| Dear Friends, I hope this letter finds you in good spirits this holiday season. Since I last updated you, there's been a lot happening in our community and on Beacon Hill and I'm looking forward to bringing you up to speed on all the great highlights from this year.
I'm truly proud of the work we've done in the Senate this year and I'm thankful to my colleagues and our staff for making it possible. The 194th Legislative Session is far from over, but there's plenty of accomplishments to share from this first year alone.
We launched the Senate's Response 2025 Initiative to combat actions of the of the federal government that would have a significant negative impact on Massachusetts and its residents. Some actions under this initiative include:
- The Massachusetts Data Privacy Act, which would establish some of the strongest consumer data protections in the nation.
- The Shield Act 2.0 to strengthen protections for those seeking or providing reproductive and gender affirming care.
- Protecting federal employees from residential eviction or foreclosure during any federal shutdown.
- Protecting freedom of thought in Massachusetts schools and public libraries and safeguarding open access to books and other educational materials in the wake of widespread politically motivated books bans.
I'm also proud of the work we've done in the Senate to remove the greatest distraction device ever created' from classrooms. In late July, the Senate passed An Act to promote student learning and mental health, requiring all public-school districts to adopt cell phone-free school policies by fall 2026.
The Senate has also passed several timely bills including:
As always, if my office can be of assistance to you or your family, please don't hesitate to reach out at karen.spilka@masenate.gov or call 617-722-1500. | 
