5 Important New Massachusetts Laws You Need To Know In July

As you may know or not know, every state across the country has a different practice for when bills are enacted after they have been signed into law by the state’s governor. In many states, this means new laws went into effect on July 1 of 2024.

According to WWLP22News, new laws went into effect on a date specified in the text of the bill, or just 90 days after Governor Healey signs the final version. Laws enacted under Governor Healey this year have fallen under two categories––those relevant to the entire state, and those relevant to particular towns.

Since January, the legislature already passed four bills that apply to the entire state and three of which have been signed into law by the governor.

Get our free mobile app

Check out this list below:

1. Appropriations Bills for fiscal year 2025

Laws that will authorize the spending of government funds and are typically ahead of a finalized state budget. This bill is comprehensive and includes spending across dozens of categories, from requiring permits for alcohol delivery drivers to specific town’s National Guard units.

2. Improvements to our crappy roads and creaky bridges

Let's fix them potholes! An act financing improvements to municipal roads and bridges that provides a framework for immediate improvements to state and town roadways and provides funding to cities and towns who comply with procedures laid out by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to reconstruct their aging roads and bridges.

3. Mitochondrial disease awareness

An Act to Establish Noah Fernandes Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Day that calls on the governor to proclaim the third full week of September to be Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Week, and the Friday of that week to be Noah Fernandes Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Day.

4. Anti-revenge porn bill

An Act to Prevent Abuse and Exploitation bill which is a piece of a compromised legislation that would ban revenge porn and qualify coercive control as a form of abuse.

5. Town-specific laws

Many western Massachusetts municipalities have had town-specific laws passed Since the beginning of 2024 which range from bridge dedications in Belchertown and Ware to establishing town government positions, like the new treasurer-collector position in Southwick.