top of page

Friday, September 19th Legislative & Public Health Updates

  • hannanur3
  • Sep 25
  • 15 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

  • Public Health Updates

  • A Glimpse at the Past Week

  • Cambridge Updates

  • Services and Resources

Legislative Updates


Hospital Funding Supplemental Budget

This week, the House and Senate voted to direct $234 million to strengthen hospitals and support community health centers throughout Massachusetts as they confront rising health care costs and persistent cuts at the federal level. The supp budget provides:

  • $122 million to acute care hospitals, prioritizing those that serve the greatest share of the state’s low-income population, provide the same services at the most affordable prices, and have the most severe fiscal strain

  • $77 million for the Health Safety Net Trust Fund to stabilize the program for hospitals providing services to the greatest share of the Commonwealth’s vulnerable populations

  • $35 million to community health centers, including $2.5 million for the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers

The budget includes a $16.5 million investment in the Cambridge Health Alliance, the second largest share of the funds after the Boston Medical Center. 


Hearings on Legislation That I Filed

This week, there were hearings on six bills I filed this legislative session: 

Public Health Updates


ACIP Meeting Moves Forward After Appointment of New Members

On Monday this week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the appointment of five new members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). ACIP is a panel typically composed of public health experts who make recommendations for vaccine use and vaccine-preventable diseases throughout the nation. These new appointments follow Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s dismissal of the former seventeen-member Committee earlier in June, wherein new members were planned to be chosen at his discretion. Several of the committee members have voiced anti-vaccine views, including Dr. Kirk Milhoan, a pediatric cardiologist and pastor, who gave patients unapproved drugs (including ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine) and co-founded a coalition that inaccurately labeled COVID-19 vaccines as experimental during the pandemic. Dr. Milhoan has since spoken against vaccinating children, citing alleged heart complications. Also appointed to ACIP is Catherine Stein, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine who has publicly supported legislative efforts opposing COVID vaccine mandates in Ohio. Additionally, ACIP Chair Dr. Martin Kulldorff, who was appointed to the committee in June, helped write an open letter questioning lockdowns and other public health measures early in the pandemic. Public health experts have expressed apprehension over the new ACIP appointments and their impact on future vaccine decisions, particularly as ACIP concludes its two-day meeting. 


In an 8-3 vote, ACIP voted to change current recommendations that allow children under the age of 4 to receive a combined measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox (MMRV) vaccine, citing a small risk of febrile seizures. This vote does not change the recommendations that children should receive vaccinations for measles, mumps, and rubella twice — once at 12 to 15 months and again at 4 to 6 years — and it does not alter the recommendations that children should receive vaccinations for chickenpox. This vote just removes the option for parents to elect for their kids to receive one shot to vaccinate for measles, mumps, rubella, and chicken pox if their child is younger than 4, rather than two. It is important to note that for the last 16 years, the CDC has recommended that children receive separate initial doses of these vaccines. Approximately 85% of U.S. toddlers already receive separate MMR and chickenpox vaccines prior to this decision. In addition to restricting access to MMRV vaccines for kids under 4, ACIP also recommended that the Vaccines for Children program, which covers the costs of vaccines for nearly half of children in the U.S., no longer cover the MMRV vaccine for the same age group. The Vaccines for Children Program will continue to cover the costs of separate MMR and chickenpox vaccines for eligible children. Because federal laws and regulations tie vaccine insurance coverage to ACIP recommendations, private and public health insurers may stop covering MMRV shots for children under 4 if ACIP’s recommendations are adopted. However, they will continue to cover standalone MMR and chickenpox vaccines for children, as they are still recommended by ACIP at this time.


ACIP was slated to vote today on whether to delay the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine until a child is at least 1 month old, provided the mother tests negative for the virus. Currently, the first dose is given within 24 hours of birth because hepatitis B – an incurable infection that can lead to liver disease, cancer, and death – can be transmitted from mother to child during delivery. The panel was expected to recommend delaying the use of the vaccine in babies, but decided to table the vote indefinitely instead. While the decision to table the vote comes as a surprise to public health experts, who believed the committee would have recommended that the first dose be delayed from birth and given at one month for babies born to moms who test negative in pregnancy, an indefinite delay in the vote may bolster anti-vax sentiment. Panel member and vaccine Robert Malone proposed tabling the vote out of concern that there had not been enough discussion about the safety of the hepatitis B vaccines. The hepatitis B vaccine has been extensively tested and is proven to be safe and effective. When administered within 24 hours of birth, the vaccine is highly effective in preventing newborn infection.


