Bills: HB20 , HB 120 , HB20 , HB120

Committee: House S/C on Academic & Career-Oriented Education

Keywords: applied sciences, career education, high school diploma, certificate program, work-based learning, job placement, high-growth jobs, technical training, career readiness, education reform, workforce training, public schools, financial aid, fraudulent solicitation, disaster relief, nonprofit organizations, criminal penalties, consumer protection, fraud prevention, charitable donations

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a lawyer there and deal with evictions day in and day out.
• And so my issue is... ...I understand the need to evict them at some point.
• To go through an eviction process down the road.
• provider, it's hard to evict.
• It's hard to evict. I know that because we own apartment complexes back at home.

Summary: The Criminal Justice Subcommittee heard and voted on a series of bills dealing with traffic enforcement, drug-related homicide charges, vessel regulation, crime-stoppers records, cyber harassment, pawn data sharing, hotel removals of nonpaying guests, and Fish and Wildlife Commission authority. Members and witnesses generally framed the bills around public safety, law enforcement efficiency, victim protection, and property rights, while several bills drew concerns about criminal penalties, due process, and impacts on workers or families. Public testimony included support from sheriffs, police chiefs, AARP, hospitality workers, civil liberties groups, and industry representatives, depending on the bill. PCS for CSHB 351, creating a criminal offense for dangerous excessive speeding, passed 13-4 after debate over whether the new offense would expand search-and-seizure authority and whether the penalties were too harsh. HB 457, which expands third-degree murder to include unlawful distribution of controlled substances resulting in death and removes the under-18 exclusion, was amended to add a knowledge/should-have-known fentanyl standard and then passed unanimously 17-0. CS for HB 1285 on disposition of migrant vessels and HB 1149 on vessel accountability both passed unanimously after brief discussion and a cleanup amendment on HB 1149. HB 397, providing a public records exemption for Crime Stoppers organizations, passed 16-0 after a clarifying amendment. HB 1451 on sexual cyber harassment also passed 16-0 after an amendment expanding definitions, penalties, civil remedies, and limitations periods. PCS for HB 1359, requiring FDLE to study a statewide pawn database, passed 16-0 with support from law enforcement and concerns about linking local systems and private vendors. CSHB 535, which clarifies when guests in public lodging establishments may be removed for nonpayment and also addressed service-charge language affecting gratuities, generated the most extended debate and strong opposition from hospitality workers and labor advocates over due process and tipped income. Supporters argued it would clarify transient occupancy and protect property owners, but the bill passed 11-6. Finally, CS/HB 1133 on Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission appointments and warrant requirements for FWC officers passed 16-0 after an amendment requiring warrants or probable cause for entry onto private land. The meeting adjourned after all agenda items were reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:06:42.680><c> all</c> in our travels home please protect all in our travels home please protect
• rent on time and um to evict them because the idea is um to evict them because the idea is that<00:55
• There are already causes to evict.
• , and it is a notice of eviction.
• , and it is a notice of eviction.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> persons because they're not protected persons because they're not protected classes.<01:40:25.199
• Uh and we would provide protections.
• </c> evicted on the grounds of retaliation. evicted on the grounds of retaliation. or<02:12:41.360><c
• Can they um evict people premises?
• </c> without utilizing the eviction process? without utilizing the eviction process?

Committee: Senate Commerce

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I can't support this... cause for eviction but under the there's cause for eviction but under the there's
• </c><01:26:25.000><c> for</c> well that's why we have eviction for well that's why we have eviction for
• </c> alternative to a non-payment eviction alternative to a non-payment eviction for<03:48:17.399><c>
• </c> tenant due to a number of protected tenant due to a number of protected categories<04:12:45.040>
• </c> of credit of background for eviction of credit of background for eviction history<04:15:55.560><

Committee: House Housing

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We've got to protect the kids, so thank you. ...We've got to protect the kids, so thank you.
• HB 2862 is a blatant violation of protected First Amendment rights.
• Anonymous political expression is constitutionally protected.
• a current or past eviction crisis.
• Protecting religious worship is important, but HB 4117 is unnecessary and risks criminalizing protected

