BOSTON– Senator Sal DiDomenico recently announced the passage of legislation to expand voter access and ensure voters have safe voting options for all remaining 2020 elections, including the September 1, 2020 state primary and November 3, 2020 general election, in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. An Act relative to voting options in response to COVID-19 has now been signed by Governor Baker.

The legislation, for the first time in state history, would establish a vote-by-mail option and early voting period for the upcoming fall elections. In addition to those options, the bill also addresses polling place safety for those who choose to cast their ballots in person. 

“Ensuring that we have safe, inclusive, and accessible elections is always of the highest importance, but especially critical as we face the COVID-19 crisis,” said Senator DiDomenico. “I am proud that, as a Legislature, we have now passed comprehensive legislation to allow voters-- for the first time ever-- to cast ballots by mail, vote early, and safely vote in person, as well as give our local election officials the tools they need to successfully run our fall elections.” 

The components of the bill are as follows:

Implements an early vote-by-mail system: An application to receive an early voting ballot for the primary will be mailed to all registered voters by July 15, 2020. The Secretary will then mail another application for the general election by September 14, 2020.  Both applications and ballots will have postage costs already paid for. 

Ballots postmarked on or before November 3, 2020 will be counted until Friday November 6, 2020 at 5.PM. Applications for early voting and absentee voting must be received 4 business days before the election, by Wednesday August 26 2020 (for the primary) and Wednesday Oct. 28 2020.

Creates early voting for the primary and expands early voting periods: For the first time in Massachusetts, early voting will be available for the state primary, and will take place from Saturday, August 22, 2020 through Friday, August 28, 2020. Early voting for the general election is scheduled to take place from Tuesday, October 17, 2020 to Friday, October 30, 2020.

Makes in-person voting safer and more efficient: The bill allows municipalities, with proper notice, to consolidate polling places and eliminate the check-out table at these locations, allowing for a more efficient process and fewer poll workers. It also expands who is eligible to serve as a poll worker, knowing that many current volunteers are seniors who may feel less comfortable working in public during COVID-19.

Provides tools to assist clerks: Acknowledging the increased burden these options may place on municipalities and clerks, the bill also provides for several accommodations to make the logistics of processing votes easier. The legislation allows for tabulating ballots prior to election day, and it offers pre-addressed envelopes to voters, so their applications go directly to their clerk’s office.

Tasks the Secretary of State with creating an online portal and promoting voting options: To make it as easy as possible for people to apply for general election early voting, the bill requires Secretary Galvin’s office to create an online portal not later than October 1, 2020. Electronic applications for early voting will be available for the general election, and if feasible, for the primary election.

The bill also requires the Secretary of State to conduct a public awareness campaign to inform and notify voters of the many options available to cast a vote in upcoming 2020 elections.

The legislation now moves on to the governor for consideration.

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BOSTON–Senator Sal DiDomenico recently announced that the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed the Patients First Act, the third piece of signature healthcare legislation advanced by the body to increase access to health care, protect patients, and enhance quality care. This legislation builds on vital lessons learned during the COVID-19 public health crisis, as unprecedented demands on the healthcare system have prompted innovation and the expedited adoption of policy changes.  

“This session, my colleagues and I fully committed to making our healthcare system more affordable and equitable, and this legislation is the latest step taken by the Senate to ensure healthcare is more accessible for all Massachusetts residents,” said Senator DiDomenico. “This bill reflects key lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and takes important steps to improve patient outcomes. I was proud to support this bill, and I would like to thank all of my colleagues who worked tirelessly on this vital legislation.” 

The Patients First Act ensures that telehealth services are available across the Commonwealth– services that have experienced a dramatic expansion during the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling patients across the state to continue receiving vital medical care through phone or videoconference without risking exposure to the coronavirus. Experience from the last few months has shown that telehealth has the ability to improve efficiency and expand access to care. These services, however, were not widely utilized before COVID-19. 

