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.
MTA Legislative Priorities
The MTA’s legislative priorities for the 2023-2024 session are the result of a robust process that included extensive input from MTA members, recommendations from the MTA’s member-led Government Relations Committee and the review and approval of the MTA Board of Directors.
The priorities focus on making transformational investments in public preK-12 to higher education, ending the high-stakes testing regime, ensuring the right to strike for educators and certain other public sector workers, and providing a dignified retirement for retired educators. Combined, these priorities articulate a clear vision for moving the Commonwealth's public schools and colleges forward.
To view additional bills supported by the MTA, go here.
About the Process
How a Bill Becomes a Law in Massachusetts
The Idea
The first step in creating MTA legislation is the submission of proposals by members and the approval of proposals by the member-run Government Relations Committee and MTA’s Board of Directors.
Bill Filing
Bills were drafted by MTA’s Government Relations and Legal teams as directed by the GRC and the Board of Directors. All MTA priority bills were then filed in the House and/or Senate by legislative sponsors. The next step is for each bill to be assigned to a legislative committee for consideration.
Committee Process
Once a bill is referred to a committee, that committee holds a public hearing and hears testimony on the bill. Hearings are typically held anytime between March and November. The time before hearings are held is used to build support for our agenda. At the conclusion of this process, the committee will recommend whether the bill “ought to pass,” “ought not to pass,” be subject to further study or be sent to another committee for additional review.
House & Senate
If a bill is reported favorably by its final committee, it will be sent to either the House or Senate for consideration. The bill may then go through several additional procedural steps before being debated and scheduled for a vote on the floor. If a bill passes one chamber, it will then be sent to other where it will go through a similar procedural process, potentially including a debate and vote.
Conference Committee (If Needed)
If the House and Senate pass different versions of the same bill, then the bill is sent to a bi-partisan conference committee of members from each branch who craft a compromise bill which will not be subject to amendment. Both the House and Senate then make a final vote on the compromise bill.
Governor's Desk
If both the House and Senate pass the same bill, it is then sent to the governor for review and action. The governor then either signs the bill into law; allows the bill to become law without signing it; vetoes the legislation; or sends it back to the Legislature with amendments. A veto by the governor can be overridden with a two-thirds vote in both legislative branches.
If Not Vetoed, the Bill Becomes Law!
About the Government Relations Committee
The members of the Government Relations Committee work collaboratively with the Government Relations team to develop the proposed 2023-2024 legislative agenda.
The development of the agenda is an intensive, member-driven process that includes significant input from educators across the Commonwealth in order to ensure that our legislation reflects the hopes and aspirations of our membership. The process commenced in September when the process and timeline for developing the agenda where established. In October, the committee begins to solicit specific legislative proposals from MTA members.
The GRC, in consultation with GR staff and other MTA divisions, carefully review each submission and proceed to craft a proposed legislative package. The proposed agenda encompasses wide-ranging issues that together articulate our shared commitment to public education, fairness for all workers in our communities, and a secure retirement for public-sector employees.