EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY (AND LEGISLATION)

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This page details MLCRA's efforts to educate MLCRA members on matters of interest to seniors, especially on state legislation and state operations concerning CCRC's, and how MLCRA advocates with the Massachusetts legislature.
 

• The first section below describes Massachusetts state legislators, offices, and committees and how MLCRA and its members may engage with them.
   

• The second section describes how MLCRA advocates for seniors in CCRC's, especially through the legislative process.​

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EDUCATION: Learning about the Massachusetts Legislature. 

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1. How to Contact Your Massachusetts State Legislators​

Click/tap here for a list of legislators for MLCRA Communities. ​​

Click/tap on the link following to find the name and contact information for your State Senator and your State Representative  https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator.

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2. Massachusetts Legislative Process.​

To learn more about how the MA Legislature works click/tap here.

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3. The Joint Committee on Aging and Independence (of the Massachusetts Legislature).
The Committee considers legislative issues concerning seniors.   Click/tap here to see the Committee membership and other information.

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4. The Joint Committee on Health Care Financing of the Massachusetts Legislature. The Committee considers issues concerning direct funding of health care programs and fiscal matters relating to health care policy. Click/tap here to see the Committee membership and other information.

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ADVOCACY and LEGISLATION: Legislation and Regulations that affect seniors. MLCRA advocated on behalf of seniors, for some of this legislation​.

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5. New in 2026: Law to License Home Care Agencies
During summer 2026, the Massachusetts Legislature passed a bill that requires the licensing of home care agencies and establishes protections for both clients and workers. Governor Healey then signed the bill into law.  Click here for more information and for a link to the text of the new law.

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6. Massachusetts CCRC Residents’ Rights Law

This law gives Continuing Care Retirement Community residents the right to establish a Residents Association and to receive information about the organization, operation and finances of their communities. Click/tap here for further information and for the text of the law.

7. Long term Care/Assisted Living Law
At the end of August 2024, the Massachusetts legislature passed an Act to Improve Quality and Oversight of Long-Term Care and it was signed into law by Governor Healey on September 6.  The new law covers nursing homes, assisted living, and related long-term care issues, and includes 2 provisions for which MLCRA has advocated.

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Click/Tap here for the new law (long link: https://malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/Acts/2024/Chapter197).

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7.1 Assisted Living: The law makes changes to Assisted Living,  including establishing a structure that allows Assisted Living facilities to offer basic health services. There are extra certification standards for facilities that choose to offer basic health services.  Changes to Assisted Living begin in SECTION 2 of the new law. (Scroll down about a page in the link above to get to SECTION 2.)

7.2 CCRC Commission: The law creates a special legislative commission to study the oversight of Continuing Care Retirement Communities to protect the consumer and financial rights of residents. MLCRA is one of the groups named to the CCRC Commission.  See SECTION 29 for details about the  Commission.  (Scroll down to within a couple of pages of the end of the linked document to find SECTION 29.)  For details of the proceedings of the commission  click/tap here: (long link: https://www.mlcra.org/education-advocacy/cccr-comm)

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8. New Assisted Living Regulations
After the Legislature passes a law, the Executive Branch issues regulations about how the law is to be implemented.   Click/tap on this link for an explanation of the new Massachusetts Assisted Living regulations that implement the 2024 Long-Term Care/Assisted Living Law.