Thursday, July 3rd Legislative & Public Health Updates
- hannanur3
- Jul 7, 2025
- 10 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.
This year, as we approach our nation’s Independence Day, I encourage us all to take a moment to reflect on the true significance of the 4th of July and what it means to formerly enslaved people, as articulated by Frederick Douglass in his speech "What to the Slave is the 4th of July?". Especially in our current moment, where democracy and diversity of all kinds are under attack, it is important to contemplate the deeper meaning of this occasion together.
Wishing you all a safe and joyful holiday weekend!
Table of Contents
Legislative Updates
Public Health Updates
A Glimpse at the Past Week
Cambridge Updates
Services and Resources
Legislative Updates
Legislature passes FY26 budget
On Monday, the Legislature enacted a $61 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26), resolving differences between the versions of the budget passed by the House and the Senate earlier this year. This budget provides for significant levels of investment in health care, education, and transportation, marking a $3.3 billion increase over the final FY25 budget.
Among the exciting investments in the FY26 budget are:
$22 billion for MassHealth, maintaining access to comprehensive health care coverage for over 2 million residents, including nearly half of all children
$1.8 billion to support the Personal Care Attendant program and its collective bargaining agreement, which raised the wage scale to $25 per hour
$694 million for mental illness and substance use disorders support services, including $19 million to support jail diversion initiatives to connect individuals with appropriate treatment
$116 million for local housing authorities
$20 million for Head Start grants
$20 million for the Healthy Incentives Program
$5 million to implement an immigration legal services program for designated non-profit organizations to increase access to legal representation, advice, and advocacy for immigrants and refugees who are facing enhanced legal threats from the federal government.
$2 million for Planned Parenthood to support continuing access to sexual and reproductive health care and community needs
$150,000 for Reproductive Equity Now to operate a free and confidential abortion legal hotline for Massachusetts-based healthcare providers, as well as patients obtaining care in-state
The budget includes $2.4 billion in Fair Share surtax-generated revenues. Notable investments include:
$470 million in direct support to the MBTA
$180 million for universal free school meals
$120 million for universal free community college
$192 million for income-eligible childcare financial assistance
Several amendments I filed were included in the FY26 budget:
Language establishing the Affirming Health Care Trust Fund, which I filed with Rep. Sam Montaño, offering a national model on providing gender-affirming care at a time when it is under attack by the federal government. The trust fund will be the first in the nation to exclusively fund access to gender-affirming health care and includes an initial allocation of $1 million.
$100,000 for the Cambridge Community Center to support the Center’s behavioral health programming and the staff who provide it.
$200,000 for Cradles to Crayons’ clothing insecurity relief and distribution services.
$200,000 for the continued implementation of a School-Based Behavioral Health Technical Assistance Center, a statewide program providing technical assistance to school districts and partnering with community providers to build and sustain district capacity to meet students' social, emotional, and behavioral health needs.
$100,000 for Science Club for Girls to provide mentorship and career opportunities to girls and gender-expansive youth in a curiosity-driven curriculum.
$1 million for the Alliance of YWCAs to add essential staff, including mental health specialists, to YW teams, conduct increased targeted outreach to attract more at-risk youth to programs, and enable each YW to serve more girls and LGBTQ young people.
$100,000 for Food For Free’s Carrot Card program, designed to address food insecurity among students and families during out-of-school time when they do not have access to free school meals.
$25,000 for The Loop Lab to empower content creators of color to have careers in media arts through job training and paid internships.
I am also proud to have worked to annualize a 10% increase for Emergency Aid to Elders, Disabled, and Children (EAEDC) and Transitional Aid for Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) grants that I secured in the FY25 budget and that went into effect in April 2025.
This budget also recognizes the uncertain funding landscape ahead with the federal reconciliation bill moving through Congress and provides necessary flexibility in the event of further cuts to federal funding for the Commonwealth. Importantly, the FY26 budget intentionally includes $800 million in unallocated funding to allow for this flexibility. As cuts are made to federal programs that uplift the most vulnerable in our country, I am grateful to Speaker Ron Mariano, Chair of Ways & Means Aaron Michlewitz, and their staffs for crafting a budget that reflects our commitment to protecting marginalized residents across the Commonwealth.
The budget now goes to Governor Healey for her signature.
Public Health Updates
Impacts on Medicaid in Federal Reconciliation Bill
On Tuesday, the Senate narrowly passed President Donald Trump’s budget bill 51-50, with Vice President JD Vance breaking a tie after three Republicans joined all Democrats in voting against the legislation. At a reduction of $800 billion in federal spending, the bill would be the biggest cut to the social safety net in decades and one of the largest cuts to Medicaid since the program’s inception. It is estimated that by 2034, 11.8 million Americans will lose their health insurance, including approximately 250,000 Massachusetts residents.The bill also seeks to punish states that use state taxes to fund programs that offer healthcare to immigrants, both lawfully present and undocumented. The bill also adds a strict work requirement to Medicaid. Even without this requirement, around 92 percent of people on Medicaid are currently working, or qualify for a medical exemption. Additionally, the passage of this budget bill will impose shorter paperwork filing deadlines, end auto-renewal processes for Medicaid, and require twice-yearly renewals. Policy and health experts are concerned that, instead of preventing fraud, the paperwork processes could lead to many eligible families losing insurance. Notably, a provision that would have prohibited Medicaid from covering gender-affirming care for transgender people, both minors and adults, was removed by the Senate parliamentarian. The bill is now before the House, where Republicans are trying to approve the final version of the bill before a self-imposed July 4 deadline.
