BOSTON – On July 30th, the State Senate passed Senator DiDomenico's legislation which would support students managing diabetes in our schools. H.5052 An Act providing for diabetes management in schools would address the critical need for increased diabetes management services in schools for children living with type 1 and type 2 diabetes throughout the Commonwealth. This bill would allow school nurses to share monitoring responsibilities with teachers and other trusted adults in the classroom.

Currently, students who cannot self-administer treatment for their diabetes must excuse themselves from class in order to be treated by the school nurse or school physician. This takes up immense amounts of time and is incredibly disruptive and detrimental to students’ academic and social success. This legislation would allow monitoring and treatment to finally be provided by an adult who is delegated by the school nurse or physician and ease the burden on students managing their diabetes.

"I know how hard and time consuming it is to manage diabetes for many of our students, and I was proud to sponsor this legislation and advocate for its passage in the Senate,” said Senator DiDomenico, Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “We are in a time right now where we are reimagining schools and how we can best support our families. This one simple tool will allow countless students to finally be able to remain in their classrooms and receive the education and school experience they deserve!”

Having passed the House and Senate, An Act providing for diabetes management in schools now goes on to the Governor for his signature.

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BOSTON – On July 28th, the Governor signed this year’s state budget into law, which included one of Senator Sal DiDomenico’s top priorities - funding for universal school meals throughout the upcoming school year. This $110 million investment will provide free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of income in the Commonwealth.

Universal free school meals provide economic relief to parents with low income, saves time, helps children learn, and encourages more kids to take advantage by removing any stigma from a school meal program. Throughout the pandemic, increased federal funding has empowered schools to offer free meals to all children. This federal funding has been a lifeline for students and parents with low income, but the money is running out before the upcoming school year. Now that this state funding has been signed into law, 400,000 children will keep their access to free meals and be able to focus on school and their friends.

“As the Universal School Meals lead sponsor, and a longtime anti-hunger advocate I am proud of this $110 million commitment we secured in the budget,” said Senator DiDomenico, Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “We must take time to celebrate, spread the word about this monumental victory, and then get back to work to ensure no Massachusetts student goes hungry again. I would like to thank Senate President Spilka and Chair Rodrigues for working to include this in the budget, Representative Vargas, for his leadership in the House, and Project Bread along with all anti-hunger organizations and activists across the state for their tremendous advocacy.”

“The past two years have shown how critical school meals are – as a response to rising food insecurity and as a tool to help students succeed at school. With the program ending on the federal level, we are grateful that the state legislature stepped in to ensure that families and school nutrition programs did not lose this important resource, the number one source of food for families during the pandemic. Massachusetts is stronger because of Senator DiDomenico’s advocacy and leadership in addressing child hunger. We look forward to continuing to work together to ensure that students have the nutrition they need during the school day,” said Erin McAleer, CEO and President of Project Bread.

Senator DiDomenico and Representative Andy Vargas filed this legislation in 2021. The two elected officials first teamed up during the previous legislative session to pass the Breakfast After the Bell law, which provides breakfast in school to countless children from families with low income. Project Bread, one of the most effective anti-hunger organizations, and activists across the state have been indispensable partners in achieving these milestones. DiDomenico will work with the coalition and continue to press forward in the next legislative session to make Universal School Meals permanent in Massachusetts.

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Compromise bill to prohibit discrimination based on hair texture or style, including discrimination against natural and protective hairstyles, passes the Legislature

BOSTON – On Monday, July 18th, the Massachusetts State Senate passed the CROWN Act, a bill sponsored by Senator Sal DiDomenico and Senator Adam Gomez of Springfield which prohibits discrimination based on a person’s hair texture or style in Massachusetts. Having been enacted in both the Senate and the House, the bill now goes to Governor Baker for his signature.

The CROWN Act prohibits denial of employment and educational opportunities in places of work, schools, and school-related organizations on account of hair texture or protective hairstyles, such as braids, locks, and twists, used by people by color. Hair-based discrimination has excluded people of color from classrooms and workplaces, with serious academic and economic consequences.

“As a long-time supporter and one of the Senate lead sponsors of this legislation, I am thrilled to see the CROWN Act going to the Governor to be signed into law,” said Senator DiDomenico (D-Everett), Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “The CROWN Act will protect people of color from experiencing hair discrimination and ensure we can celebrate all hairstyles. We are sending a message that discrimination in any form will not be tolerated and we will now have a law in place to back this up. We could not have accomplished this without the tenacious work from advocates from the CROWN Coalition and bravery from students who have shared their personal experiences with hair discrimination. I would also like to thank Senate President Spilka and Chair Rodrigues for making this a priority this session and my legislative partners, Senator Gomez, Representative Ultrino, and Representative Tyler, for their dedication and tireless work getting this bill across the finish line.”

“Having the right to be and present as our authentic selves, without fear of discrimination, matters to each one of us,” stated Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “For too many Black and Brown residents of Massachusetts this right has not always been honored. By enacting the CROWN Act, the Senate is once again affirming that hair discrimination has no place in professional or school settings in the Commonwealth. I am grateful to Mya and Deanna Cook, who stood up and fought hard to right this wrong for Black women and girls across the state. Thank you to Senators Gomez, DiDomenico, Rodrigues, Lewis and Edwards, as well as their staff members, for their work on this issue, and to the advocates for their collaboration.” 

This legislation was inspired in part by two Black teenagers from Malden, Mya and Deanna Cook, who were punished by their school and barred from extracurricular activities for wearing their hair in braids. After gaining national attention and organizing public protests, the school eventually reversed their policy. The CROWN Act will protect Massachusetts children from experiencing this kind of discrimination.

The CROWN (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) Coalition has played a crucial role in supporting the passage of this legislation in Massachusetts and in states across the country. Massachusetts will soon join 17 other states that have passed some version of the CROWN Act, which has also been proposed at the federal level.

Having passed both branches of the legislature, the bill now goes to the Governor for his review.

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