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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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(BOSTON–10/19/2023) Today, the Massachusetts Senate passed legislation to tackle pay inequities in the state, which significantly and disproportionately impact women and people of color across the Commonwealth. The bill targets these inequities by empowering employees with salary information, including when they are seeking jobs and receiving promotions, and by giving the state new data tools to track employment trends.

“This is simple: everyone deserves equal pay for equal work, regardless of your gender, race, ethnicity, or background,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland), who sponsored previous pay equity legislation that was enacted into law in 2016. “It is far too common for women and people of color to be paid less than their coworkers nationwide, and we are not immune to this discrepancy here. By passing this bill, the Senate stands united behind every worker—and with every business—in Massachusetts in our steadfast commitment to the fundamental principle that every person has the right to be treated and compensated fairly in the workplace.”

The bill—S.2468, also known as the Frances Perkins Workplace Equity Act—empowers job applicants by requiring employers with 25 or more employees to include salary range information in job postings. It also requires employers to provide salary ranges to employees offered a promotion or a transfer, as well as to employees currently working in a position, should they ask.

“The 2016 Equal Pay Act banned employers asking applicants for salary history. This benefitted job changers who were women and people of color, because their past low pay didn’t follow them their whole lives,” said Senator Patricia D. Jehlen (D-Somerville). “But it didn’t help applicants learn how much a job could pay or how to assess their work’s value. This bill allows applicants to know the pay range, which helps them have reasonable expectations. And it helps employers avoid interviewing people who will turn down a job due to salary. It also creates tracking of critical data on pay disparities across demographic groups. Data collection is vital as we cannot fix what we don’t measure. So many people have helped improve and move this legislation.”

If signed into law by the Governor, the legislation would boost Massachusetts’ ability to track pay discrepancies. It requires employers with 100 or more employees to file annual employment data reports, including information on employee demographics and salaries, with the state. In addition, the bill directs the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development to track compensation data and file an annual report on data showing the Commonwealth’s progress toward equal pay for equal work.

The bill marks another step forward for pay equity in a state with a long history on the topic. Massachusetts was the first state in the nation to pass pay equity legislation in 1945, and most recently passed legislation in 2016, when the legislature passed An Act to Establish Pay Equity, which barred employers from asking prospective employees about their salary history and guaranteed the right of workers to discuss salary with other employees. The Governor signed the bill later that year.

“In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, we take pride in our world-class academic institutions, competitive talent pool, and vast opportunities for economic success,” said Senator Paul Feeney (D-Foxborough). “Yet when we take a closer look at the earnings of Commonwealth residents, it is clear we continue to fall short of closing long-standing racial and gender wage gaps that dramatically suppress the earnings of women and people of color. By requiring disclosure of salary ranges for an open job posting, publishing aggregate demographic data to track wage inequities by race and gender across industries, and protecting an employee’s right to ask for salary range information in the workplace, we have the opportunity to recruit and retain skilled workers while closing the wage gap and ultimately boosting our Commonwealth’s competitive edge. Thanks to the collaboration of labor, community, and business leaders, we can take giant leaps in living up to the Massachusetts standard of equity for all workers.”

“After years of reporting anonymously, data proves that even employers who are working to eliminate disparities have not made progress,” said Senator Liz Miranda (D-Roxbury), who previously sponsored the bill in the House. “If we are to achieve racial and gender wage equity in the workplace, it is past time for this wage data to be aggregated and reported to the public and ensure that there are penalties for big businesses who fail to report. As the daughter of an immigrant who worked tirelessly as a cook in the hospitality industry, I have seen firsthand the racial and gendered wage disparities in our state, and immigrants are too afraid to speak up about these disparities. This legislation is critical in giving all workers a voice, ensuring that wage disparities are not continuing in silence.”

According to a report from the National Women’s Law Center, women in Massachusetts who are employed full-time earn 85.7 cents for every dollar that men make. Women of color face even steeper inequities: Black women make 58.1 cents per dollar; Hispanic women make 53 cents; Native American women make 66 cents; and Asian women make 91 cents.1

The legislation would boost awareness of the rights it guarantees employees, by directing the Attorney General to begin an outreach and awareness campaign. It would also give the Attorney General new authority to enforce the law among employers in the state.

