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Senate Passes Bill Allowing Nonbinary Gender Option on Birth Certificates, Drivers’ Licenses

(BOSTON—7/27/23) The Massachusetts Senate on Thursday voted unanimously to pass An Act relative to gender identity on Massachusetts identification, a bill that would allow, for the first time in Massachusetts history, an individual to be identified with a non-binary “X” sex designation on their birth certificate, and enshrine into law the current practice of allowing an individual to select a non-binary “X” gender designation on their driver’s license. This is the fourth consecutive session during which the Senate has adopted similar legislation.

“Giving people the opportunity to be who they are is a human right, and one that we are proud to extend to every member of the Commonwealth, regardless of how they identify,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “Allowing a nonbinary option for state licenses and birth certificates is fundamental to building a society that welcomes, protects, and respects all individuals. I first introduced similar legislation as a senator back in 2017, and I’m grateful to Senator Comerford for her steadfast leadership on the issue this session, and to Senator Creighton for his support and advocacy for moving this bill along. I am as hopeful as ever that Massachusetts will be able to enshrine this change into our state laws this session, and continue welcoming everyone into our Commonwealth with open arms.

“People know what gender they are. This bill affirms the ability of people to choose a non-binary gender option on state documents and forms, which would align the Commonwealth with many other states that have adopted this designation,” said Senator Jo M. Comerford (D-Northampton), the Senate sponsor of the bill. “I am grateful to Senate President Spilka for advancing the work on this bill before I took office, and to Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues for his support of this legislation. Together, with our partners in the House, we will continue to move our Commonwealth to embrace this basic human right.”

“Everyone deserves the right to their own self-identity, and identification documents should reflect that,” Senator Brendan P. Crighton (D-Lynn), Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation. “Thank you to President Spilka and Senator Comerford for their continued leadership on this important policy change, as well as the many individuals who bravely shared their lived experiences to help move this bill forward.”

Under current law, it is impossible to have a sex designation of “X” listed on a birth certificate in Massachusetts, and in order to change one’s sex designation, an applicant must provide a notarized statement from a physician stating that the individual has completed medical intervention.

The legislation passed today would allow an individual to be identified with an “X” sex designation on their birth certificate. In addition, the legislation allows any person over the age of 18, emancipated minor, or parent of a minor, to request a change in the sex designation on a birth certificate without being required to present any medical documentation, court order, or proof of name change. Individuals would only need to present a signed affidavit “attesting that the request is to conform to the person’s gender identity and is not made for any fraudulent purpose.” The legislation also makes it easier for individuals who change the sex designation on their birth certificate to also change the name on their birth certificate.

The legislation would put Massachusetts alongside 26 states around the country which currently allow residents to change the sex designation on their birth certificate without the need for a court order or medical documentation. 16 states currently allow residents to have a sex designation of “X” on their birth certificate.

On drivers’ licenses, individuals are currently allowed to select “X” as their gender designation; however, the practice is not codified into law. This bill would enshrine this option into state law, to ensure residents will always have this option. Massachusetts is currently one of 22 states that allow residents to have a gender designation of “X” on state drivers’ licenses.

The legislation also directs the administration to develop a plan to add a non-binary option on all forms or documents issued by state agencies that require a gender to be listed.

While considering the bill, the Senate unanimously adopted an amendment from Senator Barry Finegold (D-Andover). that empowers individuals to amend the gender designation on their marriage certificate to conform with their gender identity.

The bill now heads to the Massachusetts House of Representatives for consideration.

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Senate Passes Legislation to Provide Free ID Cards to People Experiencing Homelessness

(BOSTON—7/27/23) The Massachusetts Senate on Thursday unanimously passed An Act to provide identification to youth and adults experiencing homelessness, to establish a process allowing an adult or youth experiencing homelessness to apply for a free Massachusetts identification card. Identification cards enable access to basic services in the Commonwealth that are often unreachable for those without identification.