Summary: The Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee heard a full slate of bills, beginning with HB 2749, which would allow certain nonviolent class 4, 5, or 6 felonies to be redesignated as misdemeanors after completion of sentence and a waiting period. The committee adopted a chair’s amendment narrowing eligibility and excluding some offenses, then passed the bill 6-0 with one not voting. Supporters described it as a redemption and reintegration measure for people who have completed their obligations. The committee then considered HB 2870, a constituent-driven bill restricting level 2 and level 3 sex offenders from living together in the same single-family dwelling unless they are related or in certain supervised facilities. The sponsor and neighborhood witnesses described a Chandler/Ocotillo situation involving multiple offenders in one house and argued the bill would protect families; opponents warned it could push offenders into homelessness and make supervision harder. After debate and testimony from both sides, the bill passed 3-2 with two not voting. HB 2862, which enhances penalties for offenses committed while wearing a mask to conceal identity, also passed 3-2 with two not voting after the Scottsdale city attorney testified in support and the ACLU argued it would chill protected protest and anonymity. HB 2364, which creates criminal penalties for mailing or delivering abortion-inducing drugs and for ordering them by mail, drew strong support from anti-abortion witnesses and strong opposition from lawmakers who said it conflicts with Proposition 139 and constitutional protections for abortion access. The bill passed 4-3. HB 2244, supported by Phoenix Vice Mayor Keisha Hodge Washington, would require landlords to respond to motions to satisfy eviction judgments and allow sealing of eviction records when tenants have paid; it passed unanimously 7-0. HB 2573, which removes a 45-day waiting period before some DUI offenders can apply for an ignition interlock restricted license, passed 7-0. The committee also advanced HB 4117, a strike-everything amendment creating penalties for interfering with religious services by obstructing access or engaging in disorderly conduct intended to disrupt worship. The ADL and Jewish community advocates supported it as a protection for worshippers, while the ACLU argued it could criminalize protected protest and speech; it passed 4-3. Finally, HCR 2004, a mirror resolution on photo enforcement systems that would require voter approval for continued operation and periodic reauthorization, passed 4-3 after testimony from the League of Cities and Towns and a discussion of traffic safety versus civil-liberties concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c> duration, compensation protections, duration, compensation protections, protection<00:15:52.160
• Senate File 3851 eviction entirely.
• Senate file 3851 eviction judgment.
• </c><01:30:46.400><c> people</c> renting units, not evicting people renting units, not evicting people
• An eviction is a relatively common.

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c> population and deserve protection, population and deserve protection, not<00:40:09.040><c> demonization
• It shall be the named defendant only that's evicted from the premises.
• So, in fact, a wild child, 17-year-old, can't get an entire family evicted from their home.
• </c> uh evicted from their their home. uh evicted from their their home.
• This is if the uh evicted.

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We've got to protect the kids, so thank you. We’ve got to protect the kids, so thank you.
• Anonymous political expression is constitutionally protected.
• First Amendment protections.
• a current or past eviction crisis.
• Protecting religious worship is important, but HB 4117...

Bills: HB2244 , HB2364 , HB2573 , HB2749 , HB2862 , HB2870 , HB4117 , HCR2004

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Elections

Keywords: evictions, judgment satisfaction, tenant rights, landlord obligations, court procedures, abortion-inducing drugs, medical abortion, pharmaceutical regulation, felonies, state law, DUI, ignition interlock, substance abuse treatment, driving privileges, alcohol education, felony conviction, misdemeanor designation, court judgment, criminal justice reform, rehabilitation

Transcript Highlights:

• Those cases can involve issues as profound as whether a family will be evicted from their home or who
• Trust is built by ensuring judicial independence, which is critical to protecting the rule of law.
• </c><00:45:31.480><c> from</c><00:45:31.720><c> public</c><00:45:32.400><c> housing</c> been evicted
• Over the years, I've appointed 61 new judges who now make up... protecting the rule of law judicial protecting
• You will be dearly... most Progressive worker protections and most Progressive worker protections and

Keywords: State of the Judiciary Address by Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald, 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Military protective orders, also called MPOs, are similar to civil restraining orders and provide protection
• This bill does not create a new protected class.
• This bill adds nothing to those protections.
• AGSC seeks targeted amendments that preserve safety protections while protecting consumer choice and
• would evict based on the breach of contract.

