2023-24 Formal Legislative Session Wrap-Up

The formal legislative session ended in the early morning hours of August 1st and while few bills ultimately made it across the finish line, we saw progress on a number of vital policies.

First, Access to Counsel was included in the FY25 state budget, with $2.5 million included to establish a statewide pilot program! Supported by a broad coalition of 240 organizations, of which Appleseed is a proud member, this marks the first big step to starting a program that can provide full representation to tenants and low-income owner occupants.

Thanks to continued leadership from Project Bread and the Feed Kids Coalition, $170 million in funding for universal school meals also made it into the budget! This will help ensure hundreds of thousands of students can continue to focus on learning instead of worrying where their next meal will come from.

The Young Student Exclusion Ban and Language Access and Inclusion Act were once again reported favorably out of committee after hearings packed with compelling testimony, but did not make it to the Governor’s desk. Similarly, two of our first-time bills focused on supporting youth and young adults also received favorable reports but did not advance further. These bills aimed to 1) ban the suspension or expulsion of students for dress and grooming violations, thereby preventing the over-policing of girls, students of color, and LGBTQ+ students, and 2) allow unaccompanied minors experiencing homelessness to consent to supportive services so they can meet their immediate survival needs.

We’re disappointed that more policy changes that would make a meaningful difference in the lives of Bay Staters did not come to fruition, but it’s important to celebrate the steps forward we did see. Of the 14 bills we supported and helped fight for this session, 11 saw positive movement through the State House and none received a negative vote. This is indispensable groundwork for the coming months and whether you shared your personal experience with state leaders, wrote to your legislators urging action, or helped us spread the word about these campaigns – thank you for helping us come this far.
Throughout the fall, we’ll be meeting with our legislative champions and coalition partners to strategize for next session. Some of the prep work we’ll be doing includes redrafting bills, conducting deeper policy research, mobilizing in more communities, and building on all the momentum we’ve developed so far.

 

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Help stop the wrongful separation of families. Demand language access for all!

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In the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) where children may be removed from their families, the consequences of language barriers can be profound. Limited English proficient parents are deemed noncompliant and uncaring when, because critical documents and information are only provided in English, they simply do not understand the steps they must take to reunite with their children.

In a complex system already difficult to navigate, this can lead to the wrongful, sometimes permanent separation of families.

TAKE ACTION

This kind of systemic discrimination is just one part of our nation’s extensive history of over-policing and separating families of color and immigrant families. And with newly arrived immigrant families arriving in record numbers, ensuring meaningful language access is more urgent than ever.

The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families is currently accepting comments on two regulations concerning how the agency interacts with families: 110 CMR 5.00 et. seq. and 110 CMR 9.00 et. seq. Take this one-minute action before 5:00 pm this Friday, 8/23 and submit comments urging DCF to include language access in these regulations!

 

Keep informed & stay involved!

Stay tuned for more opportunities to take action and support Massachusetts families and youth by liking us on Facebook and following us on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram! Check out our website for our most recent news.

To support our work, please consider giving a donation today.

Thank you for advancing social justice in Massachusetts!

 

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