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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1688 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3348
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Russell E. Holmes
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act establishing the executive office of structural racism.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Russell E. Holmes6th Suffolk1/15/2025 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1688 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3348
By Representative Holmes of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3348) of
Russell E. Holmes relative to establishing the executive office of structural racism. State
Administration and Regulatory Oversight.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3047 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act establishing the executive office of structural racism.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 2 of chapter 6A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “security”, in line 5, the second
3time it appears, the following words:- , structural racism.
4 SECTION 2. Said chapter 6A, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by adding the
5following section:-
6 Section 105. (a) There shall be an executive office of structural racism.
7 (b) The executive office of structural racism shall be under the supervision and control of
8a secretary of structural racism, in this section called the secretary. The secretary shall be 2 of 3
9appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the governor, shall receive such salary as the governor
10determines and shall devote full-time to the duties of the office.
11 (c) The secretary shall have all powers necessary or convenient to carry out the duties of
12the office including, but not limited to, the following duties and powers:
13 (1) Establish bureaus and other functional units within the office and hire employees;
14 (2) Coordinate, analyze, develop, evaluate, recommend and assist in implementing
15strategies and policies for advancing racial equity across state agencies and the office of the
16governor;
17 (3) Identify all known laws and rules, including but not limited to: general laws, special
18laws, ordinances, regulations, policies, standards and licensing that have perpetuated the
19structural inequality in the areas of economics, employment, housing, health and education,
20which have had a devastating impact on communities of color in Massachusetts. The office shall
21also investigate whether such rules and laws were crafted with a discriminatory intent to hinder
22the progress of federally protected groups;
23 (4) Review the various laws, ordinances policies, rules or regulations that are expected to
24be adopted by the commonwealth and create published findings on whether they will eventually
25perpetuate the structural disadvantages often faced by communities of color before any steps are
26taken in their implementation in the commonwealth. The office shall also monitor ongoing
27policy trends of facially neutral laws that are gravel impacting minority communities; 3 of 3
28 (5) Utilize the findings of recent studies that highlight racial disparities to make
29recommendations that would legitimately curtail the discriminatory treatment communities of
30color should have long been protected against;
31 (6) Develop yearly findings on the disproportionate impact that incarceration is having on
32low income residents of color in Massachusetts and describe its negative effects, not just on the
33lives of marginalized communities, but on the commonwealth as a whole;
34 (7) Identify the behavioral health conditions that develop due to the structural
35disadvantages, which impact people of color in the commonwealth, in addition to this strategize
36ways to make these communities more aware of the distinct behavioral health conditions that
37often come from their experience in the communities; and
38 (8) Study and develop published findings on how structural racism has exacerbated
39disproportionate minority contact with the criminal law system in Massachusetts.
40 (c) The office shall be provided access to any record of a state agency. The office shall
41not be required to obtain the approval of any state agency in connection with the collection or
42analysis of any such information, nor shall the office be required, prior to publication, to obtain
43the approval of any officer or employee of any executive or state agency with respect to the
44substance of any findings or reports, which the office has prepared under this section.
45 (d) The office may adopt and amend rules and regulations for the administration of its
46duties and powers to effectuate this section.