Supreme Court Gives HHS Secretary More Influence over ACA Preventive Care Coverage
Last month, the Supreme Court handed down its ruling in Kennedy v. Braidwood, upholding Affordable Care Act-directed coverage. Currently, insurance companies are required to cover all preventive care recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and any other evidence-based prevention rated A or B by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), with no required co-pay to the insured person. Approximately 100 million privately insured people get preventative services each year without cost-sharing under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). However, Briarwood Management, a Christian organization, argued that these requirements were unconstitutional and objected to having to cover PrEP, a drug that prevents HIV, under the ACA because the drug holds a recommendation from the USPSTF. In a 6-3 ruling, the Court found that USPSTF and the enforcement of its recommendations is constitutional because the HHS secretary has the power to fire and appoint members and to reject the task force’s recommendations of which screenings or drugs should be offered to certain populations. However, public health experts are concerned about what the Court’s decision could mean for the future of preventative care access. It’s unclear whether Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will alter the membership of USPSTF as he did with ACIP, but the Court’s decision in Briarwood gives Kennedy substantially more authority to determine membership of task forces and panels that influence ACA preventative services coverage requirements.
A Glimpse at the Past Week
Last Saturday afternoon, I spoke at a Department of Corrections (DOC) visitation policy participatory planning meeting at Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury alongside Representative Sam Montaño. As the lead sponsor of An Act to build restorative and family connections (H.2591), it was powerful to hear from incarcerated and formerly incarcerated organizers about the impact that this legislation would have on them and their communities. As a reminder, the bill, which I worked on in partnership with Prisoners’ Legal Services and the Keeping Families Connected coalition, strengthens family and community connections by protecting access to daily visits, eliminating caps on the number of visitors, creating child-friendly spaces, and reducing discrimination in the visitation process.
I also shared my work on two other bills I filed this session:
An Act transferring Bridgewater State Hospital from the Department of Corrections to the Department of Mental Health (H.3291) would transfer the jurisdiction of Bridgewater State Hospital from the Department of Corrections to the Department of Mental Health.
An Act relative to expungement of juvenile and young adult records (H.1657), which would allow for eligibility for the expungement of juvenile criminal records for any number of non-convictions and non-adjudications. It would also limit convictions ineligible for expungement to those resulting in death or serious physical harm or any sex-based offense. Finally, it would prohibit the sharing of fingerprints or criminal records of juvenile offenders with the Federal Bureau of Investigation or the Department of Justice.
On Tuesday, I stopped by YW Cambridge to meet with staff and learn about how they have been affected by recent actions at the federal level, including cuts to grants that support our most vulnerable populations. YW Cambridge has been an invaluable partner for decades in supporting women and girls and LGBTQ+ young people in Cambridge, and I am immensely grateful for the work that they do.
As you read above, I am proud to have secured $1 million for the Alliance of YWCAs in the FY6 budget. These funds will be distributed evenly among each YW in Massachusetts, including Cambridge, so they can continue to serve marginalized community members.
I coordinated a meeting between Department of Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt, her staff, and several Cambridge officials, including Mayor Denise Simmons and City Manager Yi-An Huang, on Tuesday. This meeting included a discussion about a potential community space beneath Harvard Square in a section of unused MBTA tunnels which could host cultural events, music performances, Ted talks, and more. This is just the first step in bringing together all involved, and I look forward to continuing the conversation over the next few months.
Cambridge Updates
Firework Safety
Fireworks pose serious safety risks and can potentially start fires that destroy homes and businesses. All fireworks are illegal for private use in Massachusetts, even those purchased legally in other states.
Cambridge firefighters, police officers, and emergency responders urge residents to leave fireworks to professionals during the busy July 4 holiday period. Anyone with information about fireworks activity should call Cambridge Emergency Communications at 617-349-3300 or dial 911 for immediate emergencies.
250th Anniversary of the U.S Army Postponed to July 7
The City of Cambridge, in partnership with the Cambridge Veterans Services Office, invites residents of all ages to a community celebration honoring the 250th Anniversary of the United States Army. The 250th Anniversary of the United States Army event at the Cambridge Common was postponed to Monday, July 7 at 1 p.m. This free, family-friendly event includes a bounce house, an obstacle course, food and live music, and will be held on the Cambridge Commons (1500 Mass. Ave, Cambridge).
R-Jay Jones Youth Scholarship Fund
The Cambridge Community Center (CCC) is launching the R-Jay Jones Youth Scholarship Fund to ensure that no child is turned away from our summer or after-school programs due to financial barriers. This fund honors the extraordinary legacy of Ronald “R-Jay” Jones, who has served the CCC for over 50 years. In previous years, your generosity helped fund field trips and enrichment experiences. This year, due to recent cuts in external funding beyond their control, they are shifting their focus to scholarships. Your support will help families continue to access the full range of services the CCC offers, including daily meals, social-emotional support, mentorship, physical activity, and a caring community. If you'd like to include a note to R-Jay with your gift, email it to info@cambridgecc.org with "R-Jay" in the subject line. They will make sure he receives it.
Services and Resources
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
