[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6210399,"mediaKeyId","3719475-f67eea6b7ea9e874eb3199f54443febd","parentId",3719475,"title","Massachusetts funeral directors ask for public-health worker status; committee hears logistical case","audioSeconds",209,"startMs",1378570,"endMs",1587740,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3719475-f67eea6b7ea9e874eb3199f54443febd&start=1378&end=1587","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3719475-f67eea6b7ea9e874eb3199f54443febd/thumbnail_1378570.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6210399/Massachusetts/Massachusetts-funeral-directors-ask-for-public-health-worker-status-committee-hears-logistical-case","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6210399-5245a74d608df8c09ab6ea055fb38c81/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436918&Signature=U17ZZnDgcSuhMFnZW2xmAgdRMyY69XPJUVk4w3Ol3GikJhtsQvJ-ucZg0BsDukbo7C~uxWV93kMek9NXhsi5-CEnpnQye029KNRSgJObEsifb3zexMWELY13N1TDJ0DiWQylSTkPBvXgt1N1PBOZ86Akuy5kw3gv~D43q2dNGelmUdrt1BCmm9eeH21mpVLvjFKb4P3~4jhnJEI5CSR-BW4i-w922E0pKDxeHm7nsNyMvLlEpZ8QUNDVjnrx6Vy3OTzfyjA~mNPLwm-Cdo1FhttmgPpTUvTtL7maRF21MqPKNvcvQuDmuhT1r06xxAF5GIanrfgUTqqlBp7CGLe98Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Joint Committee on Public Health","date","2025-06-06T00:00:00Z","article","Stephen Jameli, first vice president of the Massachusetts Funeral Directors Association and a licensed funeral director at Mercadante Funeral Home in Worcester, told the Joint Committee on Public Health that H2463 would classify funeral directors as public-health workers and therefore make them eligible for vaccine priority during declared public-health emergencies.

Jameli described daily duties that bring funeral workers into hospitals, nursing homes and private residences and said the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s phase definitions during the COVID-19 pandemic supported prioritizing funeral workers because they meet the definition of persons who have direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials. He estimated roughly 1,900 individuals in the state would be affected.

The Association argued statutory clarity would ensure funeral directors are not left out of prioritization in future emergencies and would reduce ad hoc disputes during crisis responses. Committee members asked clarifying questions about whether the proposal overlapped with existing emergency-phase guidance and about training and personal protective equipment for funeral workers; Jameli said the bill would enshrine protections in statute to avoid ad hoc decisions during crises.

No vote was taken on H2463 during the hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Committee on Public Health - 6-6-2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Massachusetts Funeral Directors Association urged the Joint Committee on Public Health to classify funeral directors as public-health workers for priority vaccination during public-health emergencies (H2463), arguing their close contact with deceased patients and entry to health-care settings warrants statutory clarity.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MA, Massachusetts","taxId",77682,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6210404,"Advocates for 'no COVID mandate' bill urge protections; state health experts warn of public-health tradeoffs",418,244560,663460,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3719475-f67eea6b7ea9e874eb3199f54443febd&start=244&end=663","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3719475-f67eea6b7ea9e874eb3199f54443febd/thumbnail_244560.jpg","/articles/6210404/Massachusetts/Advocates-for-no-COVID-mandate-bill-urge-protections-state-health-experts-warn-of-public-health-tradeoffs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6210404-d9e318a61c9d11c55a5d821c4077cc6d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436918&Signature=er3wkP2nHc3pPvHLZWXxkZBJpFSxl8k7PJequi5UhPV3zZZQEotn50G61dlEiJDMHWnHUYjxIzD5o6nTr2IYZCKAcykvEHVGykP9nSOzj07lLTJPmFj65LDdhLyOF~HjOyP0H5cN-HpcezWcbkOWfjhefbSr-YwabBf6OSHeAaaR2Ox0N1YB~7k6736CRHuzQqUdmys58ri~cpAHAHm8uWMaNf84tDAhC8wxg6MyRGggW9rwi6CMWqCwoqwifMhs6JIxG~RvdRuvus4xDn8JWjT1qU6k0VYS0zOqbY7BX3rGp1f7EEGGv7ojlPtIZn9fjZl8gkbFYvHwUijuctAudg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Gaski and multiple parents and advocacy groups testified on H2431, \"An act prohibiting the requirement of a COVID‑19 vaccine, mRNA vaccine or gene altering therapy,\" a measure aimed at preventing employers, schools and public accommodations from conditioning access on such vaccines.

