Extends the duration of certain brownfield redevelopment and remediation tax credits for certain sites

2025 Regular Session Introduced by April Baskin and 3 co-sponsors

The bill requires the state to assess pharmacy supply and access, identify pharmacy deserts, and provide policy recommendations by Sept 1, 2026.

REFERRED TO BUDGET AND REVENUE

Summary — S.858 (Resolve relative to pharmacy deserts — Massachusetts)

Note on source material: The provided packet contains inconsistent metadata (alternate titles, sponsors, and unrelated draft text). The operative legislative text reproduced here is a Massachusetts resolve introduced by Senator Lydia Edwards titled “Resolve relative to pharmacy deserts.” This summary addresses that resolve (Senate Docket No. 718 / Senate No. 858, filed 1/14/2025).

Main purpose

Require the Massachusetts Office of Health Resource Planning (OHRP) to perform a focused assessment of the supply, distribution, and capacity of pharmacy and pharmacological services across the Commonwealth; identify existing and potential “pharmacy deserts”; analyze their impacts; and deliver findings and policy recommendations.

Key provisions

Assignment: OHRP (established under section 22 of chapter 6D of the General Laws) must conduct the focused assessment pursuant to that statutory authority.

Definition of “pharmacy desert”: an area with limited or no pharmacy access, using objective thresholds:

Nearest pharmacy > 1 mile in urban areas, > 5 miles in suburban areas, > 10 miles in rural areas;
Travel time > 15 minutes by car or > 30 minutes by public transit;
Areas with limited transit or where ≥ 20% of residents lack access to private vehicles.

Required analyses to be included in the report (minimum list):

Identification of impacted neighborhoods and patient populations;
Effects on access to medications and health outcomes;
Geographic and financial barriers to obtaining medications;
Average distance and travel time to pharmacies and available transportation options;
Impact on overall health care costs, including emergency department visits and hospitalizations;
Role of pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) business practices in pharmacy closures;
Policy recommendations to mitigate current pharmacy deserts and prevent new ones.

Reporting and recipients: OHRP must present findings to the Health Policy Commission board and file the report with the clerks of the Senate and House, the House and Senate Ways and Means committees, the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, the Center for Health Information and Analysis, the Health Policy Commission, and the Department of Public Health.

Deadline: Report due no later than September 1, 2026.

Who is affected / potential impact

Residents in underserved areas identified as pharmacy deserts (urban, suburban, rural) — impacts access to prescriptions, vaccinations, and other pharmacy services.

Health care systems and payers — potential downstream effects on ED visits, hospitalizations, and overall costs.

Pharmacies and pharmacy workforce — findings may influence regulation, incentives, or programs to sustain or expand access.

Policymakers and regulators — report will inform legislative or regulatory responses, including interventions addressing PBM practices or transportation barriers.

Procedural and timeline notes

Filed/introduced: January 14, 2025 (Senate Docket No. 718 / Senate No. 858).

Hearing scheduled (per record): June 2, 2025, Gardner Auditorium.

Committee actions listed in the materials include referrals to Health Care Financing and to Senate Ways & Means; the report of the OHRP is due by 9/1/2026.

Due to inconsistencies in the supplied metadata (titles, sponsors, and unrelated drafts), readers should consult the official Massachusetts legislative website for the current bill text, status, and amendments.