The bill does the following to put patients first:

• Requires insurance carriers, including MassHealth, to cover telehealth services in any case where the same in-person service would be covered. It also ensures that telehealth services include care through audio-only telephone calls, and requires reimbursement rates to match in-person services over the next two years. 

• Eliminates “surprise billing,” the unfair practice of charging patients who are unaware they received health care services outside of their insurance network for costs that insurance carriers refuse to pay. The situation is common especially prior to a planned procedure, and it can be impossible to avoid uncovered services, particularly in emergency situations. 

• Expands the scope of practice for several health care professionals, increasing patient access to critical care. The bill would allow registered nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists and psychiatric nurse mental health specialists to practice independently as long as they meet certain education and training standards. 

• Recognizes pharmacists as health care providers, enabling them to integrate more fully into coordinated care teams.

• Creates a new professional license for “dental therapists,” who will be authorized to provide dental hygiene and other oral health services, which will help expand access to dental care in underserved communities.

• Tasks state health care oversight agencies to analyze and report on the effects COVID-19 has had on the Commonwealth’s health care delivery system as it relates to accessibility, quality and fiscal sustainability. The analysis will include an inventory of all health care services and resources serving Massachusetts residents from birth to death, as well as an analysis of existing health care disparities due to economic, geographic, racial or other factors.

The passage of the Patients First Act marks the third major piece of healthcare legislation passed in the Senate this session, in addition to the Pharmaceutical Access, Costs and Transparency (PACT) Act and the Mental Health Addressing Barriers to Care (ABC) Act.

The Patients First Act now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.

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BOSTON – Senator Sal DiDomenico and his colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate recently passed legislation to invest in municipal transportation projects and establish a new leadership board for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).  

The bill, An Act financing improvements to municipal roads and bridges, authorizes $300 million in municipal roads and bridges through bonding, an $80 million increase over the 2019 Chapter 90 appropriation. The legislation also establishes a new seven-member MBTA Board of Directors to succeed the current oversight body, known as the Fiscal Management and Control Board. The MBTA Board of Directors will be responsible for governing and exercising corporate powers of the MBTA.    

“This $300 million dollar investment will not only help us meet our immediate transit needs, but also ensure we can continue working on long-term projects and improvements to our transportation system that were needed long before COVID-19 began,” said Senator DiDomenico. “This bill is a win-win: by funding local improvement projects now, we can kick start our economy, all while moving forward with the development of a safe and equitable transit system for decades to come.  I would like to thank Senate President Karen Spilka, Senate Ways & Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues, and Senate Transportation Chair Joe Boncore for their work and leadership on this legislation.”

The bill includes the following components:  

·         Increases the Chapter 90 bonding to $300 million, an increase of $80 million over the 2019 investment. This funding will support transportation infrastructure projects in cities and towns.    

·         Creates a professional, and diverse MBTA Board of Directors by requiring the Governor’s five appointments to include a member with experience in transportation operations and safety, a member with experience in public or private finance, a member with experience in transportation or urban planning, a member who is a representative of a labor organization, and a member who has municipal government experience in the service area constituting the authority. The Secretary of Transportation will serve as an ex-officio member, and one member will be appointed by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Advisory Board. Additionally, at least two members of the MBTA Board of Directors must also serve on the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.  

·         Keeps the MBTA Board of Directors transparent and accountable by improving the public meeting process by requiring the Board to meet at least once per month and 20 times per calendar year. Members of the MBTA Board of Directors, except the Secretary of Transportation, will serve for four-year terms and have a stipend of $12,000 per year. 

·         Provides greater autonomy and authority to the MBTA Board of Directors by empowering the Board to make decisions over hiring the MBTA General Manager, and delegate specific powers and responsibilities to the General Manager. Affirmative hiring votes will require at least five members if the Transportation Secretary is not in the voting majority. Voting on financial decisions by the MBTA Board of Directors on matters related to construction and acquisition that uses bonds or debt service payments must also have at least five members voting in the affirmative if the Transportation Secretary is not in the voting majority.  

The legislation must now be reconciled with the Massachusetts House of Representatives. 

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