Massachusetts lawmakers pass — and pass — a slew of bills in final hours of formal session | National

Currently, Parliament is in informal session until the end of the year, and any MP can block the adoption of any bill.

Here are some of the new laws and bills that have not yet been finalized:

Massachusetts lawmakers approved and sent Gov. Maura Healey for signature Wednesday on a bill aimed at updating the state’s parenting laws to include LGBTQ+ parents and families who have used methods such as assisted reproduction and surrogacy.

Supporters say the bill would eliminate one of the last remaining elements of Massachusetts law that treats same-sex parents and those using assisted reproduction services differently than other parents.

Parental rights include the ability to attend and make decisions about medical appointments, manage the child’s finances, participate in decisions about education, and consent to the child’s travel.

Massachusetts companies with more than 25 employees must disclose salary ranges when posting job openings, according to a new bill signed Wednesday by Healey, which would bring the state into the fold of 10 other states that already require salary transparency.

The law also protects an employee’s right to ask their employer for a salary range when applying for a job or promotion.

The Attorney General’s Office will also have the authority to impose fines and issue citations for violations of the law, and employees will be protected from reprisals for asking about salary ranges when applying for a job or promotion.

One of the few major bills approved in the final hours of the session was a $5.2 billion housing bond package that Healey has identified as one of her top priorities.

The bill changes zoning laws to make it easier for homeowners to create accessory dwelling units, sometimes called “granny flats,” and authorizes billions of dollars in funding for the state’s public housing system.

Healey pushed for the bill as a way to address the state’s housing crisis, which has driven up costs for renters and would-be homeowners.

Healey said Thursday she signed legislation to ensure that first responders who are seriously injured in the line of duty can receive full compensation until they retire. The law applies to police officers, firefighters, public and municipal paramedics and licensed public and municipal health workers.

The law allows first responders who are unable to perform essential job functions because of injuries sustained in a violent incident to receive disability benefits equal to 100 percent of their regular salary. That amount will be reduced to 80 percent when they reach mandatory retirement age.

A rescuer is entitled to benefits if, as a result of a violent attack, they have suffered a serious, life-threatening, life-changing and permanent bodily injury.

One of the more important bills that lawmakers failed to push through was the economic development package.

The bill would help pave the way for a new soccer stadium for the New England Revolution in Everett, and also allocate hundreds of millions of dollars to another Healey priority — the state’s life sciences and climate technology sector.

An attempt to re-allow restaurants to offer happy hours, which were banned in 1984, also failed.

Supporters of the bill say it would strengthen the state’s tools to protect the health care system by focusing on major players in the health care market, including providers, insurers, pharmaceutical manufacturers and for-profit investment firms.

The bill would also expand the authority of state agencies to measure and contain health care costs.

Another bill that died in the final hours aimed to increase the state’s reliance on renewable energy, in part by streamlining the state and local permitting process for projects that would shift the state away from fossil fuels, supporters say.

The Massachusetts Senate has approved its version of a bill it said will help the state meet its climate goals, including achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

U.S. House Speaker Ronald Mariano said the bill aims to increase the supply of clean energy through new renewable energy projects, increasing storage capacity and streamlining the permitting process.

SUPERVISED INJECTION SITES

Another bill that failed to clear its final legislative hurdle would allow the creation of supervised injection sites where people could take illegal drugs under the care of staff trained to treat overdoses.

Democratic House Speaker Ronald Mariano on Tuesday blamed the Senate for waiting until the penultimate day of the 19-month session to approve his version of the bill.