“Fees and documentation are not just barriers to identification. By extension, they are barriers to getting a job, accessing healthcare, and applying for services—the most basic of necessities,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “These barriers harm the most vulnerable people in our Commonwealth, and eliminating them is a compassionate step that makes the path to stability a little bit easier. I’d like to thank Senator Robyn Kennedy for sponsoring this bill, Senator Crighton for his support, and my colleagues in the Senate for moving forward with this important piece of legislation.”

“When we listen to our homeless youth about the challenges they face, there is a common denominator and that is access to identification,” said Senator Robyn K. Kennedy (D-Worcester), the Senate sponsor of the bill. “Having proper identification is the foundation to accessing food, shelter and employment opportunities, while also breaking the cycle of poverty.”

“Individuals experiencing homelessness must overcome many obstacles during their search for and transition to more stable and permanent housing,” said Senator Brendan P. Crighton (D-Lynn), Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation. “Through our Transportation Committee public hearing process, we heard from many individuals who shared how having access to an identification card was a critical first step in unlocking economic mobility opportunities, including educational pursuits, access to health care, and applications to available social service programs. By creating a waiver program to expand access to state IDs, we can ensure our available resources are reaching those that need them most.”

People experiencing homelessness currently face prohibitive fees and documentation requirements that can be barriers to acquiring identification. This legislation removes those barriers by eliminating fees and only requiring that applicants present documentation showing that they are currently receiving services provided by the Commonwealth, a homeless service provider, or another service provider.

Having a state identification is a prerequisite for accessing many basic services, including applying for a job, enrolling in school, interacting with law enforcement, accessing government buildings, and opening bank accounts, among others. The struggles of homelessness are compounded by an inability to access these basic services, and often contribute to a cycle of poverty.

This is the fourth consecutive session during which the Senate has adopted similar legislation.

The bill now heads to the Massachusetts House of Representatives for consideration.

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Senate Passes $513 Million Supplemental Budget

Bill provides relief to fiscally stressed hospitals, reduces pension liability, assists special education obligations, and dedicates funding for farms and rural communities affected by natural disasters

(BOSTON – 07/26/2023) The Massachusetts State Senate on Thursday passed a $513 million supplemental budget for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23). The legislation funds relief for hospitals, pension liabilities, special education costs, and flexible assistance for farms throughout the Commonwealth impacted by recent severe weather events. The bill also extends simulcast and harness horse racing, and extends reporting dates for several governmental agencies. In addition, the legislation ratifies several outstanding collective bargaining agreements.

“Investing in our people is vital to keeping the Commonwealth competitive, and that is precisely what this supplemental budget does,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “This budget invests in the services that people around the Commonwealth use every day – the hospitals where people receive critical care, the special education programs in our schools, and programs that improve quality of life for individuals and families who are low-income, among other state priorities. It also gives critical relief to farmers around the state who have been devastated by this year’s extreme weather. I would like to thank the dedicated team at Senate Ways and Means, especially Chair Rodrigues, for their hard work and contributions to this supplemental budget, and my Senate colleagues for approving this supplemental budget.”

“As we fully emerge from the pandemic, the Legislature has addressed several sectors of state government with crucial funding to continue to keep the economy of the Commonwealth on a firm footing. The passage of this supplemental budget today utilizes robust tax revenues to its fullest effect, making substantial investments in health care, special education, unemployment assistance, and disaster relief funding. Those investments will keep Massachusetts as a leader in the key economic sectors for decades to come,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “Thanks to the strong leadership of Senate President Spilka, and the commitment of my colleagues in the Senate, we sent a clear message to the people that we will always look to protect our marginalized communities, support our education and health care workforce, and invest in local infrastructure as the Commonwealth continues to recover from the impact of the pandemic.”