Supporters described personal and economic harms from pandemic-era mandates and framed the legislation as a safeguard against future coercion. Julie Boris of Health Rights Massachusetts testified she supported H2431 to ensure that, \"the injustices of the COVID era can never happen again,\" and said many people reported job loss and alleged vaccine injuries in testimony she collected. Rep. Gaski said the bill would protect privacy and religious conscience and prevent future mandates requiring disclosure of vaccination status.

Opponents including clinicians and public-health groups said the bill would be overly broad and could limit legitimate public-health tools during outbreaks and in medical-clinical settings. They noted that existing law provides emergency authorities and that targeted protections for workers or settings would require careful drafting. Funeral directors (supporting a different bill, H2463) and other groups asked the committee to balance worker protections with occupational health requirements.

Lawmakers asked clarifying questions about where the bill would apply (clinical settings, educational clinical rotations) and whether its language would interfere with existing medical education or hospital credentialing requirements. Supporters of the bill said H2431 would not change insurers' payment rules but objectors pressed for precise definitions of \"gene-altering\" therapies and asked drafters to state whether the law would apply to all future platforms or only the COVID products in question.

The committee did not take a vote; members requested clearer definitions and scope if sponsors want the committee to advance the bill.","Supporters of H2431, which would bar requiring COVID-19, mRNA or 'gene-altering' vaccines for entry or services, told the Joint Committee on Public Health the bill would protect religious freedom and bodily autonomy; public-health clinicians and researchers pushed back, saying existing law and emergency authority require careful calibration.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6210410,"Centralized 'Community Immunity' plan draws legal, parental concerns at Massachusetts hearing",347,1898470,2246100,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3719475-f67eea6b7ea9e874eb3199f54443febd&start=1898&end=2246","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3719475-f67eea6b7ea9e874eb3199f54443febd/thumbnail_1898470.jpg","/articles/6210410/Massachusetts/Centralized-Community-Immunity-plan-draws-legal-parental-concerns-at-Massachusetts-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6210410-8821d61675f855fdfad6f05e90d5f959/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436918&Signature=ApCAWxZ-Qo57LORoi3vjKioSv-oD4DnlR2g2OlqTNyWNPLdq2BdAYPgpx1JIveSg7QhXJYuuGX6vlBlrl~c~dinpyVKVFjHBEsVYV5HTI~7zLUID~T5TqUFJKcAIpY1crby6TR2lkaqX9FBpaclbacdBJea7qLMQH8rGCT1yVU49vUj4BsNVcnaD~S4B8iMyact6OCNXvkbH22YmIGP3iId6X1-R6n7mb6dG1oHSpyk5lsqSOOnyztiODmrjUxM7~xQLFj1HQatiwsNmxV5J~1Otr5xRMz2W29DhmfAo2KqwZkdXmxuPxP5I-s~y-8rBguXJU96YDEdC4FFCCSQrlg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Joint Committee on Public Health took testimony on S1618, the Community Immunity Act, which proposes centralized exemption management, improved school reporting and additional public-health measures. Sen. Julian Rausch and other backers framed the bill as building state vaccine infrastructure to close reporting gaps and protect vulnerable residents.

Sen. Rausch presented DPH-supplied maps showing hundreds of K–12 schools with missing or incomplete immunization data and argued for centralized management: \"The responsibility for vaccine exemption management is falling on our already overburdened school teachers and child-care providers,\" she said, urging standardized, public-health-led oversight. She emphasized that the bill is intended to plug holes in datasets and to provide consistent implementation across communities.

Supporters said the bill would professionalize exemption handling and reduce outbreaks by improving data, outreach and education. They noted that neighboring states that changed law and reporting have improved vaccination rates.

Critics sharply focused on language in S1618 that would allow minors to consent to preventive care in some settings and on provisions that could require standardized state forms for exemptions. Public testimony warned that the minor-consent language — with no explicit age threshold or cognitive-capacity criteria — risked overriding parental authority and raised constitutional concerns. Pediatric and legal witnesses stressed the long-standing principle that parents make health decisions for non-emancipated minors except in narrow, established cases in statute or case law.

Attorney Vanessa Pompey Britt and other legal observers warned committee members that the bill could prompt litigation over parental rights and free-exercise protections; some speakers cited recent Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court precedent that has protected parental and religious objections in narrow situations.

Sen. Rausch said the bill does not alter existing insurance coverage frameworks and that its goal is to centralize reporting and clarify exemption protocols rather than abruptly eliminate rights. She acknowledged constitutional questions and said the bill authors had tried to avoid provisions that might be vulnerable to challenge.