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on domestic violence protections, pay equity enforcement, Jewish demographic data collection, court transparency, auto glass insurance practices, pet policy disclosure for renters, and civil rights accountability for federal officers. SB 99 would require courts and law enforcement to better recognize military protective orders in domestic violence cases; supporters from the Department of Defense and military organizations said it would close jurisdictional gaps for military families, and the bill passed to Public Safety. SB 1237 would increase penalties for repeat noncompliance with California pay data reporting laws; supporters said stronger enforcement is needed to address persistent wage gaps, and the bill passed to Appropriations. SB 1387 would allow Jewish identity to be reported as an ethnic category in state demographic data; supporters said better data would improve policy and anti-discrimination efforts, while opponents argued the bill was unnecessary or divisive, and it passed to Privacy. SB 932 would require assignees filing civil actions to identify the original party in the case caption; supporters framed it as a transparency measure, and it passed to Judiciary/Appropriations on call. The committee also took up SB 98, which would regulate auto glass insurance claims by restricting assignment of benefits, requiring clearer estimates and invoices, and limiting inducements to consumers. The sponsor and NICB said the bill would curb fraud and unsafe repairs, while independent glass shops and industry groups argued it could reduce consumer choice and favor insurer-aligned networks; the bill passed to Appropriations. SB 1296 would require landlords to disclose pet policies before collecting application fees and provide refunds if nondisclosure materially affected an applicant’s decision; supporters said it would save renters time and money, while rental housing representatives objected to a provision limiting eviction based solely on failure to sign a pet addendum. The bill passed to Appropriations. Finally, SB 747, the No Kings Act, would create a California cause of action allowing people to sue federal officers for constitutional violations using standards similar to Section 1983. Senator Wiener and a witness who said he was unlawfully detained by Border Patrol argued the bill is needed because federal officers currently lack comparable accountability after the Supreme Court narrowed Bivens remedies. Law enforcement groups opposed the bill, warning that the qualified immunity language is unclear, could create a separate California standard, and might expose officers and governments to retroactive litigation; members discussed possible amendments on qualified immunity and retroactivity, and the bill was moved forward with an urgency amendment while negotiations continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• On bills like this that provide critical protections for consumers, with federal protections at a standstill
• And this is why we need a bill to protect tenants.
• It provides intervention, protection, oversight, and accountability for providers, protection, oversight
• The landlord is protected from bad-faith non-payment.
• My ex-husband picked me up and obtained a protective order.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on the Judiciary

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on the Judiciary heard testimony on a wide range of bills, with much of the discussion focused on housing stability and maternal mental health. On H. 1924/S. 1171, supporters including Sen. Joan Lovely, Rep. Jim O’Day, physicians, advocates, and people with lived experience urged the committee to create legal protections and treatment pathways for defendants who experienced postpartum psychosis or other perinatal mood disorders within 12 months of giving birth. Testimony emphasized that these conditions are rare but severe, often treatable, and can lead to tragic outcomes if criminalized rather than addressed through screening, expert evaluation, treatment, and, in some cases, resentencing or mitigation. Committee members asked about diagnosis years after the fact and how the Illinois law has worked; witnesses said retrospective diagnosis is possible and that the Illinois model has led to some successful resentencing petitions and broader awareness. Housing-related bills drew substantial testimony. On H. 1983/S. 1071, witnesses described “zombie” subordinate mortgages that were sold years after borrowers believed they had been resolved, then resurfaced with large balances and foreclosure threats. Supporters said the bill would require disclosures and court review to prevent unlawful servicing and foreclosure practices. On H. 1952, advocates from the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, tenants, and legal services providers backed a permanent statewide right to counsel in eviction cases, citing data showing strong tenant outcomes and the importance of quality control, multilingual outreach, and full representation. On H. 1895/S. 1184, testimony supported codifying a two-tier summary process in eviction court and prohibiting defaults at the initial case-management stage. On H. 1883, a small property owner supported rent escrow as a way to protect landlords from bad-faith nonpayment while preserving tenant rights. The committee also heard testimony on bills addressing discriminatory housing covenants, tenant oversight, and homelessness. On H. 1762/S. 1080, a housing advocate supported removing void restrictive covenants from deeds, describing the Dirty Deeds Project and the lingering harm of racist language in property records. On H. 1814, tenants and advocates described harassment, retaliation, security problems, and lack of accountability in subsidized housing, arguing for an Office of the Tenant Advocate within the Attorney General’s Office. On S. 1120, multiple witnesses supported a bill of rights for people experiencing homelessness, saying it would affirm the right to rest and seek shelter, reduce criminalization, and extend anti-discrimination protections. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing; the committee primarily received testimony and questions on the bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• Evictions are at all-time highs across the state, with over 2,000 households facing the loss of their
• homes through a court-filed eviction every single month.
• when I faced an unfair and wrongful eviction, I would have lost my home.
• Eviction filings in 2025 reached 24,368. That's a 48% increase over the fiscal year 2019 baseline.
• If protecting and investing in low-income communities is Washington's goal, we must also protect and

Bills: HB2289

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: appropriations, budget, fiscal matters, state spending, general fund, supplemental budget, biennial budget, substitute bill, public defense, civil legal aid, courts, judicial branch, homelessness, supportive housing, affordable housing, behavioral health, juvenile rehabilitation, youth services, child welfare, foster care

Transcript Highlights:

