MTA 2025-2026 Legislative Priorities
The MTA’s legislative priorities are the result of a robust process that included extensive input from MTA members, recommendations from the MTA’s member-led Government Relations Committee and the review and approval of the MTA Board of Directors.
The priorities focus on:
- High-Quality, Free Public Higher Education
- Funding Our Schools to Meet the Needs of All Students
- Ensuring a Dignified Retirement
- Policies to Create the Schools Our Students Deserve
The deadline for filing bills in the new 2025-2026 session is Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. More information will be available at this time.
Latest legislative news
GPO and WEP repealed!
With a win 40 years in the making, a new federal law secures full retirement benefits for educators.
get the detailsState Legislature fails to pass RetirementPlus bill
This bill remains an MTA priority bill and will be filed again in the new legislative session.
learn moreMTA applauds legislation to increase educator diversity
MTA-backed language to bring by more diversity in the classroom is part of a new economic development law.
readAbout the Process
How a Bill Becomes a Law in Massachusetts
The Idea
The first step in creating MTA legislation is the submission of proposals by members and the approval of proposals by the member-run Government Relations Committee and MTA’s Board of Directors.
Bill Filing
Bills were drafted by MTA’s Government Relations and Legal teams as directed by the GRC and the Board of Directors. All MTA priority bills were then filed in the House and/or Senate by legislative sponsors. The next step is for each bill to be assigned to a legislative committee for consideration.
Committee Process
Once a bill is referred to a committee, that committee holds a public hearing and hears testimony on the bill. Hearings are typically held anytime between March and November. The time before hearings are held is used to build support for our agenda. At the conclusion of this process, the committee will recommend whether the bill “ought to pass,” “ought not to pass,” be subject to further study or be sent to another committee for additional review.
House & Senate
If a bill is reported favorably by its final committee, it will be sent to either the House or Senate for consideration. The bill may then go through several additional procedural steps before being debated and scheduled for a vote on the floor. If a bill passes one chamber, it will then be sent to other where it will go through a similar procedural process, potentially including a debate and vote.
Conference Committee (If Needed)
If the House and Senate pass different versions of the same bill, then the bill is sent to a bi-partisan conference committee of members from each branch who craft a compromise bill which will not be subject to amendment. Both the House and Senate then make a final vote on the compromise bill.
Governor's Desk
If both the House and Senate pass the same bill, it is then sent to the governor for review and action. The governor then either signs the bill into law; allows the bill to become law without signing it; vetoes the legislation; or sends it back to the Legislature with amendments. A veto by the governor can be overridden with a two-thirds vote in both legislative branches.
If Not Vetoed, the Bill Becomes Law!
About the Government Relations Committee
The members of the Government Relations Committee work collaboratively with the Government Relations team to develop the proposed 2023-2024 legislative agenda.
The development of the agenda is an intensive, member-driven process that includes significant input from educators across the Commonwealth in order to ensure that our legislation reflects the hopes and aspirations of our membership. The process commenced in September when the process and timeline for developing the agenda where established. In October, the committee begins to solicit specific legislative proposals from MTA members.
The GRC, in consultation with GR staff and other MTA divisions, carefully review each submission and proceed to craft a proposed legislative package. The proposed agenda encompasses wide-ranging issues that together articulate our shared commitment to public education, fairness for all workers in our communities, and a secure retirement for public-sector employees.