Appropriates $513M of fiscal year 2023 direct appropriations, including:

  • $180M for relief to fiscally strained hospitals
  • $100M for a supplemental transfer to the Pension Liability Fund
  • $75M to support school districts with extraordinary special education costs
  • $60.3M for staffing needs at the Department of Transitional Assistance
  • $40M for a reserve to support costs related to Tatum vs. Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  • $26.2M for collective bargaining agreement costs
  • $20M for natural disaster relief for farms and affected areas
  • $10.7M for public health hospitals
  • $506k for interstate flood compact costs
  • $200k for EEC contingency contract costs

Policy impacts:

  • Clarifies an internal citation for large building energy reporting.
  • Extends simulcast wagering and live horse racing in the Commonwealth until July 31, 2024.
  • Extends the reserve to meet the costs of oversight functions in the Office of the State Auditor, the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the Inspector General and the Office of the Comptroller related to the expenditure of federal 2019 pandemic-related funding to July 30, 2027.
  • Increases the maximum allowable amount for the Department of Early Education and Care contingency contracts from $320,000 to $520,000.
  • Extends for 12 months the reporting date for the intergovernmental coordinating council’s initial analysis of electric vehicle charging infrastructure deployment.
  • Extends the reporting date for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation analysis of the operation of electric charging stations to October 1, 2024.
  • Ratifies several collective bargaining agreements.
  • Authorizes the Department of Public Utilities to allow electric distribution companies to recover expenditures and payments associated with the construction delay of certain clean energy generation power purchase agreements.
  • Authorizes the Commissioner of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance to convey certain parcels of land to the city of Framingham.
  • Allows a city or town to amortize, over fiscal years 2025 to 2027, the amount of its 2024 major disaster related deficit.

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July 22nd, 2023 – Weekly Update

Hello everyone,

I hope you are all doing well, especially after another week of wild New England weather!

Monday started off this week with a Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs hearing. During this meeting, several bills were heard that will help further extend benefits to veterans and more members of the armed forces. Later, my staff attended a meeting alongside Rep. Duffy with several organizations in Holyoke working to expand access to affordable food here in the Pioneer Valley, and discuss the challenges posed by recent flooding to our community’s food banks, and local farmers.

On Tuesday I had the opportunity to visit Kamp for Kids in Russell with my son Carson. It was great to welcome the campers and get to see their amazing site! Office hours were hosted in Holyoke on Wednesday before members of my team and I headed down to the Westfield Council on Aging for their Summer Sizzle and Float Party. Thank you to all the wonderful staff and community members who made this event possible! It was great to be able to talk with and enjoy the festivities with so many of my community members.

Thursday, I joined Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll at Mountain View Farm in Easthampton as the Governor announced a partnership with United Way Central Massachusetts to create a Massachusetts Farm Resiliency Fund. This fund will not only help respond to the recent floods that have impacted farmers across the Commonwealth, but to respond to climate related events that will affect our farms in the long run. Afterwards, I attended a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the beginning of construction of Cooley Dickinson’s new Emergency Department. The groundbreaking marks a decade-long partnership between Mass General Hospital and Cooley Dickinson, building a statewide network of world class medical facilities.

We will wrap the week up the week on Friday with constituent meetings throughout the district, and a meeting with behavioral health staff from local hospitals. I hope everyone has an excellent weekend!

Next week’s office hours will be held at the Russell Council on Aging on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m., and the Southampton Council on Aging at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday. I can always be reached by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 527-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com

Sincerely,

John Velis

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Healey-Driscoll Administration, United Way Announce Farm Resiliency Fund to Support Flood Relief Efforts 

(EASTHAMPTON – 7/20/2023) The Healey-Driscoll Administration and the United Way of Central Massachusetts (UWCM) today announced the Massachusetts Farm Resiliency Fund. The fund is a partnership between philanthropic organizations and private foundations intended to support Western and Central Mass farms impacted by recent flooding and strengthen farm resiliency in the long term. Officials made the announcement in Easthampton at Mountain View Farm, which had much of its crop destroy by flooding. 

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources estimates at least 75 farms have been hurt by flooding, with about 2,000 acres in crop losses at a minimum value of $15 million. That number will likely climb as more damage is assessed and the longer-term impacts set in. 

