Labor & Employment (Minimum Wage)

in committee · Massachusetts · House Mar 23, 2026

H 5282: An Act expanding access to family, friend, and neighbor-provided childcare

This bill expands access to family, friend, and neighbor-provided childcare by establishing a payment structure for caregivers who provide care in a child's home or are relatives, ensuring voucher funds cover the full daily value at an hourly rate. It sets a minimum hourly wage for these caregivers equal to the state's minimum wage and requires their care to be licensed unless reimbursement reverts to original payment levels. The legislation also creates a state advisory committee to gather input on improving support, resources, and oversight for these caregivers over a one-year period.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill establishes minimum wage for caregivers and creates payment structure, directly supporting worker wages and employment standards.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Minimum Wage

Track

in committee · Massachusetts · Senate Dec 24, 2025

S 2838: Order relative to authorizing the joint committee on Labor and Workforce Development to make an investigation and study of a certain current Senate document relative to overtime salary thresholds.

Senate, December 11, 2025 -- The committee on Labor and Workforce Development, to whom was referred the petitions (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1324) of Paul R. Feeney and Jason M. Lewis for legislation relative to update overtime salary thresholds and codifying definitions to protect middle-class workers, report the accompanying Order (Senate, No. 2838).

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentAuthorizes study of legislation to update overtime thresholds and protect middle-class workers, advancing wage standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Minimum Wage Workforce Development

Track

in committee · Massachusetts · House Jul 28, 2025

H 4316: An Act relative to fairness in debt collection

This bill establishes new protections for consumers facing debt collection in Massachusetts. It limits wage garnishment to no more than 90% of gross weekly earnings or 65 times the state/federal minimum wage (whichever is higher), and allows consumers to request additional exemptions due to financial hardship through a court process. The law also prohibits employers from firing or refusing to hire people because of debt garnishments and sets a 5-year limit for creditors to sue over most personal debts. These rules apply to debts like credit cards or medical bills but exclude child support or divorce-related payments.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProhibits employers from firing or refusing to hire due to debt garnishments, directly protecting workers' job security and employment rights.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Minimum Wage

Track

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 3584: An Act relative to hospital profit and fairness

HD 3584, titled "An Act relative to hospital profit and fairness," targets hospitals receiving Commonwealth funding that serve fewer than 60% government patients (e.g., Medicaid/Medicare). It imposes civil penalties on facilities with operating margins exceeding 8% or CEO compensation over 50 times the minimum wage employee pay, requiring public reporting of all financial assets (including foreign holdings) within 7 days. Penalties collected fund a new Medicaid Reimbursement Enhancement Fund to improve Medicaid payments to eligible hospitals. The law applies to acute care hospitals, teaching hospitals, and state-operated facilities but excludes rehabilitation and long-term care centers. It takes effect January 1, 2025, without affecting pre-existing contracts.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill funds Medicaid Reimbursement Enhancement Fund via penalties on hospitals with high profits/CEO pay, strengthening public health program funding.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill caps CEO pay at 50x minimum wage employee pay, directly addressing wage disparity and protecting low-wage workers' interests through financial transparency and penalties.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals Long-Term Care Medicare Minimum Wage

Track

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 650: An Act clarifying rate setting processes for home health and home care services

HD 650 clarifies how Massachusetts sets payment rates for home health agencies and homemaker/personal care services. It requires the executive office to establish and review these rates at least every two years, using costs from up to four years prior (adjusted for reasonableness and new costs), and including administrative expenses and a reasonable profit factor. The bill mandates that rate-setting consider specific cost factors like minimum wage changes, payroll taxes, health insurance, and employee benefits, using national or regional cost indices. Additionally, it requires detailed reports to legislative committees comparing adopted rates to the federal "Home Health Agency Market Basket" index, with simulations if that index isn't used. The bill directly affects home health providers and homemaker service agencies by changing how their reimbursement rates are calculated and justified.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareClarifies rate-setting to ensure home health providers receive adequate compensation, supporting service sustainability and access through cost-based rate adjustments.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill requires rate-setting to consider minimum wage changes, payroll taxes, and health insurance costs, ensuring home health worker compensation reflects actual labor costs and protecting wage standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care Minimum Wage

Track

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 2108: An Act expanding access to family, friend, and neighbor-provided childcare

This bill establishes a payment structure for family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) childcare providers - those offering unlicensed care in homes or caring for relatives - to ensure families using childcare vouchers or other funding can fully access their voucher value. It mandates a minimum hourly rate equal to the state’s minimum wage and requires the childcare department to create this structure through public hearings. The bill also creates a 60-day advisory committee with diverse representation (including caregivers, advocates, and community groups) to hold public hearings and address FFN care challenges like application processes, resource access, and quality standards. The committee must report findings to state legislators within a year, focusing on improving support for FFN caregivers and families.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates minimum wage for FFN childcare providers, directly advancing worker compensation standards under Labor & Employment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Minimum Wage

Track

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 746: An Act relative to wages for substitute teacher

This bill sets a minimum daily pay rate for substitute teachers in Massachusetts public schools. It requires that substitute teachers earn at least 85% of 1/185th of the statewide average salary for beginning teachers with bachelor's degrees, or the hourly wage in Chapter 151, whichever is higher. The calculation uses the latest available data on beginning teacher salaries from the previous school year. The law does not apply to substitute teachers represented by unions in their school district.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationSets minimum wage for substitute teachers, directly supporting educator compensation in K-12 schools per bill's pay rate mandate.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentSets minimum daily pay for substitutes at 85% of beginning teacher salary rate, ensuring higher compensation than current standards for non-unionized staff.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers Minimum Wage

Track

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 425: An Act relative to taxes for tipped wages

This bill amends Massachusetts tax law to create a deduction for tipped wages. It defines "tipped wage" to include credit card tips, gifts, and gratuities given to wait staff, service employees, or service bartenders. The key provision adds a deduction equal to the full amount of tipped wages earned by a taxpayer during the taxable year. This directly affects workers in tipped occupations by reducing their taxable income for state tax purposes. The bill does not change tax rates but provides a specific tax benefit for reported tip income.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates tax deduction for tipped wages, reducing taxable income for service workers, providing direct tax relief per bill's definition of tipped wages.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProvides tax deduction for tipped wages, increasing net income for service workers by reducing taxable income without altering wage rates.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Minimum Wage

Track

passed · Massachusetts · House Feb 27, 2025

HD 3396: An Act relative to a livable wage for human services workers

By Representative Domb of Amherst, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 223) of Mindy Domb relative to a livable wage for human services workers. Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill mandates livable wage for human services workers, directly increasing compensation and strengthening employment standards for vulnerable workforce.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Minimum Wage

Track

passed · Massachusetts · Senate Jul 17, 2025

S 2551: An Act relative to fairness in debt collection

S 2551 creates new protections for consumers facing wage garnishment for consumer debt. It requires that 90% of a worker’s weekly wages (or 65 times the state/federal minimum hourly wage) be exempt from garnishment, with additional hardship exemptions available through a court process. The bill also prohibits employers from firing or refusing to hire workers due to consumer debt garnishments and exempts child support payments from collection. These changes directly affect consumers with wage garnishment orders, employers, and debt collectors operating in Massachusetts.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProhibits termination/refusal to hire over debt garnishment; exempts 90% wages from garnishment, protecting workers' income and employment rights95% confidence

Sub-Topics Minimum Wage

Track