Friday, April 11th Legislative & Public Health Updates
- hannanur3
- Apr 22
- 9 min read
Dear friends,
I am writing to you today with legislative and public health updates.
As Tax Day approaches this Tuesday, April 15, I encourage you to utilize resources like findyourfunds.org. Created by the Healthy Families Tax Credits Coalition, it details several helpful resources, including:
Ways to file your taxes for free
Types of tax credits you may be eligible for
Information for immigrants, including those with ITINs
Locations of nearby tax clinics and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA, sites, which offer free tax and tax return preparation to those who qualify, including people with low incomes, people with disabilities, and people with limited English fluency.
Table of Contents
Legislative Updates
Public Health Updates
A Glimpse at the Past Week
Services and Resources
Legislative Updates
House Passes Fair Share Surtax Surplus Supplemental Budget
On Wednesday, I voted with my colleagues to pass a supplemental budget utilizing surplus revenue derived from the Fair Share Amendment in the current fiscal year. The $1.3 billion budget included $353.5 million for transportation-related investments and $828 million for education-related investments, including:
$190 million for Circuit Breaker reimbursements, which provide financial assistance to public school districts to offset the cost of delivering high-cost special education services to students;
$10 million for universal school meals for every public school student in the Commonwealth;
$10 million for Green SchoolWorks to decarbonize and increase efficiency in our schools through green energy projects;
$60 million for MBTA physical infrastructure; and
$20 million for MBTA low-income fare relief.
We have heard from a number of constituents, rightly so, about their concerns about the inclusion of Amendment 81, which was filed by a first-term Republican colleague who ran on a platform that included attacking the LGBTQ+ community. It is important to note that Amendment 81 was adopted as further amended by the House Chair of the Joint Committee on Education, Ken Gordon. Instead of provisions that would prohibit trans and nonbinary athletes from participating in public school sports, the further amendment requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to analyze the proposed impacts on student athletes and their families. Essentially, this was a procedural effort to kill the amendment.
Judiciary Hearing on An Act concerning furnishing transcripts of notes and fees
On Tuesday, the Joint Committee on Judiciary held the first hearing this session that included a bill that I filed. This is the second session I have filed An Act concerning furnishing transcripts of notes and fees (H.1649). This bill would increase the per-page pay rate for transcriptions executed by Approved Court Transcribers (ACTs). The rates have not been increased since 1988, at which time court reporters were full-time employees of the Trial Court who were paid $3.00 per page of transcribed notes as supplementary income. The Trial Court eliminated the role of court reporter in 2018 due to the advent of audio recording, yet the rate from nearly 40 years ago persists for the remaining transcribers who do this work full-time without the salary and benefits the role formerly provided. There was great coverage of this bill and the hearing, painting a clear picture of the need to increase the compensation of this small group of transcribers who provide an essential service facilitating access to justice in Massachusetts.
Letter to Administration in Support of Small Properties State Acquisition Fund (SPAF)
I signed onto a letter urging the Healey Administration to support the Small Properties State Acquisition Fund (SPAF). The SPAF was established to support community land trusts, community development corporations, and other housing nonprofits in purchasing small properties to preserve affordability. This tool will help these nonprofits offer competitive bids and keep these properties off the speculative market for years to come. $20 million was earmarked for the SPAF in the housing bond bill and economic development bill last session, so this letter asks the Administration to authorize the full amount in their capital plan.
Public Health Updates
Federal Health Programs Experience Extensive Staffing Cuts Amid HHS Restructuring, Including NIOSH and HRSA
Over the past four months, the Trump Administration has taken extreme measures to shrink the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Last month, the Administration announced a reorganization of HHS, which will ultimately result in the elimination of 20,000 agency employees, in accordance with President Trump’s executive order to “implement the President’s Department of Government Efficiency’s Workplace Optimization Initiative.” Four agencies —Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)—will be combined to form the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA). The staffing cuts are considerable, affecting HHS agencies like NIOSH. Created in 1970, NIOSH is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the institute is responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for preventing work-related injury and illness. Notably, NIOSH collects data on the health of coal workers, health care workers, and firefighters. NIOSH also provides grants to support occupational health research. In Massachusetts, these grants provide significant support to the Occupational Health Surveillance Program within the Department of Public Health
Third Measles-Related Death of 2025 Reported in Texas
On Sunday, the University Medical Center (UMC) Health System in Lubbock, Texas, reported the third measles-related death since the virus was first identified in late January. The patient is the second school-aged child to die from measles complications at just eight years old. She was unvaccinated with no underlying health conditions. Currently, there are more than double the number of measles cases in the United States than in the entirety of 2024, with outbreaks sprouting up in under-vaccinated communities in Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Ohio, and Oklahoma. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has counted 607 cases so far in 2025 and has identified six outbreak clusters as of Friday. New England is not immune to a measles outbreak, with Vermont, New York, and Rhode Island having reported cases since January.
HHS Secretary RFK Calls for CDC to Change Its Guidance on Fluoride in Drinking Water
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced on Monday that he is directing the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to change its recommendation regarding fluoridated drinking water. Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that helps prevent cavities and strengthens teeth when added to drinking water, according to both the CDC and the American Dental Association. For many years, the CDC has recommended adding small amounts of fluoride to community water systems to prevent cavities, a practice that has been widely adopted in the United States since 1945. Public health experts and dentists argue that this long-standing practice is essential in the fight against tooth decay. Fluoridation of community water sources has been praised as one of the greatest public health interventions of the 20th century, earning a spot on the CDC’s list of Ten Great Public Health Achievements at the turn of the century.
