Dear friends,
I am writing to you today with Cambridge, legislative, and public health updates.
A quick note regarding Cradles to Crayons — I want to highlight the increased need for socks and underwear that they are seeing this month. As you might know, Cradles to Crayons does important work to alleviate clothing insecurity, which affects 1 in 3 children in Massachusetts. Their Amazon wishlist to donate can be found here.
Table of Contents
Cambridge Updates
Legislative Updates
Public Health Updates
A Glimpse at the Past Week
Recent Press
Mental Health Services and Resources
Cambridge Updates
Racial Inequities in Maternal Health Event
Last legislative session, I co-chaired the Special Commission on Racial Inequities in Maternal Health. This Tuesday, April 9 from 6pm-8pm at the Cambridge Community Center (5 Callendar St.), I am hosting a legislative briefing to present some of the findings and an update on the state of maternal health in Massachusetts and Cambridge with a specialized lens on racial inequities in birthing outcomes for people of color. Health Resources in Action (HRiA) helped develop the Commission report and will bring a limited number of copies to distribute. The YWCA of Cambridge will join us as they continue to highlight and advocate for improved health equity care and outcomes. The briefing will provide additional insight into current legislative efforts underway supporting maternal health policy. This event will feature a panel of speakers including representatives from MassHealth, Cambridge Health Alliance, Planned Parenthood, Neighborhood Birth Center, Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s office, and Councilor Ayesha Wilson. We will open up the discussion for a conversation with the audience if time permits. This event is also in commemoration of Black Maternal Health Week, which begins on Thursday and amplifies the voices and perspectives of Black mothers and birthing people.
Join us on Tuesday, April 9, from 6pm-8pm at the Cambridge Community Center (5 Callendar St.). If you are interested in attending, you can RSVP here or email marjorie.decker@mahouse.gov. I look forward to seeing you there.
Legislative Updates
On Wednesday, I joined my House colleagues in voting to pass two bills. The first, An Act financing improvements to municipal roads and bridges, authorizes $375 million in Chapter 90 funding to support investments in roads, bridges, and public transportation. I am pleased that the House has taken steps to provide support for municipalities to invest in local public infrastructure and implement various transportation-related improvements.
The second, An Act relative to individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities, removed inappropriate and offensive language in the Massachusetts General Laws and renamed the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission to MassAbility. I am proud to see the House’s leadership in passing this important bill, recognizing that words matter, and making the necessary changes to make our statutes more inclusive.
Public Health Updates
MGB Hospitals Revise DCF Reporting Policies
Mass General Brigham (MGB) hospitals are implementing a new policy to stop reporting suspected abuse or neglect to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) just because a baby is found to be exposed to drugs at birth. This policy change aims to reduce the fear that birthing people prescribed methadone or buprenorphine, the two best medications to treat opioid use disorder, experience when accessing prenatal care. MGB hospitals will now require written consent for toxicology testing of birthing people and infants and limit testing to cases where it will change medical management. Doctors, nurses, and other MGB staff considered mandated reporters by Section 51A of Massachusetts law will only be required to file a report of suspected abuse or neglect to DCF if they have reasonable cause to believe an infant is “suffering or at imminent risk of suffering physical or emotional injury,” in addition to one of several other factors. While state law governing mandated reporting of suspected abuse or neglect by hospital personnel remains unchanged, MGB leaders implemented this policy change by revising its interpretation of the statute across its entire hospital system.
HHS Guidance Requires Consent for Invasive Medical Exams Conducted for Training Purposes
New guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services states that hospitals performing sensitive exams, such as pelvic exams, on patients without explicit consent, including on anesthetized patients, will not be eligible for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. These exams are crucial for medical training but can be invasive and traumatic. The new guidelines aim to harmonize and expand protections against non-consensual exams nationally, specifying detailed requirements for patient consent forms. Getting consent for invasive medical exams is essential to help restore trust between the healthcare system and vulnerable communities, particularly Black women, who have historically faced unwanted examinations and lack of consent.