“As the Lieutenant Governor and I have visited farms across the state, we’ve been deeply moved by the devastating impacts we’ve seen and heartbreaking stories we’ve heard. We’re grateful to our philanthropic and private partners for quickly answering the call to action and creating this fund to deliver relief directly to farmers,” said Governor Healey. “This is about Team Massachusetts – where we come together to support farmers and their livelihoods, build resilience for our farms and food supply, strengthen our economy, and create a stronger future for our children and families.” 

“Governor Healey and I have heard firsthand from dozens of farmers who are grappling with the aftermath of extreme flooding and trying to figure out how they’re going to make ends meet and keep their farms,” said Lieutenant Governor Driscoll. “We’ve been inspired by their resilience and the pride they take in their businesses, which play an essential role in our state’s food supply and economy. The Mass Farm Resiliency Fund will be a lifeline for so many dedicated farmers and their families.” 

“Farms throughout Western Massachusetts have been devastated by the recent flooding in our region and the full scale of damage is unfortunately expected to grow even more. The flooding has decimated folk’s businesses, jeopardized their livelihoods, and has had a tremendous impact on our Commonwealth’s agricultural sector and our food supply as a whole,” said Senator John Velis (D-Westfield). “I am grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration, UWCM, and all the philanthropic and private foundations, for their fast work in creating the Farm Resiliency Fund and for their commitment to helping our farmers get back on their feet. Today’s announcement is a critical lifeline to our farms and to our entire region.” 

To ensure farmers can begin recovery as quickly as possible, all funds will be distributed rapidly by the United Way through a deliberate selection process. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell and private foundations, including the Eastern States Exposition, Community Foundation of Western MA and Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA), have already announced their support. More information about the fund can be found here and at unitedwaycm.org/farmfund. 

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July 15th, 2023 – Weekly Update

Hello Everyone, 

I hope you are all doing well after the storms at the beginning of the week. Western Mass, especially towns in Berkshire County, experienced some serious flooding this week and I want to thank all the first responders and public works employees who were on the scene. 

This week started off strong with a hearing for the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery. We heard testimony from advocates and lawmakers on a number of bills focused on growing and training our behavioral health workforce. With committee hearings underway, I’m excited to work with my colleagues to advance policies that expand critical care and meet the behavioral health needs of individuals across the state.  

On Tuesday, my team hosted office hours in Chicopee. Later, I attended a meeting with Neighbor 2 Neighbor’s Holyoke chapter. N2N is a volunteer driven non-profit organization that works to fight for important causes in our community by bringing people together to create change. 

Office hours were hosted in West Springfield by my team on Wednesday. Thank you to everyone who stopped by this week to share their concerns or ask questions. That night I was happy to attend a Greek Night event hosted by Shortstop Bar and Grill in Westfield, an especially fun way for me to get out into the community! 

I was also able to attend multiple ribbon-cutting ceremonies this week – Pioneer Valley On The Move on Wednesday and Five Star Food Mart on Thursday. It was great to be able to welcome these new businesses into our community and I have no doubt they will be valued additions to our district. 

On Friday, I had a meeting to discuss Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program (MCPAP) in schools. MCPAP works to improve treatment for children with behavioral health needs and their families by making child psychiatry services readily available to primary care providers across the state. Later in the day, I attended a presentation by Westfield State University’s Mental Health Hub alongside Department of Mental Health Commission Brooke Doyle to discuss their community-based approach to improving behavioral health in the Western Massachusetts. These meetings are part of our on-going effort to ensure that the Commonwealth is thoughtfully adapting to address the behavioral and mental health challenges we are seeing.  

Next week’s office hours will be held at the Easthampton Council on Aging on Tuesday at 10:30 AM, and at the Holyoke Council on Aging on Wednesday at 10 AM. If you are unable to attend office hours, I can always be reached by phone at (413) 572-3920, by email at john.velis@masenate.gov, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.  

