Friday, November 14th Legislative & Public Health Updates
- hannanur3
- Nov 14
- 14 min read
Dear friends,
I am writing to you today with legislative, public health, and Cambridge updates. If you want even more updates, please follow me on Instagram @repdecker.
Table of Contents
Legislative Updates
A Glimpse at the Past Week
Public Health Updates
Cambridge Updates
Services and Resources
While the federal government shutdown has ended, food insecurity in Cambridge and across Massachusetts remains very real.
You can still donate to funds such as the Cambridge Community Center (CCC)’s Nourish a Neighbor fund and the United Response Fund to support local and statewide food assistance programs.
If you need help meeting your or your family’s nutritional needs, you are not alone. The City of Cambridge is distributing $50 grocery store gift cards to Cambridge residents who are current SNAP recipients and meet one or more of the following criteria:
You are an older adult (age 60 or older)
You have a disability
Your family includes a child ages 18 or younger who attends Cambridge Public Schools, a Cambridge Charter School, Cambridge Preschool Program, or a younger child
Residents will be asked to show their EBT card in order to receive a gift card. Information about how to receive gift cards is available here.
You can find information on Cambridge food pantries, free community meals, and other local food resources here. There is also a new state website, Mass.gov/SNAPFreeze, with resources for people in need of food assistance and ways for residents and businesses to donate or volunteer.
Please see the “Services and Resources” section at the end of this newsletter for additional food assistance resources.
Legislative Updates
Hearing on Legislation That I Filed
The Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery held a public hearing on Monday on a bill that I filed this session to establish a two-year Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy Pilot Program under the state Department of Public Health. An Act establishing a pilot program for access to regulated psilocybin (H.2203) authorizes select universities to research the therapeutic use of psilocybin for conditions like PTSD, depression, and end-of-life distress in collaboration with community providers.
A Glimpse at the Past Week
My staff joined a MassBudget policy briefing on Monday regarding the impact of corporate federal tax cuts on Massachusetts revenues. Representative Jim McGovern kicked off the discussion by condemning Republicans in Congress for orchestrating the biggest upward transfer of wealth in US history and for using hunger as a weapon. The Massachusetts Congressional delegation is united in fighting against these actions. Here at the state level, my colleagues and I continue working to mitigate the harms resulting from federal policies. I appreciate the work of MassBudget staff to coordinate this briefing and am grateful to Rep. McGovern for partnering with state policymakers to amplify the needs of residents who are struggling.
Almost ten years ago, Street Theory Collective started as a small pop-up in Harvard Square with the hope of serving and promoting underrepresented artists in Cambridge. On Wednesday, Street Theory Collective opened its brick-and-mortar location in Central Square. A multipurpose space, the Street Theory Collective will soon offer a rotating gallery for underrepresented artists, an artist-in-residence program that supports emerging voices, and a flexible coworking area for creatives and community members to gather, create, and collaborate.
It was an honor to attend the ribbon-cutting event and welcome a new home for artists in the heart of Cambridge, a space for creatives led by creatives.
In the last year, 20 new businesses have opened or leased space in Central Square, and The Street Theory Collective is the newest addition to the neighborhood. Congratulations
to Liza Quiñonez, STC Executive Director, and the rest of the STC team, as well as Central Square BID, on this exciting new chapter!
I welcomed Minister Charlie McConalogue, TD, the Irish Minister of State, the Department of Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport, with special responsibility for Sport and Postal Policy as well as the Irish Consul General for New England, Síghle FitzGerald to the State House on Wednesday along with Representative Sean Garballey, Representative John Lawn, Representative Kevin Honan, Representative Hannah Kane, Representative Kathy LaNatra, Representative Carole Fiola, and Representative Ted Philips.
Thank you to the Cambridge LGBTQ+ Commission, the Cambridge Health Alliance Sexual and Reproductive Health Program, and the Boston LesBiGay Urban Foundation for hosting the 2025 Fall Fest on Wednesday night for Cambridge residents to enjoy fall crafts and games and learn more about community resources and opportunities.
I am grateful to the Cambridge Public Library, Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services, the Cambridge Council on Aging, the Cambridge Commission on Immigrant Rights and Citizenship, the Cambridge Multi-Service Center, and many more local organizations that joined the event to share their offerings with the community. I was also pleased to learn that the Boston LesBiGay Urban Foundation is expanding its services to Cambridge! The Foundation creates safe spaces for events, prioritizes medical and mental health awareness, and uplifts the voices of Black, Brown, and Latino LGBTQIA+ leaders.