Puerto Rico Experiencing Record Number of Dengue Fever Cases
Puerto Rico has announced a public health emergency following a swift increase in dengue cases this year. The territory has surpassed previous records, with 549 cases reported since January, almost half of which are in the San Juan region. Dengue outbreaks are also reported in Brazil, Peru, and Argentina, affecting millions. The disease, transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, can cause mild symptoms in most cases but can be severe and even fatal in rare instances. While there's no specific treatment for dengue, acetaminophen can help manage symptoms. While dengue is typically found in tropical and subtropical climates, the World Health Organization has reported cases spreading to Europe and parts of the U.S., like Florida and Texas. Experts recommend avoiding mosquito bites by using repellents and protective clothing and eliminating breeding sites at home by dumping standing water to prevent contracting dengue. Vaccination is available in some regions for individuals previously infected.
A Glimpse at the Past Week
On Monday, I hosted a budget briefing alongside Food For Free to share their impact with colleagues and legislative staff. Food For Free responds to meet the needs of thousands of families in Cambridge and beyond struggling with food insecurity. As a child, in spite of my mother working full time and overtime while living in public housing, we still relied on the food pantry organized then by the Cambridge Economic Opportunity Council (CEOC) and Food for Free. I am proud to have led the budget earmark for Food For Free since 2018, and last year secured them $100,000 to help families access food staples on the weekend.
Tuesday, I joined the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA), Attorney General Andrea Campbell, legislative colleagues, and advocates to kick off Victim Rights Month. The briefing also honored Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month by advocating for increased funding for victims of crimes. You may recall from my previous legislative updates that Congress failed to renew its commitment to the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds, resulting in Massachusetts losing $60 million in federal funding over a three year period. This loss threatened the funding of over 100 direct service programs including domestic violence, legal assistance, and homicide bereavement programs funded by MOVA.
I am honored to be recognized as a legislative leader who worked with advocates and House Leadership to secure $40 million to bridge that funding gap over the last two years. Thanks to the shared commitment of Speaker Mariano and Chair Aaron Michlewitz, I am hopeful that we will be able to appropriate the remaining $20 million this year.
I was honored to speak at Kick Butts Day on Tuesday. This annual event elevates the voices of youth advocates fighting against the tobacco and vaping industries. I was asked to speak about the importance of raising awareness about mental and behavioral health and my legislative efforts. We talked about the Children’s Mental Health bill I authored last session and helped spearhead including codifying the School-Based Behavioral Health Technical Assistance Center, creating requirements for schools to create an emergency response plan, and implementing mental health screenings for youth in foster care. This session, I filed several bills aiming to improve youth mental health and a bill targeting youth tobacco use.
In 2019, the Legislature passed an omnibus package to modernize tobacco control, knowing that e-cigarettes and vapes were getting increasingly popular. I am proud that my bill An Act protecting youth from nicotine addiction, which called for an excise tax of 75% of wholesale on e-cigarettes, was adopted into it. You can read the full text of An Act modernizing tobacco control, Chapter 133 in the Acts of 2019, here.
I hosted a legislative town hall on Tuesday evening at Cambridge Cohousing to update constituents on my work both as their Representative and as the Chair of the Joint Committee on Public Health.
I was proud to join my co-filer Senator Paul Feeney, President Chrissy Lynch from the AFL-CIO, and other climate and labor leaders to highlight An Act relative to a just transition to clean energy (H.4439). This session, I filed two bills related to a just transition to clean energy. The first, An Act relative to a just transition to clean energy (H.1865) seeks to create a Just Transition Office to support gas and other fossil fuel workers' transition to the clean energy sector, requires gas companies to create transition plans to support their workers as gas usage decreases, and provides funding for re-training in clean energy sectors. An Act relative to clean energy workforce standards and accountability (H.1864), would require clean energy sectors to create workforce standards that include labor protections and pay prevailing wages. These two bills were combined in the new draft (H.4439) reported out of the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development.
I am proud that both of these bills along with my healthy schools bill (An Act relative to healthy and sustainable schools (H.3691) have been reported out of committee favorably. An Act relative to a just transition to clean energy is now in the House Committee on Ways & Means, and I look forward to working with my colleagues and advocates to advance this important legislation.
