Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H2084 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4054 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2084
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Michael S. Day, (BY REQUEST)
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act for a minimum hourly health improvement wage.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Vincent Lawrence Dixon60 Lake Street Unit N, Winchester, MA
16	16	01890
17	17	1/17/2025 1 of 3
18	18	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4054 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
19	19	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2084
20	20	By Representative Day of Stoneham (by request), a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
21	21	2084) of Vincent Lawrence Dixon relative to establishing minimum hourly health improvement
22	22	wage. Labor and Workforce Development.
23	23	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
24	24	SEE HOUSE, NO. 1863 OF 2023-2024.]
25	25	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
26	26	_______________
27	27	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
28	28	(2025-2026)
29	29	_______________
30	30	An Act for a minimum hourly health improvement wage.
31	31	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
32	32	of the same, as follows:
33	33	1 The Massachusetts General Laws are hereby amended by inserting the following new
34	34	2chapter:
35	35	3 An Act for a Minimum Hourly Health Improvement Wage.
36	36	4 1.) Healthcare costs, and insurance, are vital topics, and proper subjects of government
37	37	5operations, and public policy, for all residents of the Commonwealth; and so this Minimum
38	38	6Hourly Health Improvement Wage, is proposed, to assist in better health services, and financing.
39	39	7 2.) As economic conditions, have changed, sometimes in unfortunate ways, many
40	40	8individuals have found the need, or availability, to only be able to work at one or more, part-time
41	41	9jobs. Many, or even most of these positions, lack full benefits, further stressing these individual 2 of 3
42	42	10employees. In order to earn sufficient resources, and sometimes not enough, even then, many
43	43	11individuals are working, in excess of the number of hours of a full-time job, and despite the
44	44	12stress, and additional travel time, have challenged access to medical services.
45	45	13 3.) While various programs have been developed, and have varieties of value, medical
46	46	14services insurances, are still strongly associated with employment. Developments at the Federal
47	47	15level, as well as state circumstances, continue to evolve, and it is in this context that this
48	48	16legislation, is created.
49	49	17 4.) The Public Health Council (PHC), and the Department of Public Health (DPH), are
50	50	18hereby authorized, and empowered to analyze, and develop recommendations for a Minimum
51	51	19Health Care Improvement Wage. The PHC, and the DPH, shall have the power to establish
52	52	20suitable Regulations, for both the Pilot Programs, and implementation of full programs, after
53	53	21suitable Pilot Program development.
54	54	22 5.) An amount, shall be determined, by which each employee will receive a portable,
55	55	23health care insurance earning, for each, and every hour worked. In so doing, for example, if an
56	56	24employee worked two separate jobs, of 20 hours each, they would receive 40 hours of Minimum
57	57	25Health Care Improvement Wage. If an employee worked three separate jobs of 18 hours each,
58	58	26they would receive 54 hours of Minimum Health Care Improvement Wage, thereby also
59	59	27adjusting in some general way, for the risks, of excessive work hours, and stress.
60	60	28 6.) All employers, of at least 50 employees, would, and/or should find, an equality of
61	61	29operations, in terms of health care costs, since some amount would accrue to each employee, for
62	62	30each hour worked; in other words, a condition of business, would be the provision and/or
63	63	31contribution of some health care compensation. 3 of 3
64	64	32 7.) This Minimum Health Care Improvement Wage, can be first established, as a Pilot
65	65	33Program; after which, based on experience, it shall be recommended for full implementation.
66	66	34 8.) Costs of such a program, are a cost of doing business for an employer. Specific tax
67	67	35credits, during the Pilot Program period can, and should be, recommended, and implemented; to
68	68	36be further defined, and utilized, at the time of a more complete, comprehensive, and permanent
69	69	37program.
70	70	38 9.) Employers of less than 50 employees, would be entitled to voluntary participation,
71	71	39including specific tax credits, during the Pilot Program period.