Notably, the committee ended its two-day meeting by declining to recommend this fall’s COVID-19 vaccinations. Instead, the panel unanimously recommended limiting the shot to people 65 and older or those with underlying health conditions, based on an individual decision or with their doctor. The committee also recommended that the CDC adopt stronger language regarding the risks of vaccination, an idea that received pushback from outside medical groups arguing the vaccine’s proven safety record. Data shows COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, providing the strongest protection against severe infection and death, even if people still become infected. The final votes from the two-day meeting will be sent to CDC director Jim O’Neill for approval. O’Neill took over shortly after former director Susan Monarez was removed from her position last month for refusing to commit to adopting ACIP’s recommendations before being presented with evidence justifying those recommendations. If approved, the recommendations would narrow the CDC’s previous stance on COVID-19 vaccines, which called for the shot to be offered to everyone over 6 months. CDC directors have almost always accepted ACIP recommendations.


Regardless of ACIP’s vaccine recommendations, it’s critical for all those able to receive vaccines for contagious illnesses, such as COVID-19 or measles, to promote herd immunity. Herd immunity reduces the ability of a virus to spread quickly through a population and also helps protect those who are vulnerable who cannot be vaccinated due to medical contraindications. A substantial percentage of the population must be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity, which varies by disease. For instance, the World Health Organization states that 95% of the population must be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity against measles. Massachusetts has made substantial efforts to ensure access to all vaccines across the state. Learn more about the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s vaccine guidance here and here.


Massachusetts Strengthens Public Health via Northeast Coalition and Releases New COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance

I shared this earlier, but am including it again here with additional information. I am proud to be part of this work in stark contrast to what is happening at the federal level. On Wednesday, the state Department of Public Health (DPH) released COVID-19 vaccine guidance for 2025-2026 as the respiratory illness season approaches. The guidance, released just ahead of the ACIP meeting on Thursday, recommends that all adults and children aged 23 months to 6 years old receive the updated COVID-19 vaccine. Additionally, DPH recommends the COVID-19 vaccine for individuals at higher risk for disease or exposure, pregnant or lactating individuals, and those who are immunocompromised. Notably, the guidance mirrors recommendations released by the newly formed Northeast Public Health Collaborative, a voluntary regional coalition of public health agencies and leaders, earlier this week, that Massachusetts is a member of. The coalition’s recommendations are notably more expansive than those expected to be issued by the CDC, are backed by science, and are consistent with U.S. professional medical societies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the American Academy of Family Physicians. The collaborative effort, informally established earlier this year, represents a Massachusetts-led effort to synchronize public health policies between neighboring states and strengthen public health infrastructure. Members of the coalition include Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York City, representing a concerted effort by the Northeast to bolster public trust in vaccines amid the Trump administration’s attempts to undermine that trust. In addition to vaccine recommendations and purchasing, the coalition will focus on emergency preparedness and response, data collection and analysis, infectious disease, epidemiology and laboratory capacity and services. The full DPH vaccine guidance and the Northeast Public Health Collaborative’s consensus statement are available here.


National Academy of Sciences opposes the Trump EPA's effort to roll back climate change regulations

This week, the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), released a report stating that the evidence showing that climate change harms public health is "beyond scientific dispute." The NASEM was established by Congress in 1863—they are a private, nongovernmental organization whose purpose is to provide the nation with guidance on issues related to technology and science. Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a notice of its intent to rescind all greenhouse gas emission standards established through the 2009 Endangerment Finding and Greenhouse Gas Vehicle Standards under the Clean Air Act. In response to the EPA's announcement, NASEM initiated a study to reevaluate peer-reviewed scientific literature and assessments regarding the dangers of greenhouse gas emissions collected since 2009, when the EPA first recognized the threat that greenhouse gases pose to public health and welfare. This report concluded that the EPA's initial findings on the dangers of greenhouse gases, made over a decade ago, remain accurate: human activities continue to increase the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which unequivocally warms the Earth's climate and harms human health. NASEM's report also reaffirmed that if humans continue to release greenhouse gases, climate change will advance and become more severe in accordance with the amount of greenhouse gas emitted. 


