Requires health insurance coverage for mammography by either mammogram and breast ultrasound or breast tomosynthesis for persons with certain breast densities

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Cordell Cleare and 2 co-sponsors

Imposes three-term limit on Steamship Authority Board members; grandfathering allows some current members to serve an extra term, boosting turnover and oversight.

REFERRED TO INSURANCE

Summary — S.2395 (Docket No. 316) — “An Act improving oversight and operations of the Steamship Authority”

Status: Introduced (filed 01/10/2025); referred to committee.
Primary sponsor (per bill text): Senator Dylan A. Fernandes (Plymouth and Barnstable). Petition also lists Julian Cyr.
Note: provided metadata contained inconsistent titles and sponsor lists that appear unrelated to the bill text. This summary is based on the bill text (Docket No. 316 / Senate No. 2395).

Purpose

To modify governance rules for the Steamship Authority Board by (1) modernizing statutory language, and (2) establishing term limits and a limited grandfathering provision for existing members — with the intent of improving oversight and operations through more regular board turnover and clarified appointment rules.

Key provisions

Amends Section 3 of chapter 701 of the Acts of 1960:

Replaces the gendered pronoun “his” with the neutral term “the.”
Adds a new sentence establishing a term limit: “No member shall serve more than three full terms; provided, that a member appointed to fill a vacancy may serve three full terms after serving the unexpired portion of the former member.”
Effect: Members may not serve more than three full appointed terms. If someone is first appointed to fill a partial (unexpired) term, they may still be appointed to three full terms after that partial term.

Section 2 (transitional/grandfathering clause):

Permits current board members who have already served three full terms as of the act’s effective date to complete their current term and to serve an additional term immediately afterward.
Effect: creates a limited exception allowing certain long-serving incumbents to serve a fourth term once.

Who is affected

Primary: Members of the Steamship Authority Board (appointive positions governed by chapter 701).

Secondary: The Steamship Authority’s governance and stakeholders (residents and businesses served by ferry/transportation services) who may be affected indirectly by changes in board composition, oversight, institutional memory and policy direction.

Procedural / timeline details (from provided record)

Bill filed: 01/10/2025 (Senate Docket No. 316 / Senate No. 2395).

Referred to committee per record entries (Transportation committee noted on 02/27/2025). A hearing is listed for 10/14/2025 (record shows some updates to hearing location and virtual access).

Sponsor/petitioners in bill text: Dylan A. Fernandes (presented) and Julian Cyr. (Ignore conflicting sponsor metadata not matching the bill text.)

Potential impacts / considerations

Governance: Imposes a clear cap on long-term incumbency (three full terms), likely increasing regular turnover and opportunities for new appointees.

Continuity vs. renewal: The grandfathering clause softens immediate disruption by allowing certain current members to stay longer (an additional term), which may preserve institutional knowledge but delays full effect of term limits.

Administrative: Minimal implementation burden — primarily appointment practices and recordkeeping to track terms and vacancy service.

Policy outcomes: Over time, the term limit could change board composition, potentially affecting management oversight, strategic priorities, and stakeholder representation.

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