Recently Passed Bills
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The legislation that was passed and signed by the Governor includes the following:
Eligibility, Waivers, and Limitations
Stay Limit: Families can receive assistance for up to 6 months, with possible hardship waivers.
Automatic Extensions for families with a veteran, child under 6, domestic violence risk, disability, pending housing, or high-risk pregnancy.
Income Limit: Families earning over 200% of the federal poverty level for 4 months lose eligibility.
Temporary Respite: Up to 30 days for families meeting initial screening.
Residency Requirement: Assistance is for Commonwealth residents who are U.S. citizens or lawful residents, except when a child qualifies.
Eligibility Updates: New adults joining must report and undergo review.
Residency Proof: Applicants must verify they live in and intend to stay in Massachusetts.
Fiscal Responsibility
Phasing Out Hotels: A plan to eliminate hotel use is due by December 31, 2025.
Competitive Bidding: All service funds must go through bidding.
Capacity Limit: No more than 4,000 families from Dec 2025 to Dec 2026.
Safety and Verification
Criminal Disclosure: Adults must report past convictions or pending charges.
Background Checks: The state will review criminal records before placement.
Exclusions: Serious criminal records may lead to exclusion.
Verification: Applicants must prove identity, residency, relationships, and eligibility.
Biweekly Reports: The state must report updates to the legislature.
The EA Shelter system was designed to ensure the provision of shelter for families, pregnant women, and children and many currently in the system are Massachusetts residents.
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Joint Rules guide how the House and Senate work together. Key updates include:
Joint Committees
House and Senate bills will be heard together, with both branches sharing responsibility.
House and Senate staff will prepare materials for their respective members.
Chairs can poll their branch’s members on bills after hearings.
Bill Summaries & Public Access
Committees must provide easy-to-read summaries of bills before hearings and post them online.
Any changes made to bills or laws must be documented.
Public testimony will be made available based on committee rules.
Hearing Attendance & Votes
Lawmakers must attend hearings in person; remote participation is for the public only.
Committee votes and attendance records will be posted online.
Bill Deadlines
Committees must decide on bills within 60 days, with a possible 30-day extension.
No extensions beyond the third Wednesday in March of the second year.
Bills not acted on will be sent for further study.
Conference Committees & Formal Sessions
Conference committees must provide summaries with reports.
Formal sessions now extend through December in year one. The second year ends July 31, with exceptions for budget and conference committee matters.