Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H2140 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2397 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2140
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf
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 creating a special legislative commission to study barriers to job retention for low-
13	13	income workers.
14	14	_______________
15	15	PETITION OF:
16	16	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf17th Worcester1/16/2025 1 of 2
17	17	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2397 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
18	18	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2140
19	19	By Representative LeBoeuf of Worcester, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2140) of
20	20	David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf for an investigation by a special commission (including members
21	21	of the General Court) relative to barriers to job retention for low-income workers. Labor and
22	22	Workforce Development.
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
26	26	(2025-2026)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act creating a special legislative commission to study barriers to job retention for low-
29	29	income workers.
30	30	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
31	31	of the same, as follows:
32	32	1 SECTION 1. (a) Notwithstanding any special or general law to the contrary, there shall
33	33	2be a special commission established to conduct a study and make recommendations on the
34	34	3barriers faced by low-income workers to finding and maintaining jobs in the commonwealth. The
35	35	4commission shall consist of 17 members, as follows: the house and senate chairs of the joint
36	36	5committee on labor and workforce development, who shall serve as co-chairs; the secretary of
37	37	6executive office of labor and workforce development or their designee; the secretary of the
38	38	7executive office of transportation or their designee; the secretary of the executive office of
39	39	8economic development or their designee; the director of the department of transitional assistance
40	40	9or their designee; the secretary of the executive office of health and human services or their
41	41	10designee; 2 members appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; 2 members
42	42	11appointed by the president of the senate; 6 persons appointed by the co-chairs, 2 of whom shall 2 of 2
43	43	12be members of the labor community, 2 of whom shall be members of the business community;
44	44	13and 2 of whom shall have expertise working with low-income workers.
45	45	14 (b) The commission shall examine and make recommendations on topics including, but
46	46	15not limited to: (i) barriers that exist in Massachusetts that prevent low-income workers from
47	47	16finding and retaining jobs with sustainable wages; (ii) strategies that the commonwealth could
48	48	17employ that would help to address barriers to job retention for low-income workers; (iii)
49	49	18Massachusetts laws and regulations that are currently in place, or could be put in place, that
50	50	19assist or hamper this population from maintaining jobs with a sustainable wage; (iv) holistic and
51	51	20wraparound service approaches and programs that the commonwealth could explore to prevent a
52	52	21fragmented and inefficient response to addressing these barriers; and (v) the financial
53	53	22repercussions of and recommended formulaic assistance to mitigate the “cliff effect” in which
54	54	23low-income persons securing minimal income increases suddenly become ineligible for critical
55	55	24benefits programs that are needed to support themselves and their families.
56	56	25 (c) The commission may hold hearings and invite testimony from experts and the public
57	57	26to gather information. The commission may involve other experts, stakeholders and members of
58	58	27the public in its work through listening and working group sessions or whatever other
59	59	28mechanisms the commission chooses.
60	60	29 (d) The commission shall file its recommendations, including any drafts of legislation or
61	61	30regulations necessary to carry out its recommendations, not later than March 1, 2027.