Bills To Watch Out For - 2024
Pending bills in the Massachusetts legislature related to gender identity and the sex-based rights of women and girls.
Introduction
Below is a list of bills currently pending in the Massachusetts legislature. They have been selected because if passed they will further compromise the sex-based rights of women and girls or promote the medicalization of gender distress in minors by replacing the category of sex with the idea of gender identity.
Whenever one of these bills comes up for a public hearing ma4women will send out an action alert so that those interested can submit public testimony in writing, virtually or in person. In addition, you may contact your representative at any time to learn more about any particular bill or to express your concerns.
At the end of this list we will provide links to two legislative tracking services so that you can follow selected bills and receive notifications alerting you to their progress through the legislative process. In addition, we will provide a link to understanding the legislative process in Massachusetts.
Please note: when a bill has both house and senate draft versions, we have listed the house version with a “see also” link to the senate version. Differences between drafts need to be reconciled before a bill can be passed by both chambers.
This post will be updated regularly.
Pending Bills - 193rd Session MA Legislature, 2024
S.212 An Act supporting access to training on reproductive and gender-affirming care
Status: joint hearing 6/6/23
Position: oppose
Issue: promotes medicalization of pediatric gender distress by unlicensed providers
H.458 An Act relative to parental rights in education
Status: joint hearing 7/17/23
Position: oppose as written, support with modifications to be specified
Issue: curriculum transparency and social transitioning of minors
H.509 An Act relative to parental notification
Status: joint hearing 10/11/23
Position: to be determined
Issue: curriculum transparency
H.534 An Act to increase access to disposable menstrual products
Status: senate accompanied S.1381, 9/28/23
Position: oppose as written, support if amended such that “menstruating individual” is changed to “woman or girl” or “female”
Issue: women’s language
See also: S.2481
H.544 An Act relative to healthy youth
Status: joint hearing 10/11/23
Position: to be determined
Issue: transparency regarding gender identity content in sexual health curricula
See also: S.268
S.621 An Act relative to gender-affirming hair removal treatment
Status: joint hearing 5/2/23
Position: oppose as written, support if amended to include non-gender diverse people
Issue: discrimination on the basis of sex and gender identity
H.637 An Act establishing an LGBTIQI long-term care facility bill of rights
Status: joint hearing 5/15/23
Position: oppose
Issue: violation of sex-based rights
See also: S.381
S.975 An Act relative to the process for amending marriage certificates
Status: joint hearing 10/31/23
Position: oppose as written, support removal of sex/gender marker
Issue: data collection accuracy
H.1037 An Act relative to trans-inclusive healthcare access
Status: joint hearing 5/2/23
Position: to be determined
Issue: may facilitate medicalization of pediatric gender distress
See also: S.596
S.1044 An Act prohibiting injurious operations or offering services or products that discriminate against or injure protected classes
Status: joint hearing 12/5/23
Position: oppose
Issue: violation of sex-based rights
H.1089 An Act relative to gender identity in insurance
Status: joint hearing 6/6/23
Position: to be determined
Issue: further embeds gender identity in law
H.1422 An Act relative to trial court data collection
Status: joint hearing 10/3/23
Position: oppose as written, support if data includes sex as distinct from gender identity
Issue: data collection accuracy
H.1473 An Act to advance hate-crime protections for victims who are targeted due to their gender
Status: joint hearing 12/5/23
Position: oppose as written, support if amended to include “sex” as a protected hate-crime category
Issue: discrimination on the basis of sex
H.1478 An Act to amend the civil rights law, in relation to reporting a non-emergency incident involving a member of a protected class
Status: joint hearing 12/5/23
Position: oppose as written, support if amended to include sex as a protected class
Issue: discrimination on the basis of sex
H.1775 An Act strengthening sexual harassment and discrimination policies in the Commonwealth
Status: joint hearing 12/5/23
Position: support
Issue: discrimination on the basis of sex
H.1977 An Act to identify and eliminate racial and sexual orientation and gender identity disparities in mental health
Status: senate concurred 2/16/23
Position: oppose as written, support if data includes sex as distinct from gender identity
Issue: data collection accuracy
S.2016 An Act to ensure gender parity and racial and ethnic diversity on public boards and commissions
Status: joint hearing 5/4/23
Position: oppose as written, support if the definition of "female" is amended such that it is based on sex, not gender identity
Issue: discrimination on the basis of sex
H.2325 An Act relative to rehabilitation, re-entry, and human rights for incarcerated persons
Status: joint hearing 1/23/24
Position: oppose as written, support if amended to include sex as a discrimination variable and an identity category, also "gender affirming" commissary items should be made available to everyone including those who do not claim a gender identity.
