Massachusetts Bills

The Massachusetts Comptroller has communicated that the Fiscal Year 2025 Statutory Basis Financial Report (SBFR) was not filed by its October 31 deadline due to the unenacted supplemental budget for closing the fiscal year. This delay affects the timely submission of required financial reports, including the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and federal Single Audit, which are critical for maintaining federal funding. The Comptroller urges immediate passage of the supplemental budget to resolve the backlog and avoid potential federal funding disruptions.

HD 5420 is a procedural bill requiring the Executive Office for Administration and Finance to submit its annual fiscal year 2025 report. The report must include a comprehensive list of all state capital projects, detailing the legislation authorizing each project, specific funding line items, the municipalities where projects are located, and the relevant legislative districts. This bill does not create new funding or alter project details - it only mandates this standardized reporting for transparency and accountability. The bill was placed on file in December 2025 and does not affect any specific individuals or entities beyond the state office responsible for the submission.

This bill (HD 5422) requires the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory (MSPCL) to submit a quarterly report for the fourth quarter of 2024 to legislative committees. The report must include specific metrics on caseload, turnaround times, and backlog for each forensic section (like DNA, toxicology, and drug analysis), as well as the lab’s accreditation status. It directly affects the MSPCL, mandating transparency about its operations to state lawmakers. This is a procedural reporting requirement under existing law (Chapter 140, line item 8100-1004), not a new policy.

HD 5424 is a procedural bill requiring the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory (MSPCL) to submit a quarterly report for the third quarter of 2024 to the House and Senate Committees on Ways and Means. This report must include specific metrics on caseload, turnaround times, and backlog for each forensic section (like DNA, drug analysis, and crime scene response), as mandated by Chapter 28 of the Acts of 2023 (line item 8100-1004). The bill does not create new policy but establishes a reporting requirement directly affecting the MSPCL and state legislative committees. It focuses on transparency around forensic lab operations, not on changing laws or regulations.

Report of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (pursuant to Section 202 of Chapter 69 of the Acts of 2018) submitting its Restorative Justice Advisory Committee (RJAC) 2024 annual report

Report of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (pursuant to Section 5A(b)(3) Of Chapter 3 of the General Laws) submitting its Funding in Lieu 2025 report

Report of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (pursuant to Section 57 of Chapter 98 of the General Laws) submitting its Division of Standards Calendar Year 2024 annual report

H 4829 clarifies that specific regional planning commissions (like the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission and Merrimack Valley Planning Commission) are treated as members of the state retirement system. It requires these "non-Commonwealth entities" to pay monthly retirement costs based on actuarial calculations of employee payroll, deposited into the state pension fund. The bill also protects these agencies from liability for past due retirement contributions. This directly affects the named regional commissions by establishing their retirement obligations and payment mechanisms under state law.

The committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight to whom was referred the petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2108) of Nick Collins for legislation to provide for equal access to certain roadways under the jurisdiction of the department of conservation and recreation on the Columbia Point peninsula located between William T. Morrissey Boulevard, William J. Day Boulevard and Dorchester Bay, report the accompanying bill (Senate, No. 2879).

Report of the Department of Revenue (pursuant to Section 5 of Chapter 62F, as amended by the Acts of 2023) submitting its November 2025 report on year-to-date net state tax revenue for the current fiscal year

Report of the Department of Energy Resources (pursuant to Section 41 of Chapter 179 of the Acts of 2022) submitting its Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles ("MOR-EV") Program 2024 report