Sincerely, 

John Velis 

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Department of Mental Health Commissioner Doyle, Senator Velis Visit Westfield State University for Behavioral Health Discussions 

(BOSTON – 7/14/2023) Today Massachusetts Department of Mental Health Commissioner Brooke Doyle, Senator John Velis (D-Westfield), and Representative Pease (R-Westfield) visited Westfield State University for a discussion of the University’s Mental Health Hub: a community-based approach to improving behavioral health outcomes in Western Massachusetts. The discussions focused on the challenges of delivering behavioral healthcare in the region and how education programs at WSU have adapted to meet those needs.  

“One of the real challenges we are facing in the realm of behavioral healthcare is with our workforce, and that is especially true here in Western Massachusetts. We know that we need to do better at getting people into this field and training them for the comprehensive mental health issues that people throughout our communities are facing,” said Senator Velis, who chairs the Legislature’s Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use & Recovery. “A lot of that work starts with our college institutions and with our students. Westfield State has really embraced this challenge head-on and I am grateful to Commissioner Doyle for coming out to see these programs in action. I look forward to collaborating alongside WSU and schools throughout our Commonwealth as we continue to invest in these important types of initiatives.” 

Throughout the day, Commissioner Doyle and Senator Velis met with WSU President Linda Thompson, Dr. Robert Hayes (Chair of the Psychology Department), Dr. Jennifer Hixon (Chair of Health Sciences Department and Director of Physician Assistant Program), Dr. Jessica Holden (Executive Director of Nursing Education), Dr. Nicholas Morrison (Co-Director of MA Counseling Program and faculty in the Department of Psychology), and Dr. Rosemary Sullivan (Chair of Social Work Department). 

Senator Velis noted that he intends to visit colleges with behavioral healthcare education programs across the state, with the goal of supporting these initiatives in the Legislature. 

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July 8th, 2023 – Weekly Update

Hi Everyone,

I hope everyone had an excellent Fourth of July! It was a great week to beat the heat and enjoy the many festivities taking place around Western Mass.

Monday, our Agawam office hours were rescheduled, and we are working on coordinating a date in the near future that myself or a member of my team will be able to host office hours at the Agawam Council on Aging. Stay tuned!

Tuesday I was able to attend both the Hampton Ponds and the Wyben Fourth of July parades. Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate and march with us! If you have not attended Wyben or the Hampton Ponds parades, I encourage you to attend next year. It is an amazing way to spend the Fourth, and great to see the amazing musicians, classic cars, and of course all the people that line the route to celebrate.

On Thursday I was able to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Citgo on Main Street in Agawam, along with Agawam Mayor William Sapelli and members of Agawam City Council. It was great to welcome a new business to the community. I have no doubt they will be successful, and a valuable addition to the business community in the district. That evening I attended an event with Veteran Dragon Boat USA at Holyoke Rows, where I was able to learn about the great work this organization is doing to bring veterans together.

This weekend, I am honored to be addressing the first annual Young Men’s Career Social Night as a guest speaker. I’m humbled to be able to share my experience with these young professionals and support their future success.

Our office hours next week will be held at the Chicopee Council on Aging on Tuesday at 10 a.m., and at the West Springfield Council on Aging on Wednesday at 11 a.m. As always, if you can’t make office hours or there is anything I can do to assist you, please never hesitate to reach out to my office. I can be reached at my email, john.velis@masenate.gov, or by phone, 413-572-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.

Sincerely,
John Velis

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July 1st, 2023 – Weekly Update

Hello everyone, 

My office and I came into this week with great energy fresh off a great weekend of basketball at Hooplandia! Thank you to the Big E and all the participants for organizing and hosting this phenomenal event to raise money for local Boys and Girls Clubs. 

I began the week visiting the Children’s Advocacy Center of Franklin County and North Quabbin along with my colleagues Sen. Comerford and Sen. Kennedy. Organizations like CACFAQ are on the frontlines of the behavioral and mental health crises as they work to address the needs of children who have experienced abuse and trauma. Addressing these physical and mental traumas that young people are experiencing is going to be crucial in ensuring our kids have the best opportunity to grow into confident and successful individuals. 

