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Updates on the Work and Family Mobility Act

La Colaborativa
May 24, 2022
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Information courtesy of Driving Families Forward

The Work and Family Mobility Act (H.4470/S.2851) has passed in both the House of Representatives and Senate in Massachusetts. However, it is still not law.

Both the House and the Senate passed their bills, which now need to be reconciled into one bill before moving to Governor Baker’s desk. Once the bill reaches Governor Baker, he will have three options:

  • Governor Baker signs the Work and Family Mobility Act into law and the bill would become law.
  • Governor Baker will amend the bill. The Massachusetts House and Senate would then need to accept or reject any amendments(s) by a simple majority. In the House, that is 81 votes, in the Senate, that is 21 votes. If the amendment(s) is rejected, Governor Baker would have the option to veto the bill.
  • Governor Baker vetoes the bill. The House and Senate would then vote to override the veto by a super majority. In the house, that is 105 votes, in the Senate, that is 27 votes. If the House and Senate override Governor Baker’s veto, the bill would become law!

If and when the bill is passed as written, it will not take effect until July 1, 2023. Please be aware of scams offering assistance to complete a driver’s license application process for a fee before the effective date as the application process is not yet available. The remaining steps in this process could still affect the final language of the bill.

Thank you again to the Driving Families Forward Coalition for your continued advocacy and support!

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Land Acknowledgment

At La Colaborativa, we believe that building a more just, equitable, and healthy future begins with recognizing the histories of the land and the communities that came before us, while confronting the systemic inequities that continue to shape our society today.

We acknowledge that La Colaborativa is located in Winnisimmet, now known as Chelsea, Massachusetts, on the ancestral and unceded homeland of the Massachusett People, whose deep connections to this land, culture, and community endure today.

We honor the Indigenous peoples who have stewarded this land for generations and recognize the lasting consequences of colonization, forced displacement, dispossession, and systemic injustice. These histories are not simply part of the past. Their legacies continue to influence access to land, housing, healthcare, education, economic opportunity, and the resources that allow individuals, families, and communities to thrive.

At La Colaborativa, we understand that health equity cannot be achieved without addressing the social determinants of health, the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age.

Structural racism, poverty, housing instability, food insecurity, and barriers to education, employment, and healthcare disproportionately affect immigrant, Indigenous, and historically marginalized communities, perpetuating cycles of inequality across generations.

This understanding is at the heart of La Colaborativa's holistic, community-driven model. Our work recognizes that the challenges facing our communities are deeply interconnected and cannot be addressed in isolation. By integrating housing stability, food access, healthcare, workforce development, education, economic mobility, and community advocacy, we work to address the root causes of inequity, strengthen community resilience, and create pathways toward lasting social and economic opportunity.

Rooted in our mission of Levantando al Pueblo, we believe that meaningful change begins by centering the voices, experiences, cultural identities, and leadership of the communities most affected by systemic injustice. Just as we honor the resilience and enduring presence of Indigenous peoples, we recognize the strength of immigrant families and historically marginalized communities who continue to shape our collective future.

For us, a land acknowledgment is more than a statement of respect. It is a reminder of our responsibility to turn recognition into meaningful action, challenge the systems that perpetuate inequality, and advance a model of community well-being grounded in dignity, belonging, self-determination, and justice.

We offer this acknowledgment with respect and gratitude to the Massachusett People, their ancestors, elders, and present-day communities, and with a continued commitment to learning, solidarity, and building a future where every community has the resources, opportunities, and power to thrive.