Lawmakers and witnesses requested clearer definitions for any minor-consent authority, explicit age or capacity criteria, and more detail on reporting workflows, privacy protections and insurance/financial responsibility in the event of adverse events. No vote was taken at the hearing.","Sen. Rausch's Community Immunity Act (S1618) drew support for standardizing exemption reporting and outreach but also sharp criticism over a provision that would let minors consent to preventive care; witnesses and committee members flagged constitutional and implementation concerns.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6210415,"Doctors, parents clash as Massachusetts committee reconsiders removing religious vaccine exemptions",1724,26970,1751160,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3719475-f67eea6b7ea9e874eb3199f54443febd&start=26&end=1751","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3719475-f67eea6b7ea9e874eb3199f54443febd/thumbnail_26970.jpg","/articles/6210415/Massachusetts/Doctors-parents-clash-as-Massachusetts-committee-reconsiders-removing-religious-vaccine-exemptions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6210415-a154410da39b965ca625372c7b042761/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436918&Signature=UcY0-c7DqRixFoxWaw2padK4oC6C7NHnUFbveldCGEEeJ7otxX-ypB5bXVj5lDGa9xtlvOshKYl6druIHnj~lAL0RD2284ukuzo6w8AcrR7CzpyirjHvFPw5ilCKOq8SbBkF3K9xWVVMmnNoamLZBcly0WAS2l3OjUmk12WTdxEoE4KjPk1I0TVsLQp~87NFWblh-8iKLflL3SuI9XbeWrHAkt3-~EPEEjZPghmZYNRXNTqgcVVOQru7QOP4SBrNP1sz44tpythXiTI65Et9eq0Ox9fA4Fp3oDVi-9dOKiMDUWbsdFRdPYSkHlR5bIqiZWHGE02p1-g-OB2ujRgvDA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Joint Committee on Public Health heard hours of testimony on bills H2554 and S1557, measures that would eliminate nonmedical (religious) exemptions to school vaccine requirements in Massachusetts.

Supporters, including pediatricians and public-health researchers, told the committee that the state’s high statewide vaccination rates mask local gaps and that removing nonmedical exemptions would raise coverage where it is lowest. Dr. Mary Beth Miyoto of Mattapan Community Health Center said local declines, not statewide averages, matter: \"Five of our 14 counties fell below the 95 percent immunization threshold needed to prevent measles,\" she said, and cited kindergarten classrooms that have fallen below herd-immunity targets. Boston University public-health researcher Dr. Matt Mata said evidence from other states shows that removing nonmedical exemptions tends to increase uptake and protect people who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.

Several public-health advocates and organizations asked the committee to focus on improving reporting and outreach as well as removing broad nonmedical loopholes. Katie Blair, director of Massachusetts Families for Vaccines, told the committee she had found 64 schools with MMR rates below 95 percent and that eliminating the exemption would reduce the risk of outbreaks: \"It's time for Massachusetts to do the same\" as neighboring states that removed exemptions, she said.

Opponents — including many parents, religious leaders and some clinicians — said the bills would trample parental and religious liberty and could push some children out of school without improving public health. Parents and self-identified vaccine-injured citizens described life-changing adverse events they attributed to vaccines and urged lawmakers to preserve religious protections. Multiple speakers urged the committee to focus instead on the larger “noncompliant” group of students who lack records, which witnesses said outnumber religious exemptions in many communities. A number of clinicians and school nurses told the committee that exclusion protocols and existing law allow temporary action in outbreaks and that those measures already balance public health and individual rights.

Legal questions also surfaced. Several witnesses and committee members discussed recent Supreme Judicial Court decisions and precedents such as Jacobson v. Massachusetts; witnesses said constitutionality questions and state-case law bearing on parental rights should be considered in drafting any permanent change.

The committee received a mix of scientific, legal and strongly personal testimony that stretched over many hours; lawmakers did not vote at the hearing. Supporters urged a favorable report to move the bills forward; opponents asked the committee to reject or substantially narrow the proposals and to target noncompliance and reporting gaps instead.

\"If there is any risk,\" said Dr. Miyoto, \"we must take steps to prevent outbreaks where they exist. We know how to do it.\" Parents and other speakers countered that religious freedom and parental authority also deserve protection and that exclusionary policies would inflict real harms on children and families without addressing the larger data gaps identified by the Department of Public Health.

The committee will decide whether to report the bills out for further action; no formal action was taken during the hearing.","At a Joint Committee on Public Health hearing, medical groups and parents offered sharply divided testimony on bills H2554/S1557 to eliminate nonmedical (religious) vaccine exemptions for school entry; witnesses cited public-health data, legal precedent and personal injury accounts.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Massachusetts funeral directors ask for public-health worker status; committee hears logistical case

Advocates for 'no COVID mandate' bill urge protections; state health experts warn of public-health tradeoffs

Centralized 'Community Immunity' plan draws legal, parental concerns at Massachusetts hearing

Doctors, parents clash as Massachusetts committee reconsiders removing religious vaccine exemptions