Issue: discrimination on the basis of sex
See also: S.1493
H.2357 An Act to promote rehabilitation including guaranteed health, treatment, and safety for incarcerated LGBTQI+ People
Status: joint hearing 1/23/24
Position: oppose as written, support if amended to include sex as a variable and substitute "transphobia" with "person who holds gender critical beliefs"
Issue: the sex of inmates involved in a rape investigation should be included in reports and inmates who hold gender critical beliefs should not be slurred with the label "transphobic."
See also: S.1499
H.2371 An Act providing reproductive health care to incarcerated individuals
Status: joint hearing 1/23/24
Position: oppose as written, support if amended to change language from "persons capable of pregnancy" to "woman" and change "incarcerated individuals" to "women."
Issue: women's language
H.3017 An Act relative to gender identity on Massachusetts identification
Status: reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means, 10/30/23
Position: oppose as written, support complete elimination of sex/gender marker.
Issue: data collection accuracy
H.3019 An Act establishing gender-neutral bathrooms
Status: reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means, 10/30/23
Position: to be determined
Issue: single-sex spaces
See also: S.1978
H.3095 An Act to promote diversity on public boards and commissions
Status: reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means, 7/31/23
Position: oppose as written, support if the definition of "female" is amended such that it is based on sex, not gender identity
Issue: discrimination on the basis of sex
See also: S.2029
H.3544 Resolutions recognizing the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on women & girls in the Commonwealth
Status: senate concurred 2/16/13
Position: support if amended to specify that "gender balance" and "gender lens tracking" will be based on sex, not gender identity.
Issue: data collection accuracy
H.3710 A resolve to study women veterans and the long-term effects of combat on motherhood
Status: joint hearing 6/13/23
Position: support if amended to clarify that the meaning of "female" is based on sex and not gender identity
Issue: discrimination on the basis of sex
H.3711 An Act relative to enhancing outreach for women veterans
Status: joint hearing 6/13/23
Position: support if amended to clarify that the meaning of "woman" is based on sex and not gender identity
Issue: discrimination on the basis of sex
H.4109 An Act relative to salary range transparency
Status: senate, committee of conference appointed (Jehlen-Feeney-O'Connor), in concurrence, 10/30/23
Position: oppose as written, support if amended to specify that workforce demographic and pay data includes sex as a variable, not just gender identity
Issue: data collection accuracy
See also: new draft of S1181, S1191, H1849, H1940 and H.4100
HD.4113 An Act prohibiting hate speech
Status: referred to the committee on House Rules, 4/3/23
Position: to be determined
Issue: free speech
HD.4316 An Act relative to equality of chest baring
Status: no information
Position: to be determined
How To Follow A Bill
Go to malegislature.gov and create a “my legislature “ account. You can then mark bills and hearings which you want to monitor so that you receive updates.
An additional helpful site is legiscan.com which is a national legislative tracking service. We have found that this site often sends out notifications earlier than malegislature.gov.
The Legislative Process In Massachusetts
For a clear and simple account of the Massachusetts legislative process please visit How A Bill Becomes A Law, published by the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.
“Once you have some experience with it, the legislative process in MA is simple and easy to navigate. Before a bill becomes law, there are a number of steps it is important to know about when tracking legislation and lobbying for priorities. There are at least four times in the life of the bill where YOU can come in and make a difference.” (NASW)
This post is so important as it sheds light on how exactly the Democrats are enshrining the illogical, meaningless and harmful "gender identity" ideology into Ma. law. Thanks to poster for taking the time to read each of these proposed bills. This is a case study into how one well funded lie, more than likely only believed by a MINORITY of the public, is forced on the people of Massachusetts without true and open dialog and debate.