Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S533 Compare Versions

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

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1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2321 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 533
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Rebecca L. Rausch
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 to ensure a complete, accurate, and equitable census count.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Rebecca L. RauschNorfolk, Worcester and Middlesex 1 of 7
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2321 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 533
18	18	By Ms. Rausch, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 533) of Rebecca L. Rausch for
19	19	legislation relative to ensure a complete, accurate, and equitable census count. Election Laws.
20	20	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
21	21	SEE SENATE, NO. 432 OF 2023-2024.]
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
25	25	(2025-2026)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act to ensure a complete, accurate, and equitable census count.
28	28	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
29	29	of the same, as follows:
30	30	1 The General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, are hereby amended by
31	31	2inserting after chapter 57 the following new chapter:-
32	32	3 Chapter 57A – Census Equity and Accuracy
33	33	4 Section 1. For purposes of this chapter, the following words shall have the following
34	34	5meanings:
35	35	6 “Census day”, the day by which residents in the United States must be counted, as set
36	36	7forth in title 13 of the United States Code.
37	37	8 “Commission”, the Massachusetts census equity commission. 2 of 7
38	38	9 “Persons experiencing homelessness”, individuals who lack, or are perceived to lack, a
39	39	10fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. Persons experiencing homelessness includes,
40	40	11but is not limited to, persons who: (1) share the housing of other persons due to loss of housing,
41	41	12economic hardship or a similar reason; (2) live in motels, hotels, trailer parks or campgrounds
42	42	13due to the lack of fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence; (3) live in emergency or
43	43	14transitional shelters; (4) are abandoned in hospitals; (5) are awaiting foster care placement; (6)
44	44	15have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily
45	45	16used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings; (7) live in cars, parks, public
46	46	17spaces, abandoned buildings, bus or train stations or similar settings; or (8) are transient and
47	47	18otherwise experiencing homelessness as described in this subsection.
48	48	19 “Undercounted communities”, groups of residents of the commonwealth who are
49	49	20traditionally undercounted in census implementations, including but not limited to: (1)
50	50	21communities of color; (2) immigrants, regardless of documentation; (3) individuals of all gender
51	51	22identities, gender presentations, and sexual orientations; (4) individuals with incomes under
52	52	23200% of the federal poverty line; (5) persons experiencing homeless; (6) individuals with
53	53	24disabilities; (7) individuals who are veterans; (8) individuals under the age of 16 years; (9)
54	54	25individuals for whom English is not their first language; (10) residents of rural communities; and
55	55	26(11) residents of subsidized housing.
56	56	27 Section 2. (a) There is hereby established, within the office of the state secretary, the
57	57	28Massachusetts census equity commission. The purpose of the commission shall be to ensure that
58	58	29Massachusetts censuses accurately and completely count all residents of the commonwealth,
59	59	30including but not limited to undercounted communities. 3 of 7
60	60	31 (b) The commission shall consist of 29 members, as follows: the secretary of state, or
61	61	32designee, who shall serve as chair; the attorney general, or designee; the Senate chair of the
62	62	33committee on election laws; the House chair of the committee on redistricting; the Senate
63	63	34minority leader, or designee; the House minority leader, or designee; a Senate member of the
64	64	35Black and Latino Legislative Caucus; a House member of the Asian Legislative Caucus; the
65	65	36commissioner of the department of elementary and secondary education, or designee; the
66	66	37commissioner of the office of refugees and immigrants, or designee; a member of the Boston city
67	67	38council, selected by majority vote of the council; a member of the Worcester city council,
68	68	39selected by majority vote of the council; a member of the Springfield city council, selected by
69	69	40majority vote of the council; a member of the Lowell city council, selected by majority vote of
70	70	41the council; a member of the New Bedford city council, selected by majority vote of the council;
71	71	42a member of the Barnstable town council, selected by majority vote of the council; a member of
72	72	43the Greenfield town council, selected by majority vote of the council; the executive director of
73	73	44the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition; a representative of the Grove
74	74	45Hall Safe Neighborhood Initiative; the executive director of the Massachusetts Coalition for the
75	75	46Homeless; 4 members appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives who shall be
76	76	47residents of the Commonwealth, 2 of whom shall represent faith communities of color in the
77	77	48commonwealth, 1 of whom shall represent minority and women-owned businesses in the
78	78	49commonwealth, and 1 of whom shall be a member of the Wampanoag tribe; and 5 members
79	79	50appointed by the president of the senate who shall be residents of the Commonwealth, 1 of
80	80	51whom shall represent youth residents of the commonwealth, 1 of whom shall represent older
81	81	52adult residents of the commonwealth, 1 of whom shall be a veteran, 1 of whom shall represent
82	82	53individuals with disabilities, and 1 of whom shall represent tenants and renters. Appointments 4 of 7
83	83	54shall promote diverse geographic, cultural, ethnic, racial, and gender representation on the
84	84	55commission.
