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Bill

S 885

Relates to requiring state and local law enforcement officers to identify themselves to the public

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Brad Hoylman-Sigal and 1 co-sponsor

Requires CHIA to produce premium impact statements and agencies to file public notices before health regulations, ensuring analysis of effects on health insurance premium rates.

REFERRED TO FINANCE
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Bill Summary · S 885

Summary — S.885 (An Act relative to premium impact statements)

Note: The bill text provided concerns required “premium impact statements” for healthcare / health‑insurance regulations and legislation. Some accompanying metadata (title mentioning police identification and sponsor lists) appears inconsistent with the text; this summary is based on the bill language filed by Senator Joan B. Lovely.

Purpose

To increase transparency and require analysis of the effect that proposed health‑care or health‑insurance regulations and legislation would have on health insurance premium rates in Massachusetts, and to require the Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) to produce premium impact statements for bills considered by legislative committees.

Key provisions

  • Agency rulemaking (Section 1)

    • Before adopting, amending, or repealing any healthcare or health‑insurance related regulation, the responsible agency must file with the Secretary of the Commonwealth a public notice that includes a premium impact statement.
    • The premium impact statement must consider whether and how the proposed regulatory action will affect health insurance premium rates in Massachusetts.
    • The agency must provide the public an opportunity to submit data, views, or arguments related to the impact statement.
    • Prior to final adoption of the regulation the agency must file an amended premium impact statement with the Secretary of the Commonwealth.

  • Legislative review and CHIA analysis (Section 2)

    • Any joint, house, or senate committee may report favorably on health‑care or health‑insurance bills or petitions only if the bill/petition has first received a premium impact statement conducted by CHIA.
    • Committees must refer all healthcare and health‑insurance related bills/petitions to an “accompanied study order” and await CHIA’s final report under this section before completing action.

Who would be affected

  • State executive agencies that promulgate healthcare or insurance regulations (new procedural requirements).
  • CHIA, which would be responsible for producing formal premium impact statements for legislation (increased workload).
  • Legislative committees that consider health‑care and health‑insurance bills (must wait for CHIA analysis).
  • Insurers, providers, employers, and consumers — since the analysis could influence or delay rules and laws that affect premiums.

Procedural and timeline considerations

  • The bill requires CHIA analyses and agency filings before final regulatory or legislative action but does not specify deadlines for CHIA reports, scope standards for the statements, or funding for the added work.
  • Agencies must solicit public input on the premium impact statement and must file an amended statement before adopting rules.
  • Status (from provided record): Introduced 03/06/2025; referred to Finance; hearing scheduled 06/02/2025 (Gardner Auditorium). Sponsor/petitioner listed as Joan B. Lovely.

Potential impacts and uncertainties

  • Likely increases transparency and focus on premium consequences of regulatory and legislative actions.
  • Could slow adoption of regulations and passage of bills due to required CHIA studies and public comment periods.
  • May require additional CHIA resources or statutory deadlines to avoid procedural delays (bill does not include funding or timing requirements).
  • The bill does not define required methodology, thresholds for impact, or enforcement mechanisms — leaving significant implementation details to regulation or further legislation.

Related/precedent bills

  • References prior session bills (e.g., SD 1557 replaces; A 2992, S 8577, S 2107, S 470 noted as prior‑session) and an apparent companion A.7139.

If you’d like, I can draft a one‑page briefing for committee members summarizing likely administrative burdens on agencies and CHIA, or propose amendments to clarify timelines and resource provisions.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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