State Rep. Tram Nguyen, D-Andover, has been busy in the new year, filing 27 pieces of legislation by the Feb. 19 deadline on Beacon Hill.
The 27 bills reflect a priority list for the second term representative, touching topics ranging from domestic violence and sexual assault to climate change and racial justice.
“As I begin my second term, I carry with me all the important lessons learned during my first legislative cycle and am eager to get back to work,” Nguyen said. “The legislation that I have filed covers a number of topics deeply important to me and to my constituents. Thank you to my dedicated staff, supportive colleagues, and all of the advocates who helped shape our legislation. I look forward to working with various organizations, advocates, and individuals as these bills move through the legislative process.”
A few highlights:
- Nine of the bills relate to COVID-19 relief, aiming to provide coronavirus-related medical leave, enhanced benefits and emergency tax relief for the unemployed, and more.
- Six of the bills relate to victims of crimes. One, for example, would add “coercive control” and technological abuse (text, social media, etc.) to the list of abuses covered by protection orders. Another adds protections for immigrant victims and victims of sex trafficking.
- There’s a bill to strengthen workers’ rights against retaliation for reporting employer misconduct and several bills to protect families from wage garnishment and strengthen consumer protections.
- There’s also legislation for animal rights, hate crime reform, cultural inclusion in schools and more.
You can read the bills in detail on the state Legislature website.