Bill > H3348

This bill establishes an Executive Office of Structural Racism in Massachusetts, led by a secretary appointed by the governor who will have broad powers to investigate and address systemic racial inequities. The office will be responsible for coordinating strategies to advance racial equity across state agencies, identifying laws and regulations that have historically perpetuated structural inequality in areas like economics, employment, housing, health, and education, and analyzing how existing and proposed laws impact communities of color. Specific duties include reviewing policies for potential discriminatory effects, developing annual findings on issues such as incarceration's disproportionate impact on low-income communities of color, identifying behavioral health conditions stemming from structural disadvantages, and studying how structural racism influences minority interactions with the criminal justice system. The office will have complete access to state agency records without requiring prior approval for its research and findings, and will have the authority to create and amend its own administrative rules to carry out its mission of addressing systemic racial disparities in the state.

Budget and Finance, Government Affairs

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H3348