Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H3348 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. 1688 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3348
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Russell E. Holmes
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 establishing the executive office of structural racism.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Russell E. Holmes6th Suffolk1/15/2025 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1688 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3348
18	18	By Representative Holmes of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3348) of
19	19	Russell E. Holmes relative to establishing the executive office of structural racism. State
20	20	Administration and Regulatory Oversight.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE HOUSE, NO. 3047 OF 2023-2024.]
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 establishing the executive office of structural racism.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 SECTION 1. Section 2 of chapter 6A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018
32	32	2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “security”, in line 5, the second
33	33	3time it appears, the following words:- , structural racism.
34	34	4 SECTION 2. Said chapter 6A, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by adding the
35	35	5following section:-
36	36	6 Section 105. (a) There shall be an executive office of structural racism.
37	37	7 (b) The executive office of structural racism shall be under the supervision and control of
38	38	8a secretary of structural racism, in this section called the secretary. The secretary shall be 2 of 3
39	39	9appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the governor, shall receive such salary as the governor
40	40	10determines and shall devote full-time to the duties of the office.
41	41	11 (c) The secretary shall have all powers necessary or convenient to carry out the duties of
42	42	12the office including, but not limited to, the following duties and powers:
43	43	13 (1) Establish bureaus and other functional units within the office and hire employees;
44	44	14 (2) Coordinate, analyze, develop, evaluate, recommend and assist in implementing
45	45	15strategies and policies for advancing racial equity across state agencies and the office of the
46	46	16governor;
47	47	17 (3) Identify all known laws and rules, including but not limited to: general laws, special
48	48	18laws, ordinances, regulations, policies, standards and licensing that have perpetuated the
49	49	19structural inequality in the areas of economics, employment, housing, health and education,
50	50	20which have had a devastating impact on communities of color in Massachusetts. The office shall
51	51	21also investigate whether such rules and laws were crafted with a discriminatory intent to hinder
52	52	22the progress of federally protected groups;
53	53	23 (4) Review the various laws, ordinances policies, rules or regulations that are expected to
54	54	24be adopted by the commonwealth and create published findings on whether they will eventually
55	55	25perpetuate the structural disadvantages often faced by communities of color before any steps are
56	56	26taken in their implementation in the commonwealth. The office shall also monitor ongoing
57	57	27policy trends of facially neutral laws that are gravel impacting minority communities; 3 of 3
58	58	28 (5) Utilize the findings of recent studies that highlight racial disparities to make
59	59	29recommendations that would legitimately curtail the discriminatory treatment communities of
60	60	30color should have long been protected against;
61	61	31 (6) Develop yearly findings on the disproportionate impact that incarceration is having on
62	62	32low income residents of color in Massachusetts and describe its negative effects, not just on the
63	63	33lives of marginalized communities, but on the commonwealth as a whole;
64	64	34 (7) Identify the behavioral health conditions that develop due to the structural
65	65	35disadvantages, which impact people of color in the commonwealth, in addition to this strategize
66	66	36ways to make these communities more aware of the distinct behavioral health conditions that
67	67	37often come from their experience in the communities; and
68	68	38 (8) Study and develop published findings on how structural racism has exacerbated
69	69	39disproportionate minority contact with the criminal law system in Massachusetts.
70	70	40 (c) The office shall be provided access to any record of a state agency. The office shall
71	71	41not be required to obtain the approval of any state agency in connection with the collection or
72	72	42analysis of any such information, nor shall the office be required, prior to publication, to obtain
73	73	43the approval of any officer or employee of any executive or state agency with respect to the
74	74	44substance of any findings or reports, which the office has prepared under this section.
75	75	45 (d) The office may adopt and amend rules and regulations for the administration of its
76	76	46duties and powers to effectuate this section.