Update on the 2023-24 legislative session
Update on the 2023-24 legislative session
The state Legislature ended its formal legislative session on the morning of August 1 leaving many important pieces of legislation unfinished, including bills of importance to the MTA. Three of these bills are:
Economic Development Bill
The state Legislature failed to reach an agreement on a final economic development bill prior to the end of the formal session. The MTA has been closely monitoring this legislation because both the Senate and House proposals contain versions of the Educator Diversity Act, which is aimed at recruiting and retaining educators of color. We have been urging legislators to include the version of the bill passed by the Senate based on strong concerns about the House version. We expect legislators to continue negotiations in the coming weeks, and there has been public discussion about the possibility that the Legislature will reconvene to take up at least some elements of the economic development bill later this year.
Supplemental Budget (H.4799)
For the second year in a row the Legislature has failed to act on a supplemental budget containing language finalizing public employee collective bargaining agreements before the end of July. This bill contains language that needs to pass before Massachusetts Community College Council contracts can be finalized. Unlike last year’s bill which was held up in large part due to the issues related to migrant shelters, there does not appear to be anything in this current supplemental budget that would preclude its passage in an informal session this summer. The MTA continues to push to have this contract finalized as soon as possible.
RetirementPlus Bill (H.2630)
This legislation did not move out of the House Committee on Ways and Means at the time the Legislature ended its formal session. The MTA continues to push for passage of this bill, which would allow teachers hired before July 1, 2001 who did not provide a written election to participate in RetirementPlus, to have a second opportunity to do so. However, with the end of the formal session, it now takes only one member of the Legislature to block a bill from moving. This means that the bill may need to be refiled in the next session.
Read our legislative priorirites Learn more about RetirementPlug Legislation