At a time when the federal government is attacking the LGBTQIA+ community, I am grateful to represent a City that has led the way on LGBTQIA+ rights and to serve in a Legislature that continues to stand up for LGBTQIA+ residents. I am proud of my long history of championing LGTBQIA+ rights in close partnership with organizations like Youth on Fire, Fenway Health, the ACLU of Massachusetts, and more. A decade ago, I held weekly meetings in my office with the ACLU, MASSEquality, and then-Attorney General Healey’s office about how to build support for trans public accommodations at a time when the votes were not there. Following those efforts, the bill was enacted and signed into law in 2016. Last session, I passed a bill that codified the ability for individuals to choose an alternative gender designation, a Gender X on their driver’s licenses, ID cards and other Registry of Motor Vehicle-related documents.
This year, I spent several months meeting regularly with providers to determine how our state can continue providing gender-affirming care while under threat of losing federal funding for our hospitals and other health care providers. These meetings led to my filing a budget amendment with Rep. Sam Montaño to establish the Affirming Health Care Trust Fund, which offers a national model on providing gender-affirming care. The trust fund, as well as an initial allocation of $1 million to the fund, was included in the FY26 state budget. This trust fund will be the first in the nation to exclusively fund access to gender-affirming health care. I have also been pulling together providers for an ongoing working group to discuss how to further support gender-affirming care in Massachusetts as the federal government cruelly slashes funding for these necessary — sometimes life-saving — services.
For updates and support around LGBTQ+ rights, visit GLAD LAW (GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders), Fenway Health - Trans and Gender Diverse Resource Library, and Trans Lifeline - 877-565-8860. Please find additional Gender-Affirming Care, and Crisis Resources in the "Services and Resources" section below.
Public Health Updates
FDA Set to Remove Black Box Warnings on Menopause Hormone Therapies
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has removed its long-standing black box warning from more than 20 hormone-based therapies used to treat menopause and perimenopause symptoms. Menopause is defined as twelve consecutive months without a menstrual period and occurs around the age of 52. The transition period, known as perimenopause, often brings hormonal fluctuations that lead to hot flashes, sleep disturbances, mood changes, and vaginal or urinary issues that impact quality of life. The agency highlighted updated evidence, indicating that hormone therapy poses minimal cardiovascular or cognitive risk when initiated before age 60 or within a decade of menopause. This replaces the previous 2002 warning that linked estrogen and estrogen-progestin products to increased risks of stroke, blood clots, and breast cancer. FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary described the change as an effort to end “fear-based messaging”, emphasizing that the change could expand access to “life-changing and potentially lifesaving” treatments that may also support heart, bone, and cognitive health. Under the revised labeling, the black boxed warning will be removed. However, caution about endometrial cancer in women using estrogen without progestin will remain, and other risk information will be moved to a less prominent section of the packaging. While many medical groups, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), have long urged a reassessment of the label, they criticize the FDA’s process, arguing the agency bypassed its traditional advisory committee review in favor of a brief expert panel that included participants with industry ties. The FDA cited studies dating back decades that indicate potential reductions in Alzheimer’s disease, heart attack, and hip fracture risk. However, experts caution that evidence for these benefits remains inconclusive and that treatment should be individualized. Medical guidelines continue to recommend hormone therapy for healthy women recently diagnosed with menopause at the lowest effective dose and duration necessary to manage moderate to severe symptoms.
Outbreak of Infant Botulism Linked to ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula
This week, the state Department of Public Health (DPH) released an advisory, warning parents, caregivers, and health care providers that ByHeart Inc. is recalling its infant formula due to possible Clostridium botulinum contamination. Clostridium botulinum is the bacterium responsible for creating a toxin that causes botulism. The toxin attacks nerves in the body and causes difficulty breathing, muscle paralysis, and can lead to death. Most infants with infant botulism initially develop constipation, poor feeding, loss of head control, and difficulty swallowing. This can progress to breathing difficulties and respiratory arrest. Infant botulism must be clinically diagnosed, and symptoms can take up to several weeks to develop after an infant ingests affected formula. ByHeart’s voluntary recall of its powdered infant formula follows announcements by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that they are investigating an outbreak of infant botulism linked to the formula. Parents and caregivers should stop using any ByHeart infant formula products immediately. If your child has consumed ByHeart formula and is experiencing symptoms, you should seek medical attention immediately. If your child has consumed ByHeart formula but is not showing symptoms of infant botulism, you should continue to monitor them and seek medical attention if symptoms develop. Additionally, all ByHeart formula products should be thrown away or returned to the store where they were purchased. All items and surfaces that may have come into contact with the formula should be washed with hot, soapy water or placed in the dishwasher. Before disposing of any formula products, you should write down or photograph the lot numbers. According to DPH, no cases of infant botulism have been identified in Massachusetts at this time.