California Officials Report Third Hantavirus Death
Public health officials in Mammoth Lakes, California, released a statement confirming the death of three people from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Hantaviruses are a family of viruses that are spread to humans when they come into contact with rodent’s urine, droppings, and saliva. These viruses are rare and can cause diseases like hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is most common in the United States and is spread by deer mice. Symptom onset for HPS usually takes two to three weeks after contact with an infected rodent and occurs in two stages. Stage one HPS lasts several days and consists of flu-like symptoms, including fever, headache, muscle aches, and nausea. As the disease progresses to stage two, respiratory symptoms will begin and can lead to lung tissue damage, fluid build-up in the lungs, and issues with heart and lung function. If left untreated, the fatality rate for HPS ranges from 30-50%.
HHS Funding Cuts to COVID-19, Addiction, and Mental Health Programming Blocked by Federal Judge
Last Thursday, U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy granted a temporary restraining order to block the Trump administration from cutting $11 billion in federal funding for COVID-19 initiatives like testing and vaccination and nation-wide public health projects such as addiction and mental health programming. Vaccination clinics across the country, many of which also use the funding to address other preventable diseases like the flu, mpox, and measles, were canceled as a result of the cuts. Attorneys general and other officials from 23 states and the District of Columbia filed suit in Rhode Island on April 1, arguing that the cuts were unconstitutional; the funds were attached to Congressional allocations. The executive branch does not have the legal authority to rescind the allocated funding and failed to provide a rational basis or facts to support the cuts. The suit argues that the funding cuts would cause serious harm to public health and prevent states from responding to pandemics in the future; vaccine-related grants not only provide a chance to improve immunization rates but also bolster health education and trust between communities and public health systems.
HHS Launches Effort to Determine the Cause of Autism by September
On Thursday, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will launch a "massive testing and research effort" to determine the cause of autism. During a televised Cabinet meeting, RFK shared the plans with President Donald Trump, who announced that "there's got to be something artificial out there that's doing this." RFK, a long-time vaccine skeptic, indicated that the research would be completed by September and involve hundreds of scientists worldwide. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a condition related to brain development that impacts how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 36 children were identified with ASD in 2020, compared to the rate of 1 in 150 in 2000, based on estimates from the CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. Researchers suggest that the prevalence of autism has increased due to increased awareness, broader definitions of what constitutes autism, and improved screening tools and processes that allow for earlier detection and more diagnoses.
A Glimpse at the Past Week
On Tuesday night, I had the honor of speaking about the incredible legacy of my mentor and friend Alice K. Wolf at the Massachusetts Advocates for Children (MAC) Advocacy in Action event. It was fitting to have the inaugural Alice K. Wolf Legislative Trailblazer Awards presented at the West End Museum, a space filled with stories of immigrants who have shaped our history and community. Alice's drive to enfranchise others was due to her own immigrant story of fleeing persecution by Nazis, which landed her in Massachusetts with her parents. She could not bear to live passively in a world where people were not recognized and honored for their full humanity.
Alice was a fierce champion, and her life’s work and mission were always centered on the most vulnerable. She spoke truth to power and charted a course toward action and change throughout her years in public service. With MAC — an organization that works to remove barriers to educational and life opportunities for children and youth — Alice passed legislation to support children and families when she was a State Representative, and after retiring, she stayed on to guide and support their advocacy work.
It continues to be a source of pride to know so much of my work continues to be aligned with the issues and people that were important to her. It was incredible to see her family — whose faces were filled with pride and joy all night — know that her work and values will continue to live on and be celebrated through this award.
Congratulations to this year’s recipients, Chair Sean Garballey and Senator Michael Rodrigues, for their continuous efforts to alleviate barriers to access for marginalized students. Their leadership and advocacy for inclusion and student success led to the passage of An Act creating higher education opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities, autism, and other developmental disabilities. This bill made Massachusetts the first state to require state colleges and universities to include individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism who do not have a high school diploma.
Thank you to MAC for the incredible work you have done for children with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities and for being a strong voice for children across the Commonwealth.
I was happy to speak with Dr. Craig Andrade’s Strategies in Public Health Advocacy class at the Boston University School of Public Health this week. It is always an honor to speak with Master of Public Health (MPH) students about what it means to be an effective legislator and advocate, especially with the ongoing federal assault on public health programs.
Cambridge Public Health Helpline Supports Residents with COVID-19
To speak with someone, call the confidential COVID-19 Hotline at 617-933-0797. Learn more here.
Intimate Partner Abuse Prevention Helpline
This initiative is designed to prevent intimate partner violence by fostering accountability and change in people who harm or may harm their partner. You can find more information at 10to10helpline.org or by calling 877-898-3411.
SafeSpot Overdose Prevention Helpline
SafeSpot is a virtual spotting/overdose detection service for people who use drugs. Learn more at safe-spot.me or access it by calling 800-972-0590.
Alzheimer's Association Helpline
The Alzheimer’s Association is a nonprofit that provides support, research, and care for Alzheimer’s and dementia with a 24/7 for caregivers and patients. More information is available at alz.org, or by calling 800-272-3900.
De Novo Center for Justice and Healing
De Novo is a Cambridge-based nonprofit that provides free civil legal assistance and affordable psychological counseling to people with low incomes. You can learn more about their services at denovo.org.
MassLegalHelp.org is a resource to help Massachusetts residents learn about their legal rights. The website does not offer legal advice or answer individual questions but has a page about options for finding a lawyer. It does provide resources for those facing legal issues, such as a landlord refusing to make repairs, appealing the denial of SNAP benefits, and questions about getting a CORI sealed.
As always, please contact me with questions or concerns at Marjorie.Decker@mahouse.gov.
Sincerely,
Marjorie
