Through an inclusive and extensive process, the MCWL selected the following five top legislative priorities for the 2025-2026 legislative session, all of which support our overarching strategic priorities. We will work to advance these legislative priorities throughout the session through advocacy, education, and coalition-building.

An Act relative to a livable wage for human service workers (H.233, Rep. Domb &  S.130, Sen. Friedman ) 
This bill addresses disparities between the rate of pay for human services workers employed directly by the state and those employed by agencies with state contracts. Requires the state, over the course of 4 years, to increase the rate of reimbursement for human services providers to reduce and ultimately eliminate the pay disparity. An estimated 80% of human service workers in MA are women, and nearly 1/3 are people of color. Human service workers are more likely to live below 150% of the poverty level, have lower median wages, and have lower household incomes than workers in other industries. This bill supports our “Elevating Women’s Economic Opportunity & Eliminating Barriers” Strategic Priority.

  • This bill is in the committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities and received a hearing on September 22nd, 2025. Here is the hearing and our testimony.

  • The Executive Office of Health and Human Services has released a report on the pay gap between state-employed and community-based nonprofit human service workers, supporting the goals this Act aims to achieve. The report has shown an astounding gap that even reaches up to a 58% pay difference for some workers, as is the case for Physical Therapists.

  • The bill was reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Senate Ways and Means.

An Act to increase access to disposable menstrual products (H.2483, Rep. Barber and Rep. Livingstone & S.1549, Sen. Jehlen) 
This bill requires all schools, prisons, and homeless shelters to provide free access to menstrual products. Period poverty impacts the lives and abilities of menstruators to fully participate in society. For many, this is a large expense and something that is not as accessible as needed. Period products are a basic need that should be provided in schools and other settings. This bill supports our “Addressing Racial & Gender Disparities in Health Care” Strategic Priority.

An Act to reduce incidence and death from pancreatic cancer (H.2432 Rep. Kane and Rep. Gentile & S.1484 Sen. Comerford) This bill would create a program to help prevent, detect, and treat pancreatic cancer in Massachusetts. It would establish a group of medical experts, patient advocates, and healthcare professionals to enhance hospital care, foster research, and equip doctors with improved resources. The bill also calls for a statewide study to collect data on pancreatic cancer cases, including how and when people are diagnosed and treated. There would be a public awareness campaign to teach people about risk factors, symptoms, and early warning signs. The state would also review insurance coverage for genetic testing and update a past study on the costs of screening for high-risk individuals. This bill supports our “Addressing Racial & Gender Disparities in Health Care” Strategic Priority.

An Act to establish a perinatal behavioral health care workforce trust fund (H.2208 Rep. Fluker-Reid & S.1411  Sen. Miranda) This bill would create a Perinatal Behavioral Health Care Workforce Trust Fund to improve mental and behavioral health care for people during and after pregnancy in Massachusetts. The fund would provide grants to programs that train and expand the workforce of mental health professionals specializing in perinatal care. Priority would be given to programs serving communities with limited healthcare access or significant racial, ethnic, or geographic health disparities. The state would also publish an annual report detailing how grant funds are used, who benefits from the programs, and the impact on healthcare shortages. This bill supports our “Addressing Racial & Gender Disparities in Health Care” Strategic Priority.

An Act relative to gender neutral language in elections law (H.804 Rep. Blais). This bill proposes updating the language used in Massachusetts election laws to be more inclusive. Specifically, it replaces gendered terms such as "he," "his," "chairman," and "selectmen" with gender-neutral alternatives like "they," "their," "chairperson," and "select board."   This bill supports our “Empowering Women in Government” Strategic Priority.

  • This bill is in the committee on Election Laws and received a hearing on June 17th, 2025. Here is the hearing and our testimony.

  • Bill reported favorably by the Committee and then referred to the House Committee on Bills in Third Reading.

 
 
 

Endorsed Legislation

In addition to the above top 5 legislative priorities, the MCWL also endorsed the following 17 pieces of legislation. These bills all speak to at least one of our strategic priorities.

Under “Elevating Women’s Economic Opportunity & Eliminating Barriers” Strategic Priority 

Under “Addressing Racial & Gender Disparities in Health Care” Strategic Priority 

Under “Empowering Women in Government” Strategic Priority