BOSTON– Senator DiDomenico is proud to co-sponsor and join his colleagues in passing S.2573, An Act allowing humane transportation of K9 partners, also known as Nero’s Law. This legislation ensures that law enforcement officers’ K-9 partners receive life-saving medical attention and transport if injured in the line of duty. First proposed by Senator Mark Montigny, this bill comes in response to the tragic events that took the life of New Bedford-native and Yarmouth Police K-9 Sergeant Sean Gannon and severely injured his K-9 partner, Nero.  

In April 2018, Sergeant Gannon was shot and killed while serving a warrant in the Town of Barnstable. Despite the multiple empty ambulances on site, Nero had to be rushed to the animal hospital in the back of a police cruiser. Current Massachusetts law prohibits emergency medical personnel from treating and transporting animals. Fortunately, Nero survived his injuries, but the inability to transport him showed that reform was needed to honor working dogs who risk their lives every day to serve the Commonwealth. 

A dog owner himself, Senator DiDomenico proudly co-sponsored Nero’s Law. “Like our law enforcement officers, police dogs are constantly in harm’s way. Police K-9s are valuable members of our police forces, so it is essential that they be treated as such and protected. I was proud to support this bill and I am pleased the Senate has taken action on this legislation this session.” Nero’s situation is not an isolated incident, seeing as other police K-9s throughout the Commonwealth have been injured or killed while on duty. 

Nero’s Law authorizes emergency medical service personnel to provide emergency treatment and transport of K-9 partners. This includes basic first aid, CPR, and administering life-saving interventions such as naloxone.  

Nero’s Law now advances to the Massachusetts House of Representatives for consideration. 

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BOSTON–  Senator Sal DiDomenico is pleased to report that after speaking on the Senate floor about the importance of his two amendments that would address food insecurity in the Commonwealth, both amendments totalling $18.9 Million passed the Senate during the debate of S.2564, An Act relative to immediate COVID-19 recovery needs, also known as the ARPA Spending Bill. This bill outlines a $3.66 billion spending plan investing into key economic sectors in the Commonwealth such as housing, workforce development, schools and health care systems, using federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and FY21 state revenue surplus funds. 

Senator DiDomenico’s amendments secure millions in funding for food security organizations in the Commonwealth. Specifically, one of his amendments supplies the Greater Boston Food Bank with $17 Million to use for a multifaceted investment in infrastructure so that they can continue to meet the needs of food insecure residents in the greater Boston area, especially his communities of Everett and Chelsea. DiDomenico's second amendment provides Project Bread with $1.92 Million to connect eligible and unenrolled Massachusetts residents with federal nutrition programs, such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through expanded outreach by means of a multifaceted effort including statewide expanded outreach, increased community engagement, and marketing and promotion campaigns. 

Even before COVID-19, there has been an epidemic around food security in the U.S., and in the Commonwealth. At one point during the pandemic, Massachusetts had the highest increase in percentage of people facing food insecurity during the pandemic going from 8.4% of households to 19.6%, highest among BIPOC households and homes with children. Senator DiDomenico spoke on the significance of the work that organizations such as Project Bread and the Greater Boston Food Bank do throughout the Commonwealth. “Residents throughout my district and the Commonwealth relied on food and services provided by the Greater Boston Food Bank and Project Bread during the pandemic", said Senator DiDomenico. "They have been a lifeline for so many people and and I am happy to secure this additional funding so they can continue this important work in our communities." 

The Senate version of An Act relative to immediate COVID-19 recovery needs and Senator DiDomenico’s food security amendments must now be reconciled with a similar version passed by the Massachusetts House of Representatives.  

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BOSTON– Last week, Senator Sal DiDomenico testified before the Joint Committee on Housing in support of legislation he has championed in the Massachusetts Senate for several sessions: An Act promoting housing stability and homelessness prevention in Massachusetts, also known as the Right to Counsel Bill. 

DiDomenico’s Right to Counsel bill, S.874, would make legal representation in eviction proceedings a right under Massachusetts state law. Currently, roughly 14% of renters in the Commonwealth are behind on their rent payments, and hundreds more eviction cases are being filed each week. Unfortunately, eviction proceedings disproportionately impact tenants with the lowest-income, especially immigrant families and the elderly, simply because they are unable to afford legal representation. This bill would provide legal representation for low-income tenants and owner-occupants landlords of two and three family homes in eviction proceedings.  

In 2020, at the start of the pandemic, Senator DiDomenico filed similar emergency legislation to launch a Right To Council Pilot program to provide legal representation for tenants facing COVID-related evictions. Governor Baker incorporated key elements of DiDomenico’s Bill into the state’s Eviction Diversion Plan, now called the COVID Eviction Legal Help Project (CELHP). This emergency pilot program has had an overwhelming positive outcome. 

Since its implementation in January 2021, CHELP has assisted approximately 7,000 individuals (including 2,300 children) and positively resolved 90% of cases. Of those 90% of cases, 70% resulted in the preservation of the tenancy, and 20% of cases were negotiated to afford the tenant(s) more time to find replacement housing. In just nine months, CELHP has proven the undeniable need and extraordinary benefit of granting a comprehensive right to counsel program in the Commonwealth. Unfortunately, the existing CELHP program is only temporary. 

During his testimony, Senator DiDomenico highlighted the benefits of his permanent right to counsel bill. “Even where tenant cases are ultimately unsuccessful, the presence of council can assist when negotiating things like payment, extensions of time to vacate, finding alternative housing, or different lease terms that satisfy both landlords and tenants.” Citing a 2020 Boston Bar Association report, DiDomenico pointed out that “the monetary benefits of representing eligible beneficiaries in eviction and foreclosure proceedings, far outweighs the costs of providing those services.” The report estimated legal costs at about $9.49 million and the potential savings at over $25 million. This legislation is imperative to keeping the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable of tenants and families-renters from becoming unhoused, homeless, and displaced.  

This legislation will prove to be vital for low-income renters in Massachusetts as the pandemics effect on housing continues to take its toll. “This bill is timely and more important than ever.” DiDomenico stated, “This bill levels the playing field.” Backed by a coalition of over 200 organizations the bill has garnered unilateral support among tenant, homeowner, and landlord advocacy groups alike.  

The bill is currently pending before the Joint Committee on Housing where it awaits a favorable report.  

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