• Oh, okay, we should protect that, Mr. Chair. That is protected under this bill.
• , this 120-day protection?
• To avail themselves of this protection, this 120-day protection? Well, one reason is cost.
• , this 120-day protection.
• same time protecting the ADA and protecting those in our community that actually have genuine needs to

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills. AB 416 would allow emergency room physicians to initiate 5150 mental health holds, with supporters saying it would reduce emergency room bottlenecks and speed care for patients in crisis. County and behavioral health representatives opposed the bill, and some members raised broader concerns about the 5150 system and juvenile placements. The bill was ultimately approved on a do-pass as amended vote. AB 446, the Surveillance Pricing Act, drew extensive testimony. The author and supporters argued it would prohibit businesses from using personal data to charge different prices for the same product or service, describing the practice as discriminatory and exploitative. Business and industry groups opposed the bill, warning that its language was too broad, could affect discounts and loyalty programs, and would create litigation risk through a private right of action. After discussion about enforcement and possible amendments, the bill passed on a do-pass motion. AB 632 would give local governments a faster way to collect penalties for serious code violations, including unsafe housing, fire hazards, and illegal cannabis activity, by allowing certain fines to become money judgments and clarifying lien authority. It had support from county and city groups and no opposition was voiced in the hearing; the bill passed as amended. ACA 7, a constitutional amendment intended to clarify and limit misuse of Section 31A, also moved forward after brief support testimony. The committee then took up AB 649, which would extend protections for businesses that proactively obtain certified access specialist inspections and fix accessibility violations; the author, a small business owner, and others testified in support, while disability rights groups moved to neutral after amendments. Members discussed the balance between access enforcement and reducing predatory litigation, and the bill was still under consideration as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• This amendment addresses victims retain the right to waive the protection of confidentiality and protection
• It provides protection against Harris hiding assets in Section 4.
• There is no protection, no resources, no help designed for someone like me.
• We street and passenger safety protect for these offenders.
• Also the state has a duty to punish offenders and protect society.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Starting this month, tenants can now request eviction records be sealed.
• It means access to counsel in eviction proceedings.
• Everyone's trying to protect their community character, it seems like.
• The eviction case was dismissed two months ago and is now ready to be sealed.
• Of course, not every family can avoid eviction.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Housing

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Housing opened its second hearing of the session with remarks from Chairs Haggerty and Cyr emphasizing that the hearing was a broad look at Massachusetts’ housing crisis rather than a single bill. They highlighted topics including zoning, permitting, rental assistance, public housing, homelessness prevention, and housing production. The first witness, Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Augustus, reviewed implementation of the Affordable Homes Act and the state’s new housing plan, citing a 1.6% vacancy rate, a projected need for 222,000 new homes over 10 years, and ongoing efforts such as ADUs by right, fair housing enforcement, eviction record sealing, seasonal communities planning, and new funding for affordable housing, public housing, and the Momentum Fund. He also discussed infrastructure support for municipalities, technical assistance for ADUs, and concerns about possible federal funding cuts. Committee members questioned the secretary about ADU financing and technical assistance, the likely unit yield from the Affordable Homes Act, infrastructure barriers in suburban and rural communities, public housing waitlist management, supportive housing, and federal budget risks. MassNAHRO then testified that public housing authorities are facing rising operating and capital costs, a statewide waitlist nearing 300,000, and uncertainty over federal Section 8 and HUD funding. Witnesses described recent state support for operating subsidies, capital improvements, vacancy turnover teams, and resident service coordinators, while warning that proposed federal cuts could sharply affect voucher issuance and agency operations. CDAC’s executive director Roger Herzog described the agency’s role as a quasi-public source of early-stage financing and technical assistance for nonprofit housing developers, noting its loan capital, supportive housing bond programs, home modification loans, and preservation work under Chapter 40T. He said CDAC has helped produce or preserve more than 55,000 units and stressed the importance of patient capital and preservation tools. CHAPA CEO Rachel Heller urged the committee to focus on production, preservation, planning, and political will, supporting goals for affordability, supportive housing, and homeownership, and endorsing policy changes such as YIGBY, clearer site plan review rules, stronger fair housing funding, and more support for vouchers and public housing. MassHousing then outlined its financing role, including mortgage lending, down payment assistance, the Community Climate Bank, and the Momentum Fund, while noting that permitting delays, capital gaps, and possible federal changes could affect production. Members also asked about transparency, prevailing wage compliance, and a recent internal restructuring related to diversity and business engagement.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 338 requires the automatic expungement of dismissed eviction filings and protects minors from
• House Bill 338 requires the automatic expungement of dismissed eviction filings and protects minors from
• House Bill 338 requires the automatic expungement of dismissed eviction filings and protects minors from
• House Bill 338 requires the automatic expungement of dismissed eviction filings and protects minors from
• House Bill 338 requires the automatic expungement of dismissed eviction filings and protects minors from

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Evictions are still at all-time highs across the state, with 2,000 households facing eviction every single
• Prior, many were evicted wrongly.
• Prior, many were evicted wrongly.
• eviction filings in the state.
• Secondly, please protect the integrity of Climate Commitment Act dollars.