Blue Cross Blue Shield and UMass Memorial Reach Agreement Allowing Patients to Continue Seeing their Providers
This week, UMass Memorial Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) reached an agreement in a months-long contract dispute. Last month, BCBSMA sent letters to UMass Memorial Health patients ahead of the contract’s December 31 expiration date, warning them that their primary, specialist, and hospital care could be dropped from the BCBSMA network. While UMass Memorial and BCBSMA have declined to discuss specific details of the final contract, it was revealed that UMass Memorial requested a 6.7 percent increase in reimbursements for 2026, which is almost double the average annualized 3.58 percent that BCBSMA offered in a new contract. Approximately 185,000 patients would have been affected by the break if new contract terms could not be reached, meaning those patients would have to get their care elsewhere or pay higher out-of-pocket costs to continue receiving care from UMass Memorial providers come January 1, 2026. While the state’s largest health insurer and the largest medical provider in Central Massachusetts reached an agreement, the dispute highlights the state’s current health care challenges, including rising costs. In the first six months of 2025, BCBSMA reported an operating loss of $173.1 million, compared to nearly half that amount during the same period in 2024. UMass Memorial reported an operating loss of $87.5 million in the first nine months of this year compared to a $22.1 million operating gain during the same period in 2024.
DPH and Attorney General’s Office Debut Campaign to Help Young People Quit Vaping
On Monday, DPH announced its partnership with the state Attorney General’s Office (AGO) to launch a new public health campaign to help young adults in Massachusetts quit vaping and stop using other tobacco or nicotine products. The campaign, titled “This Ad Won’t Make You Quit Vaping,” is targeted towards 18-24-year-olds who vape or use other nicotine products, like pouches, in an effort to help connect them with free support to quit. The campaign is funded by a 2023 settlement reached by the AGO with Juul Labs, Inc., for the company’s role in contributing to the national youth vaping epidemic. As part of the campaign, DPH has established the Massachusetts Quitline, which offers free individualized advice from live quit coaches and access to free quit medicines 24/7. Although Massachusetts banned retail stores from selling flavored tobacco products in 2020, those products, including menthol cigarettes, flavored cigars, and flavored e-cigarettes, are still accessible in the state. The new campaign will run in both English and Spanish across platforms where young people typically spend their time, including Meta, TikTok, YouTube, Google, Twitch, streaming radio, and posters at colleges throughout the state. Young people who want support in quitting can text “Start” to 36072 or visit mass.gov/QuitVaping.
HPC Reviews Health Care Cost Trends and Federal Legislation Impacts at Annual Hearing
On Wednesday, the state Health Policy Commission (HPC) held its annual Health Care Cost Trends hearing, focusing primarily on the federal health care landscape and the affordability and access challenges faced by Massachusetts residents. During the hearing, the HPC Board of Commissioners heard from stakeholders across the state on those topics to help the HPC establish an annual health care spending growth benchmark. The benchmark for 2026 was set at 3.6%, following an 8.6% increase in total health care expenditures between 2022 and 2023. In 2024, the average annual family health care cost, including out-of-pocket spending, surpassed $31,000. Between 2019 and 2023, the average yearly cost-sharing per person increased from $849 to $1,049, and the number of residents paying $5,000 or more in annual cost-sharing doubled. Those who testified included the CEO of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, Audrey Shelto, who shared the projected impacts of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” would have on the state's health care and insurance systems. According to Shelto’s research, approximately 300,000 residents will lose coverage through MassHealth and the Massachusetts Health Connector due to the strict new Medicaid work requirements and more frequent redetermination requirements imposed by the federal budget bill. In Massachusetts, one in three residents have MassHealth, and several hundred more rely on insurance purchased through the Health Connector, the state marketplace established under the Affordable Care Act. Once all elements of the federal law take effect, Massachusetts is expected to lose $3.5 billion annually. The entire hearing is archived on the HPC website here.
Cambridge Updates
Memorial Drive Traffic Advisory
As of Monday, November 10, and continuing through Friday, November 21, the Department of Conservation and Recreation is implementing alternating right lane closures of Memorial Drive (both directions) in the area of Magazine Beach in the City of Cambridge from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to accommodate groundwater sampling work. Traffic patterns will be clearly marked, and a police detail will be on site.
Community Feedback on Access to the Charles River and Memorial Drive
The Charles River Task Force on Equitable River Access, which I established through the state budget process, is seeking public feedback. The feedback will inform recommendations to the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) “to i) address equitable access to the Charles river in the area between the Longfellow bridge and the Eliot bridge; (ii) ensure that inclusive processes are in place to engage all relevant stakeholders when decisions involving the Charles river area are made; and (iii) improve communication with all involved stakeholders.”
