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The state House and Senate brought their formal legislative session to an end on July 31, pushing myriad bills through the pipeline and pulling a few across the finish line.
The two chambers sent new immigrant protections to the governor’s desk. They also moved bills on energy savings, economic development, primary care, data privacy and government transparency into conference committees to be decided on by early January.
Each of these bills, and all others debated by the full House or Senate, were at one point heard by a legislative committee, with roles ranging from agriculture to cybersecurity.
New Bedford’s legislative delegation sits across 23 of these committees. Seven of these committees have not considered any bills this session, and eight have not held any hearings this year.
Montigny-led committees show slight increase in hearings
Sen. Mark Montigny, D-New Bedford, chairs two Senate committees — the Committee on Post Audit and Oversight and the Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs. He has held four hearings this year across the two committees, including one joint hearing.
Neither committee considered any bills this session.
Intergovernmental Affairs has held two hearings this year. The first — to discuss federal funding disruptions — was in February. The second hearing, held in May, was on Ollie’s Law, an act regulating dog kennels and daycares.
Post Audit and Oversight has held three hearings this year. One, in May, was a joint hearing with Montigny’s Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs.
Last summer, The Light reported that the committees Montigny chaired over several two-year sessions had rarely held hearings. Montigny held a joint meeting of Intergovernmental Affairs and Post Audit and Oversight on July 30, 2025, about a month after The Light began asking his office about committee hearings. The Legislature’s website did not have a record of the last time Montigny chaired a committee hearing before that.
Neither committee held any further hearings in 2025, The Light reported in January.
Audra Riding, Montigny’s general counsel, says the committees Montigny chairs weren’t created to consider bills.
“Senate standing committees are far more powerful and influential than the joint committees,” Riding told The Light in a written statement. “The standing committees he leads have never, and were never intended, to receive or hear bills.”
Senate Post Audit and Oversight is an “influential and powerful committee that conducts time-intensive investigations,” Riding said. She added that it has been more active under Montigny’s leadership than “any other time in its history.”
Recently, Post Audit investigated the MassDOT service plaza procurement, which Riding said took hundreds of hours and ultimately saved taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. The committee held two hearings on the topic.
The committee has launched 10 other investigations, including ratepayer utility costs, naloxone availability at the MBTA, SNAP and Head Start funding, Riding said.
Intergovernmental Affairs has also been active, according to Riding. It helped change federal regulations that have harmed local scallopers, conducted research and advised Senate Ways and Means on the impact of federal funding disruptions on state fiscal policy. The committee also coordinated with the National Nuclear Security Administration to remove radioactive medical equipment in hospitals, Riding said.
Montigny also serves as vice chair of the Joint Committee on Public Service, his most active committee. It has reported 609 bills out of committee and completed five hearings in 2026.
Montigny receives $67,292.89 in stipends for his two committee chairmanships, which means he’s paid a total of $149,337.21 a year.
Massachusetts law stipulates that lawmakers can’t receive stipends for more than two committee leadership positions, and that only one of these can be for serving as a chair, “except as otherwise provided in the rules of the Senate or House of Representatives.” A Senate rule allows senators — including Montigny — to be compensated for up to two chairmanship positions. Montigny does not receive a stipend for vice chairing the Committee on Public Service.
After The Light inquired about the Senate rule, a spokesperson for Senate President Karen Spilka sent a written statement.
“Senator Montigny is leading two significant committees this session,” the statement says. “Through his leadership, work was undertaken to better understand our statewide procurement processes, ensure previously passed legislation is appropriately implemented, and examine the impacts of federal regulations on Massachusetts’ businesses. He’s providing an invaluable service to the people of the Commonwealth.”
Though he doesn’t hold a leadership position, Montigny sits on two other committees — Senate Census, and Joint Veterans and Federal Affairs.
The Senate Committee on the Census hasn’t considered any bills this session, but has held three hearings this year.
The Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs has reported 128 bills out of committee. It has completed one hearing in 2026.
Hendricks and Cabral’s committee leadership
Reps. Antonio F.D. Cabral and Christopher Hendricks, D-New Bedford, are the only other committee leaders in the city’s delegation.
Cabral chairs the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight. The committee is active — it has reported 378 bills out of committee and held four hearings in 2026.
Bills that the committee reported favorably include increasing legislative transparency, requiring many state contractors to hire people with disabilities, expanding the state’s plumbing code to allow multi-user gender-neutral bathrooms in any type of building, and requiring contractors who bid on large public construction projects to participate in an apprenticeship program.