Bills: SB5998

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: fiscal appropriations, budget, state funding, financial management, operating expenses, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I believe once a judge realizes that it is a victim protective order that is domestic abuse by strangulation
• deadly weapon, I believe that while they are certainly innocent at the time, there needs to be protections
• Chair, this is an amendment to the civil procedure when it comes to the timeline for evictions.
• consequences affecting the AG's charity enforcement unit at the passage of the Personal Privacy Protection

Bills: SB1450 , SB1458 , SB1232 , SB1238 , SB1325 , SB1209 , SB1362 , SB2072 , SB1451 , SB1540 , SB1581 , SB1535 , SB1266 , SB1927 , SB1460 , SB2084 , SB2182

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: criminal court costs, court fees, fines, assessments, waiver, ability to pay, indigent defendants, post-release relief, probation compliance, parole, deferred sentence, suspended sentence, restitution, child support, municipal court, district court, criminal justice reform, court debt, legal financial obligations, fee waiver

Transcript Highlights:

• Author: I believe once a judge realizes that it is a victim protective order that is domestic abuse by
• deadly weapon, I believe that while they are certainly innocent at the time, there needs to be protections
• Senator Kurtz: This is an amendment to the civil procedure when it comes to the timeline for evictions
• consequences affecting the AG's charity enforcement unit after passage of the Personal Privacy Protection

Bills: SB1450 , SB1458 , SB1232 , SB1238 , SB1325 , SB1209 , SB1362 , SB2072 , SB1451 , SB1540 , SB1581 , SB1535 , SB1266 , SB1927 , SB1460 , SB2084 , SB2182

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: criminal court costs, court fees, fines, assessments, waiver, ability to pay, indigent defendants, post-release relief, probation compliance, parole, deferred sentence, suspended sentence, restitution, child support, municipal court, district court, criminal justice reform, court debt, legal financial obligations, fee waiver

Summary: The Senate Judiciary Committee met with a quorum and considered a long series of bills, mostly on criminal justice, elections, civil procedure, and higher education liability. Early measures included SB 1450, allowing judges to waive certain fines and fees for people who have completed probation or incarceration, with an amendment requiring a request and a judicial order; SB 1458, repealing a statute that allowed disclosure of grand jury witnesses; SB 1232, increasing penalties for tower vandalism and copper theft; SB 1238, making domestic assault and battery in the presence of a minor a felony on the first offense; and SB 1325, requiring GPS monitoring and victim-alert protections for certain domestic abuse defendants before release. All of those bills advanced, most on strong or unanimous votes, though SB 1458 and SB 1232 each had one nay. The committee also advanced SB 1209, which adjusted eviction-related civil procedure timelines by replacing “weekends” with Sundays and holidays in the filing-to-summons period, and SB 1362, which standardized early voting hours across the state’s consolidated election schedule, with Thursdays through Saturdays set at 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Wednesdays retained for general elections. Members asked about the effect on landlords, voters, rural counties, and staffing, and the authors said the changes were intended to improve consistency and give more time for payment or mediation. SB 2072, dealing with deed fraud and title theft, was amended to clarify that fee waivers apply to orders restoring title after a fraudulent conveyance, and then advanced unanimously. Later, the committee considered SB 1451, which adds a checkbox for prior voter registration, codifies cancellation of prior registrations, and requires an annual statistical report on registration notices; it advanced on a 6-2 vote after questions about whether the bill could burden voters. SB 1540 created a new felony offense for “grooming” a minor, prompting debate over whether existing indecent-proposal statutes already cover similar conduct; it advanced 7-1. SB 1581 extended the time for county grand jury initiative petitions from 45 to 90 days and added a protest period, and SB 1535 would adjust charity-enforcement procedures for the Attorney General; both advanced. The committee also advanced SB 1266, increasing penalties for violations of the anti-notario law, SB 1927, elevating unauthorized boarding or refusal to leave a school bus to a felony, SB 1460, strengthening penalties for repeat peeping Tom and clandestine recording offenses, and SB 2182, creating civil remedies for nonconsensual sharing of intimate images. SB 1618 was laid over, and the meeting adjourned with notice of another meeting the following week.