Gregoire Joins House Colleagues in Advancing Several Measures

For Immediate Release: Contact: Alicia DelVento
07/2/2020 Alicia.DelVento@mahouse.gov

(BOSTON) – Representative Danielle W. Gregoire (D-Marlborough) joined her colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives this week in advancing critical legislation relative to transportation, maternal health and voting options.

House Bill 4803, An Act Financing Improvements to Municipal Roads and Bridges, authorizes the allocation of $200 million to cities and towns for local infrastructure projects. Additionally, this bill secures Chapter 90 funds for municipal roads and bridges and will renew the current MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board. This legislation now moves to the Senate for final passage. House Bill 4818, An Act to Reduce Racial Inequities in Maternal Health, was also addressed this week. This legislation establishes a special legislative commission to study, analyze, and make recommendations to reduce racial inequities in maternal health. This special commission will consist of 23-members, including members of the Massachusetts State Legislature, health care providers, and experts in maternal health, focusing on individuals from communities of color. This commission is charged with investigating and reporting on issues such as the accessibility of care, structural racism in the maternal health field, and the availability of maternal morbidity data, and will report their findings and recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. This legislation is now before the Senate for their review.

Finally, the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the Massachusetts State Senate have reached an agreement on House Bill 4820, An Act Relative to Voting Options in Response to COVID-19. This agreement allows for all registered voters to vote by mail this upcoming fall, sending each registered voter a mail-in ballot application, with return postage included. Specifically, the Secretary of the State will send out two separate applications, one for the primary election and one for the general election. Additionally, this compromise will allow for the expansion of early voting in both the primary and the general election. This compromise must now be accepted by the Senate before it moves to the Governor’s desk for his signature.

"My colleagues and I were busy this week during our formal session, advancing meaningful legislation to enhance our state’s infrastructure, improve the maternal health care system and provide the Commonwealth’s residents with a safe and secure election process,” said Representative Danielle Gregoire, (D-Marlborough), House Chair of the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight. "I am proud of the work we are doing in the House by addressing the critical issues that affect our residents during such anomalous circumstances.”

###