85	85	56 Section 3. (a) The commission shall develop and implement census outreach programs to:
86	86	57increase awareness of the census, focusing efforts in undercounted communities; educate
87	87	58residents of the commonwealth about the importance of an accurate census count; alleviate
88	88	59concerns about perceived repercussions for participating in the census count; and engage
89	89	60undercounted communities in the census counting process.
90	90	61 (b) The census outreach programs shall take into account barriers to proper counting of
91	91	62all residents of the commonwealth.
92	92	63 (c) The census outreach programs shall include communications to residents of the
93	93	64commonwealth through school-based programs, partnerships with non-profit and community-
94	94	65based programs, and a multi-lingual, multi-media, multi-platform campaign.
95	95	66 (d) For purposes of implementing the census outreach programs, the commission shall
96	96	67solicit participation from relevant experts and practitioners as necessary to achieve the goals set
97	97	68forth in subsection (a) of this section; and may create and appoint working groups as it deems
98	98	69appropriate.
99	99	70 Section 4. The commission shall be coordinated through the office of the secretary of
100	100	71state which shall provide administrative support to the commission and coordinate with state
101	101	72agencies and constitutional officers, as well as units of local government, to identify effective
102	102	73methods of outreach and to provide resources to ensure that outreach programs are successful
103	103	74and all residents are counted. 5 of 7
104	104	75 Section 5. (a) Members of the commission shall serve four-year terms, provided that no
105	105	76term shall terminate within the 24-month period prior to a census day or the 6-month period
106	106	77subsequent to a census day.
107	107	78 (b) Members of the commission shall receive no compensation for their services but may
108	108	79be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the course of their service on the commission.
109	109	80 (c) The commission may employ a director and assistant director upon a simple majority
110	110	81vote of the full membership of the commission. The director and assistant director may be
111	111	82compensated from moneys appropriated or available for that purpose.
112	112	83 Section 6. Vacancies on the commission shall be filled in like manner as the original
113	113	84appointment.
114	114	85 Section 7. (a) During the 24-month period prior to a census day, the commission shall
115	115	86meet at least monthly, or more frequently at the call of the chair or by majority vote of the
116	116	87members.
117	117	88 (b) At all times other than the period set forth in subsection (a) of this section, the
118	118	89commission shall meet at least quarterly, or more frequently at the call of the chair or by majority
119	119	90vote of the members.
120	120	91 (c) To the extent practicable, the commission shall rotate meeting locations throughout
121	121	92every region of the commonwealth.
122	122	93 Section 8. The secretary of the commonwealth shall use all reasonable efforts to secure
123	123	94federal funding for implementation of the census outreach programs. At least forty percent of the 6 of 7
124	124	95funds spent implementing the census outreach programs must be spent on undercounted
125	125	96communities.
126	126	97 Section 9. (a) Not later than June 1 in the odd-numbered year immediately preceding a
127	127	98census day, the commission shall file with the governor, the secretary of the commonwealth, the
128	128	99attorney general, and the general court joint committees on election laws and redistricting, an
129	129	100interim report containing: (1) its proposed census outreach programs to encourage full
130	130	101participation and avoid an undercount in the upcoming decennial census; and (2) any
131	131	102recommendations for regulatory or legislative action necessary to ensure an accurate count of all
132	132	103Massachusetts residents in the upcoming decennial census.
133	133	104 (b) The general court joint committees on election laws and redistricting may, separately
134	134	105or collectively, issue to the commission suggestions for improvements to the proposed census
135	135	106outreach programs contained in the interim report. The committees may, separately or
136	136	107collectively, hold public hearings in advance of preparing and issuing said suggestions. Any
137	137	108suggestions must be issued to the commission by November 1 in the odd-numbered year
138	138	109immediately preceding a census day.
139	139	110 (c) Not later than December 10 in the odd-numbered year immediately preceding a
140	140	111census day, the committee shall file with the governor, the secretary of the commonwealth, the
141	141	112attorney general, and the general court joint committees on election laws and redistricting, a final
142	142	113report containing the census outreach programs to be implemented throughout the
143	143	114commonwealth.
144	144	115 (d) Not later than February 1 in the odd-numbered year immediately subsequent to a
145	145	116census day, the committee shall file with the governor, the secretary of the commonwealth, the 7 of 7
146	146	117attorney general, and the legislative committees on election laws and redistricting, a post-
147	147	118implementation report containing: (1) a detailed accounting of the census outreach programs
148	148	119implemented for the immediately prior decennial census; (2) an assessment of the perceived
149	149	120levels of success of the components of the census outreach programs; (3) recommendations for
150	150	121improvements in the next census outreach programs, including in the commission’s discretion
151	151	122appropriate recommended legislative or regulatory action; and (4) other notable outcomes of the
152	152	123commission’s work.
153	153	124 (e) The commission may update its post-implementation report as appropriate, in its
154	154	125discretion, until December 31 in the second odd-numbered year subsequent to a census day.