Boston Launches First 24/7 Public Health Vending Machine

Boston launched its first 24-hour public health vending machine on Wednesday, the result of a partnership between NeighborhoodHealth and the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) aimed at making public health items more accessible. The vending machine, located outside NeighborhoodHealth’s East Boston emergency department location, is stocked with items like Narcan, fentanyl test strips, safe injection kits, condoms, socks and blankets. In December, Mayor Michelle Wu and the city’s public health commission installed similar vending machines across Boston at BPHC Recovery Services, the Southampton Street Shelter, the EnVision Hotel, and the North End Waterfront Community Health Center’s Charlestown public housing location. However, the newest public health vending machine is the first in Boston that is both outdoors and available to the public 24 hours a day. Additionally, the machine presents an opportunity for NeighborhoodHealth and BPHC to collect data for improving and tailoring services to the needs of the community. The vending machine provides product descriptions in various languages, and there is a four-item limit per transaction. The machine is made possible through grant funding from BPHC’s Boston Overdose Data to Action program, allowing NeighborhoodHealth to maintain and stock the machine regularly. 


Fall Immunizations

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) urges residents to get vaccinated to help prevent illness and severe disease. DPH has issued updated guidance for the 2025/2026 respiratory illness season for the COVID-19 vaccine. It is recommended that children aged six to 23 months and all adults receive the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as those at higher risk for disease exposure, those who are pregnant or lactating, and those who are immunocompromised. Find a vaccine location near you at mass.gov/CovidVaccine. DPH recommends annual influenza vaccination for everyone 6 months and older with any licensed, age-appropriate flu vaccine. Many people, including pregnant people, newborns, and many people aged 60 and older are eligible for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination this year. Learn more about the ways to protect yourself and others from getting sick, through testing, treatment, and other preventative measures here.

A Glimpse at the Past Week


On Saturday, I attended IBEW 103’s 125th anniversary celebration. Congratulations to Business Manager Lou Antonellis, IBEW members, and the ancestors who had the fortitude and courage 125 years ago to fight for themselves and the generations to come. It was incredible to see thousands of people come together to honor that vision and the sacrifices that were made, and to remember not to take any of those hard-fought wins for granted. I was proud to join so many friends, members, and elected officials who were recommitting themselves to the working people of our Commonwealth.

I attended a UMass alumni event on Monday night to commemorate the renaming of the UMass Amherst College of Engineering for Dan Riccio, who recently made the largest private donation in UMass history. Thank you to Dan, whose extraordinarily generous contribution to UMass Amherst is an investment in the future of engineering students. With this support, UMass will continue to expand access at a time when higher education is becoming less accessible, and will ensure that the brightest minds continue to lead the way in innovations that fuel the Massachusetts economy. As a first-generation college graduate (‘94), I am always so grateful for the opportunities that UMass afforded me and that it continues to provide for students from across the Commonwealth.

I was happy to celebrate the groundbreaking of Biogen’s new global headquarters at 75 Broadway in Cambridge on Tuesday. In addition to laboratories and workspaces, the building will house the Biogen CoLab, which will help students and career-ready adults discover and prepare for careers in life science and healthcare. Biogen is a global leader in scientific research and development, and this new chapter of collaboration and innovation comes at a critical moment for life sciences in this country. I am deeply appreciative of Biogen’s commitment not only to advancing breakthrough medicines but also to partnering with local organizations in order to uplift the community. It was an honor to meet Biogen co-founders — and Nobel laureates — Phil Sharp and Wally Gilbert at the event. Massachusetts continues to lead in fostering scientific innovation and in prioritizing public health.

ree

Senator Sal DiDomenico and I joined a Lift Our Kids coalition rally on the State House steps on Tuesday to advocate for increasing cash benefits for struggling families. As the federal administration continues its attacks on lower-income and working families, it is essential that we invest in anti-poverty measures like cash assistance grants that put money in people's pockets. 