The effort to boost salary transparency has robust support from businesses and industry advocates.

“The Wage Equity Now coalition worked hard for years to achieve passage of this bill,” stated former Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Murphy, the founder of the WAGE (Women Are Getting Even) Project Inc. “The transparency in this bill provides workers with knowledge that they are paid fairly and have opportunities to advance. That’s good for the Massachusetts economy and especially good for workers of

color and women. The most powerful incentive to building the Massachusetts workforce is to provide workers with the knowledge that they are paid fairly and have opportunities to advance. This law advances that for all workers.”

“Associated Industries of Massachusetts and its 3,400 members thank the Senate for passing a bill that will make the Commonwealth a leader in wage equity and transparency,” said Brooke Thomson, President of Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM). “AIM is proud to have worked with the Legislature on a bill encouraging employers to create fair compensation systems that will give them a leg up in the competitive market for skilled employees. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with lawmakers to ensure that this bill reaches Governor Maura Healey’s desk as soon as possible.”

“We are grateful for the leadership of Senate President Spilka and Senators Jehlen and Feeney to pass this historic legislation,” said Keith A. Mahoney, Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs at the Boston Foundation (TBF), the convener of the Wage Equity Now Coalition. “TBF’s commitment is to equity and closing opportunity gaps, and this is a bold step and long overdue step that enhances transparency and increases our ability to attract talent and improve our Commonwealth’s competitiveness.”

“The Massachusetts AFL-CIO applauds every effort to provide new tools for workers to obtain the wages and benefits they deserve,” said Chrissy Lynch, newly elected President of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. “Labor unions have been at the forefront of the fight for wage equity and few people know better than rank-and-file trade unionists how powerful the full knowledge of pay, benefits, rights, and protections can be. This bill will provide that knowledge to employees across the state. Salary and wage transparency are necessary for a just economy, and we look forward to continuing our work with legislators to pursue economic justice in Massachusetts.”

A previous version of this bill having passed the House of Representatives, the two branches will now reconcile the differences between the bills, before sending it to the Governor’s desk.

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(BOSTON – 10/16/2023) Last week the Joint Committee on the Judiciary favorably reported out a redrafted Revenge Porn and Teen Sexting Bill after a committee poll vote. Legislation from Senator Velis (D-Westfield), who is a member of the Judiciary Committee, was included in the final redrafted bill.  

“I filed this legislation after hearing from victims throughout the Commonwealth who have had their lives torn apart and who do not have an avenue to pursue justice,” said Senator Velis. “It is unacceptable that Massachusetts is one of the last two states to criminalize revenge porn, and I am grateful that the Judiciary Committee has included my bill to rectify this issue as part of this comprehensive redrafted legislation. Simply put, this legislation would update our laws to respond to the repercussions of the digital age- protecting victims from their abusers while meeting teens with avenues of education and diversion.” 

The legislation, if passed, would make it a criminal offense to knowingly distribute sexually explicit visual materials of another person without their consent. Often, explicit images are used by abusers to intimidate and injure the depicted person emotionally or financially. Those who are found guilty could face up to 2 ½ years in a House of Corrections for their first offense and a fine up to $10,000. 

 This bill would also update the definition of “abuse” to include “coercive control” so that nonphysical forms of abuse, such as emotional, financial, and technological, by a family or household member would be eligible for abuse prevention orders.  

Additionally, this legislation would address teen sexting by creating an educational diversion program specifically for minors who share sexually explicit images of themselves or their peers to provide information about the legal and non-legal consequences of sexting. Currently, minors that share these images are automatically subject to child pornography charges and may be required to register as a sex offender if found guilty.  

Other provisions of the legislation include: 

• The impoundment of visual materials in court proceedings. 
• Extends the statute of limitations from 6 years to 15 years for assault and battery on a family or household member or against someone with an active protective order against the perpetrator. 
• Instructs the Attorney General’s office, in consultation with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Division of Youth Services, and the Massachusetts District Attorney’s Association, to create curriculum for a division program on the harms of sexting that will also be made available for school districts. 

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