Beacon Hill Roll Call
Volume 51 – Report No. 7
February 9 – 13, 2026
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THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ and senators’ votes on roll calls from the week of February 9-13.
During the week of February 9-13, the House met for a total of five hours and 40 minutes and the Senate met for a total of five hours and five minutes.
REGULATE THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) IN POLITICAL ADS (H 5094)- House 157-0, approved and sent to the Senate a bill that would require that any synthetic media audio or video communication intended to influence voting for or against a candidate or ballot proposition, must disclose at the beginning and end of the communication that it contains AI-generated materials. Violators would be fined up to $1,000.
(A “Yes” vote is for the bill.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – Yes
Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
ELECTION MISINFORMATION (H 5093)- House 154-3, approved and sent to the Senate a bill that would prohibit the distribution of deceptive communications within 90 days of an election, including audio or visual media which depicts a candidate with intent to injure their reputation or deceive a voter into voting for or against them. It also bans content with the intent to mislead voters of the date and time of an election; the requirements, methods or deadlines to vote.
Exemptions to the 90-day prohibition include media outlets which air the ads or report on the ads as part of a newscast as long as they clearly acknowledge that there are questions about its authenticity; websites, newspapers, magazines and periodicals; and satire and parody.
The bill allows a political candidate whose voice or likeness appears in a materially deceptive audio or visual media to seek injunctive or other equitable relief prohibiting the distribution of the media, or to bring an action for damages against the party that distributed the media.
(A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – Yes
Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
CHANGE DATE OF PRIMARY ELECTIONS (H 5093)- House 25-132, rejected an amendment that would set the state primary date in Massachusetts four weeks earlier than currently. The state primary, under law, typically takes place in September on the seventh Tuesday preceding the biennial state elections. The amendment would move the date up to August, specifically to the eleventh Tuesday preceding the general election, essentially moving the date from early/mid-September around the Labor Day holiday weekend, up to early August.
(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – No
Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS (S 2946)- Senate 37-0, approved and sent to the House a bill that supporters said would help the certified public accountant (CPA) workforce grow and meet consumer demand while upholding its longtime professional standards. The proposal updates the standards for certification as a CPA by offering a mix of college education and work experience, such as a bachelor’s degree combined with two years of full-time professional experience, or a master’s degree paired with one year of professional experience. It also would remove an outdated threshold, currently in place, which often burdens an applicant with completing more course credits than are needed for a college degree.
(A “Yes” vote is for the bill.)
Sen. Jason Lewis – Yes
SALE OF VEHICLES (S 2945)- Senate 38-0, approved and sent to the House legislation that supporters say would strengthen consumer rights for people who buy new and used vehicles by expanding the state’s car buyer protection law; increasing the mileage for used car warranties; and strengthening the bonds that give relief to victims of auto sale fraud.
(A “Yes” vote is for the bill.)
Sen. Jason Lewis – Yes
HOUSING DISCRIMINATION (S 2947)- Senate 38-0, approved and sent to the House a bill that supporters said would advance the goal of ensuring every Massachusetts resident has a fair opportunity to access housing. The measure mandates fair housing training for all real estate agents and strengthens state enforcement of the Fair Housing Law.
(A “Yes” vote is for the bill.)
Sen. Jason Lewis – Yes
For more information and details on each bill, roll call attendance, and other relevant information, please visit the Wakefield Daily Item at www.localheadlinenews.com