Massachusetts Legislature Ends 19-Month Session

The Massachusetts Legislature concluded its 19-month session early Thursday, passing several key bills but failing to reach consensus on significant legislation, including economic development, clean energy, and hospital regulation. Bills that succeeded include a $5.6 billion housing bond bill aimed at making housing more affordable and incentivizing office-to-residential conversions, as well as a bill enhancing services for veterans. A bill ensuring pay transparency for companies with over 25 employees and legislation updating the legal definition of parentage for families using reproductive technologies were also passed. Despite the end of the formal session, lawmakers plan to continue working in informal sessions, although passing new bills will be more challenging. The failure to pass the economic development and clean energy bills has been particularly disappointing for advocates who have been pushing for these reforms. Lawmakers expressed frustration over the inability to finalize certain critical bills but emphasized the importance of quality and error-free legislation.