Massachusetts got some good news Monday as we learned that we would be on the receiving end of $147 million in federal funding for expanding high-speed internet access. In the aftermath of COVID we’ve seen how convenient it can be to access meetings like doctor’s appointments remotely. This accessibility is still unavailable to many in rural communities and this funding will help us address that.  

Tuesday I had the opportunity to speak with several business leaders in Holyoke about the importance of mental health in the workplace and the benefits we’ve seen when employers prioritize employee mental health. Later I sat down with Peter Babineau of Learn to Cope on this month’s episode of Beacon Hill to the 413. Peter is a leader in the substance use and recovery space, and it’s always fascinating to catch up and hear new voices in the recovery world while we work to tackle the opioid crisis. 

The Westfield Women’s Club hosted their annual tea party on Wednesday and honored their volunteers of the year. This is a fantastic event every year! It’s great to see everyone come out in their tea party attire and celebrate the great work the Women’s Club does. We also hosted office hours in Southampton. This marks the last time we will be with Director Joan Lennihan at the Southampton Senior Center. Joan has been a staple in the Councils on Aging in Southwick, Agawam, and now Southampton throughout her long career. My office attended a retirement party for her Thursday evening to honor the valuable work Joan has done. 

We began Friday with the TreeHouse Foundation’s legislative breakfast where we recognized their leadership in the foster care community and congratulated the Foundation on being the recipients of this year’s Massachusetts Non-profit Network’s Excellence in Advocacy Award. Later on Friday, I met with Clean Crop in Holyoke to learn about the innovations they made in sustainable urban farming. I can’t wait to see the success they have! 

Next week’s office hours in Agawam are being rescheduled. Please keep an eye out on our office facebook page for the reschedule date! As always we can be reached at John.Velis@masenate.gov, or by phone at (413)572-3920. 

Sincerely, 

John Velis

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June 24th, 2023 – Weekly Update

Hello Everyone, 

I hope everyone had an excellent Fathers’ Day and long weekend! 

My office hit the ground running on Tuesday in the Statehouse and the District, hosting office hours at the Easthampton Senior Center. Office hours are always a great opportunity to connect with my team and I encourage you to stop by. Next week we will be hosting office hours at the Westfield Council on Aging at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, at the Russell Council on Aging at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, and at the Southampton Council on Aging at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday. 

Wednesday I was able to attend the Grand Opening of Northstar Recovery’s new facility in West Springfield. It was a pleasure meeting the staff and I am excited to work alongside them as well as their many partners in the community to ensure the highest quality of care for those in recovery. That afternoon I met with the Massachusetts Associations of Physicians Assistants (MAPA) to learn more about the crucial role they play in the Behavioral Health workforce, and how the pandemic impacted the volume of Behavioral Health cases PAs are handling day-to-day. It is critical we continue to support the Behavioral Health workforce in the wake of the pandemic as their caseload is larger and more varied than ever before. 

 
As schools across the district wrapped up this week, my team and I had the opportunity to visit Mountain View School in Easthampton on Thursday to speak with students about how our government operates at the state level, and our role at the Statehouse and back home in Western Mass. This also gave us the opportunity to present a citation to honor the retirement of Mrs. Messer, who has served 25 years in Easthampton Public Schools – congratulations on a phenomenal career Mrs. Messer! That evening I attended the Grow Holyoke Awards which was put on by the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce and honored the valuable contributions made by business owners throughout the community.  


Friday, I had the opportunity to tour the proposed site of a new workforce development center at the Holyoke Health Center which would offer training to local, low-income residents in an operational medical facility. This will prepare their workforce to immediately transition to full-time work following their training. I can’t wait to see this important vision come to fruition! 

 
This weekend I am incredibly excited to compete in Hooplandia, a 3 on 3 basketball tournament which raises money for local Boys and Girls Clubs. Good luck to all the participants! 

As always we can be reached by phone at  (413)572-3920, or by email at john.velis@masenate.gov. 

 
Sincerely, 

John Velis 

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