and beyond. By ensuring better access to these products, we support further access to essential health needs regardless of our situation in life.”

According to the Massachusetts Menstrual Equity Coalition, approximately one in seven children in Massachusetts is living in poverty and struggles to pay for menstrual products. Research shows that inability to access menstrual products affects students’ class attendance.

Those facing homelessness and individuals who are incarcerated also face high barriers to access, with Massachusetts shelters reporting that menstrual products are among the least donated items. Restricted access in shelters and correctional facilities means that products can be used as bargaining chips and tools of control for people in vulnerable circumstances.

If signed into law, the bill would align Massachusetts with 24 other states that already provide free menstrual products in correctional facilities, 12 other states that provide free menstrual products in schools, and 3 other states that provide free menstrual products in shelters.

The legislation has the support of a broad coalition of advocates from around the Commonwealth.

“By providing access to free, quality menstrual products to public school students, incarcerated people who menstruate and homeless people who menstruate, we are taking on issues of public health, economic inequality, educational equity, and gender equity all at once. It’s one of the best examples of intersectional lawmaking and feminist policy,” said Sasha Goodfriend, Executive Director of Mass NOW.

“To ‘Love Your Menses’ means to be in tune with your menstrual cycle, to advocate for equitable resources and safe spaces to menstruate, to end period poverty, to support other people who menstruate, and most importantly, to flow through life unapologetically,” said Dr. Ebere Azumah, Co-Founder and President of Love Your Menses. “We believe the passing of Bill S.2481 will allow those who do not have access to menstrual products to flow through public spaces unapologetically. Thank you to state of Massachusetts for leading the way once again.”

This is the second consecutive legislative session in which the Senate has passed this legislation. Having been passed by the Senate, the bill will now be sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.

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(Springfield – 10/20/2023) This week, the Massachusetts Police Association presented Senator John Velis with their 2023 “Legislator of the Year” Award as part of their annual awards ceremony in Springfield. Senator John Velis (D – Westfield), who represents nine communities throughout Hampden County and Hampshire County, noted how humbled he was by the award. 

“Over the years I have had the opportunity to join both local and State Police on duty to better understand the difficult and complex work that they do each day to keep our communities safe. Each and every day, the men and women in our law enforcement selflessly and courageously serve our communities and keep the rest of us safe,” said Senator Velis. “In turn, it is my honor to advocate on Beacon Hill for them however I can. This is a duty that I will never take lightly and I am truly humbled by this award from the Association.”  

In addition to filing and supporting legislation for police officers across the Commonwealth, Senator Velis has also been successful in securing funding for police departments and public safety initiatives specifically in his district. This includes securing ~$160,000 for the Westfield Police Department, $50,000 for the Agawam Police Department, and $50,000 for the Russell-Montgomery Police Department in just the past several years.  

The Massachusetts Police Association union represents state and municipal law enforcement officers throughout the Commonwealth. From Greater Boston to Western Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Police Association advocates to ensure that police officers are equipped with the training and tools to best serve the communities they protect. During the ceremony officers were also honored for their hard work and contribution to the police profession. These awards included the Medal of Valor award and Paul Doherty award of exceptional service.  

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