As chair, Cabral receives a $44,861.93 stipend on top of his base salary of $82,044.32, for a total of $126,906.25 a year.
Hendricks is vice chair of the House Committee on Steering, Policy and Scheduling. It has reported 778 bills out, but it hasn’t held any hearings this session.
Hendricks said the committee doesn’t hold hearings because it is a process committee rather than a policy committee. Instead, it serves as a “holding pen” for bills that have been reported out of subject matter committees. The committee then decides each bill’s next step, whether to send it to Ways and Means or to another subject matter committee for further review.
“It’s very insightful because you talk a lot about home rule petitions that really don’t relate to your district,” Hendricks said. “I really enjoy learning about other people’s bills that I otherwise wouldn’t really discuss.”
The vice chairmanship gives Hendricks a $22,430.96 stipend on top of his base salary, for a total of $104,475.28 a year.
Hendricks also sits on three joint committees — Community Development and Small Businesses; Economic Development and Emerging Technologies; and Transportation. The Joint Committee on Transportation is the most active, with 419 bills reported out of committee and four hearings held this year.
Hendricks pointed to several of his committees’ accomplishments this session.
The Joint Committee on Transportation heard a bill that became law this month creating commemorative license plates for family members of police officers killed in the line of duty. The committee also advanced legislation establishing the Blue Envelope Program, which aims to improve interactions between people with autism spectrum disorder and police officers.
The Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies was first to hear the economic development bond bill that is moving through the Legislature and is now in a House-Senate conference committee. Hendricks secured three amendments in the House version.
Markey, Sylvia and Ouellette continue committee work
Rep. Christopher Markey, D-Dartmouth, sits on four joint committees — Election Laws; Health Care Financing; Housing; and Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery.
He told The Light that the Housing and Health Care Financing Committees are “most compelling in our times.” The Committee on Election Laws is more administrative, he said.
All of Markey’s committees have reported over 100 bills out of committee this session.
Rep. Mark Sylvia, D-Fairhaven, sits on four committees — House Climate Action and Sustainability; House Federal Funding, Policy and Accountability; Joint Environment and Natural Resources; and Joint Labor and Workforce Development.
Neither House committee has considered any bills this session. Climate Action and Sustainability has not held any hearings this session. The latest hearing for Federal Funding — scheduled for November 2025 — was canceled.
Sylvia said House committees are “informational,” and not designed to produce legislation. Still, both committees are active, he said.
Rather than holding hearings, the Climate Action committee goes on site visits, including a tour of Commonwealth Fusion Systems in Devens. This month, the Federal Funding committee briefed Legislative members and staff on how President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill will affect federal college loans.
Sylvia added that both joint committees have done “considerable” work this session. Each reported over 200 bills out of committee this session and completed at least one hearing in 2026.
Labor and Workforce Development advanced legislation related to apprenticeship programs, protecting healthcare workers, and offsite fabrication in construction. Environment and Natural Resources advanced the Mass Ready Act and contributed to the pet protection bill the House passed this month.
Rep. Steven Ouellette, D-Westport, is a member of five committees. They have been comparatively quiet this session. His most active committee — Joint Agriculture and Fisheries — has reported 90 bills out of committee this session, but hasn’t held a hearing in 2026. The committee advanced the Farm Bill that the Senate passed in April.
Two of Ouellette’s committees — House Intergovernmental Affairs and House Post Audit and Oversight — have not considered any bills this session. Intergovernmental Affairs is his only committee that has completed a hearing this year. It has two hearings scheduled in the fall.
Jamie Perkins is a graduate student in journalism covering state government for The Light as a summer intern. Email them at jperkins@newbedfordlight.org.
On a scale from 0 to 10, our area state legislators get a big fat 0. With New Bedford struggling with a $32 million dollar deficit, where are they? With a Fire Station being closed, pension, healthcare, and state aid issues, it’s clear New Bedford needs new state and city leadership. This $32 million dollar deficit is the biggest issue in this city in decades and you would think this would be the lead topic in the NB Light’s Mayor’s chat.
What should be cut?
This is an interesting look at how effectively New Bedford legislators are using their committee work to address local priorities. Clear agendas, productive discussions, and timely follow-ups can make committee meetings more meaningful for residents. For readers researching related public information ARRESTS MA Information can also be a useful reference.
It’s helpful to have accessible records when looking into local issues and civic matters.