A favorite event of both staff and legislators is the annual Agriculture Day (“Ag Day”) showcasing the richness of our agricultural economy and educating us on the importance of supporting small farmers. You can find your local farmers market here.
As House Chair of the Joint Committee on Public Health, I attended at the federal oversight hearing hosted by Senator Ed Markey and Senator Elizabeth Warren on Steward Health, “When Health Care Becomes Wealth Care: How Corporate Green Puts Patient Care and Health Workers at Risk.”
On Wednesday, I attended a celebration of life for Paul Parravano. Paul helped lead MIT’s Office of Government and Community Relations, but his involvement in the Cambridge community went far beyond. He served on many boards of local nonprofits and dedicated his life to service for our city. Paul was an incredible friend, advocate, and community member, and he is sorely missed.
On Thursday, I spoke at the Massachusetts Association of Physician Assistants (MAPA) advocacy day. Physician Assistants (PAs) are a critical part of our healthcare system, especially amid a workforce crisis and shortage of medical professionals in Massachusetts.
I attended the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC) annual gala on Thursday evening. I was joined by many friends and advocates, including Mary McGeown, Undersecretary of Human Services, Courtney Chelo, MSPCC Assistant Director for Government Relations, Karen Darcy, Director of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Advocacy at Boston Children’s Hospital, Kate Ginnis, Senior Policy Advisor at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Nancy Scannell, MSPCC Executive Director.
Congratulations to Dr. Kevin Churchwell, President and CEO of Boston Children’s Hospital, who was honored for his leadership in children’s health.
Today, I attended the 7th Annual Black Maternal Health Conference, centered on the role of technology in addressing the maternal health crisis. The conference had a particular focus on adverse maternal health outcomes experienced by Black women to discuss innovations to eliminate maternal health disparities. I was happy to be invited by Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, the founder and director of the Founder and Director of the Center of Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice (CBMHRJ), and of the Maternal Outcomes of Translational Health Equity Research (M.O.T.H.E.R.) Lab.
Recent Press
Kinga Borondy, Worcester Telegram & Gazette
The chant went around the room several times and was repeated by each speaker: $20 million. That’s the amount needed to continue full funding of the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance, the victim and witness advocacy board.
MOVA serviced 95,000 people in 2023, the largest number ever, Lowney said. Of those, 33,000 people were able to access services thanks to the “VOCA bridge,” the funds pledged to the agency by legislators to make up for the federal shortfall. Without the boost, those people would not have been able to access services.
And Rep. Marjorie Decker, D-Cambridge, pointed out that not all those who were entitled to access support were served due to the lack of adequate funding.
“Congress failed all of us, in Massachusetts and across the country, when the funding for VOCA was not renewed,” Decker said.
Mandy McLaren, Boston Globe
A sweeping mental health law passed in 2022 required the state education department to address banning suspensions among preschoolers, but stopped short of outlawing them. The law also required schools to attempt “alternative remedies” to engage students in their learning before issuing a suspension or expulsion, unless a student’s continued presence could harm others at their school.
The new legislation, sponsored by Representative Marjorie Decker, would require the state education department to provide “guidance and support” to local schools about those alternatives to suspensions and expulsions, such as mediation.
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.
City Offering Free At-Home COVID Tests in Partnership with the Cambridge Health Alliance
The tests can be picked up Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM in the CHA lobby at 119 Windsor Street. Cambridge businesses or organizations that would like free rapid tests to provide to customers can call the COVID-19 hotline at 617-933-0797 to request them. The at-home COVID test expiration date can be checked here.
Mental Health Services and Resources
If you or a loved one are struggling, please know you are not alone. There are some great resources here: decker4rep.com/2021/mental-health-services-and-resources/
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.
Overdose Prevention Helpline
The Massachusetts Overdose Prevention Helpline is a virtual spotting/overdose detection service for people who use drugs. Learn more at massoverdosehelpline.org or access it by calling 800-972-0590.
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.
As always, please contact me with questions or concerns at Marjorie.Decker@mahouse.gov.
Sincerely,
Marjorie
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