I am honored and proud to lead on raising cash assistance levels alongside Senator DiDomenico, which we have successfully accomplished in the last six budgets. Despite this, cash assistance levels are still far below the deep poverty line, especially with the impacts of inflation. I look forward to partnering with Lift Our Kids once again this session to ensure families are not forced to make impossible decisions between food, clothing, and rent.

I had the pleasure of joining a conversation with actor, singer, and activist Anthony Rapp at the State House on Tuesday. Anthony talked about the importance of LGBTQ+ media representation, the power of storytelling, and the critical role that film and TV industry unions play in ensuring that members are able to receive reproductive and gender-affirming care in states that have limited or removed access to those treatments. My colleagues and I shared actions that the Commonwealth has taken to protect the LGBTQ+ community, including access to gender-affirming care and HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. Thank you to Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis for specifically inviting me in recognition of my leadership in strengthening access to reproductive and gender-affirming care in Massachusetts.

ree

I was honored to attend the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators' 50th Anniversary Reunion, which brought together over 80 current and former women members of the Massachusetts Legislature. In the four-century history of the Legislature, only 243 women have served, a stark contrast to the more than 20,000 men who have held elected office. Being in the company of so many incredible women who have committed themselves to public service, many of whom are friends, mentors, or current colleagues, will never cease to be inspiring to me.

Staff from my office attended a briefing from Hope & Comfort Hygiene Hub on Thursday to learn more about the work Hope and Comfort does, distributing essential hygiene products to support the health, dignity, and confidence of children and adults in need, which leads to increased school attendance and employment. Over 2.3 million people in Massachusetts are hygiene insecure — lacking access to essential hygiene products such as soap, toothpaste, menstrual products, diapers, and deodorant — and hygiene items are not covered by government programs like SNAP or WIC. In 2024, H&C Hygiene Hub distributed 5 million products across the Commonwealth through distribution centers that include schools, shelters, and health centers in Cambridge. I appreciate Assistant Majority Leader Alice Peisch for sponsoring the briefing along with Chair Dan Ryan and Chair Thomas Stanley.


The briefing also highlighted An Act expanding access to hygiene products (H.2390), which I filed with Chair Mindy Domb to create a state-level task force to examine and recommend strategies to address hygiene insecurity with a particular focus on evaluating the feasibility of expanding allowable items under the WIC program. I am proud to partner with H&C Hygiene Hub on this first-in-the-nation legislation. As Public Health Committee Chair, I am also working on a comprehensive bill to expand access to menstrual products, with an equity lens.

Cambridge Updates


Cambridge Hosts Danehy Park Family Day Tomorrow

The City of Cambridge will host Danehy Park Family Day on Saturday, September 20, from 11am-3pm. Enjoy a fun-filled day of children’s amusement rides and creative activities at this free community event.. Free shuttle buses will be running throughout Cambridge to provide transportation. 


Central Square Night Market is Back Tomorrow

The Central Square Night Market is on Saturday, September 20, from 5-10 p.m. It features food trucks, a beer garden, live performances, games, and photo ops. The night will be packed with things to do, see, and taste. This event is free and open to all ages!


Cambridge Community Center Block Party Tomorrow

The Cambridge Community Center is hosting a Roast in the Coast block party from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, September 20, to celebrate the end of summer and welcome fall with food, entertainment, dancing, and community gathering. No reservation needed — just show up!


Meet Your Neighbor Days

A Meet Your Neighbor Days program will take place in Cambridge between September 20 - 28. This initiative is convened by the Cambridge Peace Commission and co-sponsored by the Committee on Civic Unity with the goal of building connections and community throughout the City. Residents can submit their events to the online Meet Your Neighbors Day map.


Free Family Swim at the War Memorial Pool in September

The War Memorial Recreation Center (1640 Cambridge St.) has reopened for programming and public swim for the fall season. This year, the facility will offer free Family Swim through the month of September. For schedule details, view the Fall 2025 Pool Schedule.

Services and Resources


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.


As always, please contact me with questions or concerns at Marjorie.Decker@mahouse.gov.


Sincerely,  

Marjorie

 
 
Marjorie Decker State Representative Logo

STAY CONNECTED

Sign up here for weekly updates

Facebook
Instagram
Twitter / X

Copyright 2024 Authorized and Paid for by The Friends of Marjorie Decker © All Rights Reserved

bottom of page