This Task Force was created not to exclude any voices, but rather to uplift previously excluded voices in order to craft a blueprint for how DCR engages with the community, which DCR will hopefully duplicate across the Commonwealth. As I shared in my September 12 newsletter, the Task Force is focused on bringing residents from subsidized housing and communities of color to share their experience and expertise with DCR in order to ensure that more voices are always at the table in the future. Many of these folks are too often left out of formal and informal opportunities to shape the spaces around them because they are not part of established neighborhood organizations, for a variety of reasons. The goal of this work is not only that everyone feels welcome, but also that they feel a sense of ownership in designing spaces that address their needs and their hopes.
If you would like to provide input on how to bring previously excluded voices into the conversation, please share your thoughts. The Task Force is collecting feedback through an online survey available at mapc.ma/MemDrive. You can also share feedback at an upcoming public meeting:
Monday, November 17th, 6-8pm at the Cambridge Community Center, 5 Callender St, Cambridge, MA (In person). Please register to let them know that you are coming and to request any accommodations or language interpretation that you may need.
Services and Resources
Food Assistance Resources
Mass.gov/SNAPFreeze provides resources for people in need of food assistance and ways for residents and businesses to donate or volunteer.
Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline is free, confidential, and has counselors available in 180 languages. You can call or text 1.800.645.8333 to access the hotline, or chat with a counselor online using the “Live Chat” feature at the bottom of the website.
Greater Boston Food Bank has information on food assistance as well as opportunities to donate and to volunteer.
Cambridge Food Resource Guide has information about food pantries, free community meals, food resources for older adults, and more, and is available in 8 languages.
Reproductive Care, Gender-Affirming Care, and Crisis Resources
These are a few of the resources and help lines available for people seeking reproductive or gender-affirming health care or experiencing a crisis. Help is available, and you are not alone.
LUCE Defense Hotline
If you see or suspect ICE or federal agents are in your neighborhood, contact the LUCE Immigrant Defense Network’s Hotline, which operates in several languages, at 617-370-5023 from 9am-5pm. A trained operator will ask for details, then dispatch a volunteer to the site, who will attempt to verify the situation and the presence of ICE. You can learn more about LUCE and their upcoming volunteer trainings at lucemass.org.
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. Importantly, De Novo also offers high-quality, free legal assistance to low-income immigrants and asylum seekers who are living in Massachusetts. You can learn more about their immigration related services here, and their general mission and work at denovo.org.
MBTA Income-Eligible Reduced Fare Program
The MBTA’s income-eligible reduced fare program offers reduced fares to riders between the ages of 18 and 64 enrolled in an approved state assistance program, including:
Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled & Children (EAEDC)
Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC)
MASSGrant
MassHealth
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
You can learn more about the program and how to apply at mbta.com/fares/reduced/income-eligible.
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. It is available 24/7 for caregivers and patients. More information is available at alz.org, or by calling 800-272-3900.
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.
Free Shuttle Bus Transportation Available to Older Adults in Cambridge
Council on Aging (COA) Bus Service
On Mondays and Wednesdays, the shuttle bus is available to residents who live in Central Square (02139) and East Cambridge (02141)
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the shuttle bus is available to residents who live in North Cambridge (02140) and West Cambridge (02138)
To reserve a seat on the shuttle bus, call the Council on Aging’s Transportation Office at 617-349-7254. Please make reservations at least 2 business days in advance. COA staff will share a morning pickup time with residents once reservations are complete.
Council on Aging (COA) Mall Shopping Group Transportation
The Mall Shopping Group shuttle bus provides free transportation to Arsenal Yards in Watertown, which has a variety of retail shops, grocery stores, and restaurants to explore. The shuttle can also bring residents to the Watertown Mall Plaza, which includes a Target and Registry of Motor Vehicles.
This trip alternates between Tuesdays and Wednesdays each week. The shuttle leaves the Cambridge Senior Center at 10:30 a.m. and returns to the Senior Center at 1 p.m. Home pickup is available upon request.
To reserve a seat on the shuttle bus for the Mall Shopping Group, call the Council on Aging’s Transportation Office at 617-349-7254. Please make reservations at least 2 business days in advance.
Door2Door by SCM Transportation
Door2Door Transportation by SCM is available to Cambridge residents who are 60 years or older or residents who have a mobility impairment. The transportation service provides rides to medical appointments and grocery stores. Door2Door is also piloting a weekly shuttle service to the Target on Somerville Ave. in Somerville.
For reservations, call 617-625-1191 between 9 am and 1:30 pm on weekdays, excluding holidays. When you hear the greeting, press “0” to speak to reservations.
As always, please contact me with questions or concerns at Marjorie.Decker@mahouse.gov.
Sincerely,
Marjorie
