For
a complete list of pending legislation filed by Rep. Khan
in 2007-2008 legislative session, click
here.
Kay Khan's Legislative Record
| • Eation | • Housing | • Government/Election Reform | |
| • Health Care | • Transportation | • Labor | |
| • Human Services | • Other Local | • Civil Rights/Legal Services | |
| • Environment | |||
Human Services
Mental Health
• Founder/Co-Chair of legislative Mental Health Caucus. Approximately
80 legislators now working together to advance mental health policy.
Caucus successfully advocated for mental health parity law, creation
of a children’s mental health commission and the restoration of
millions in funding for the Dept. of Mental Health and Dept. of Mental
Retardation in the state budget.
• Filed legislation to reform the state’s prison mental
health system to protect public health and safety.
KAY'S LEGISLATION
House 2853 — An Act Relative to Bridgewater State
Hospital
Requires the Dept. of Correction to maintain national hospital accreditation
at the State’s correctional mental health hospital.
House 1616 — An Act Relative
to Mental Health
Requires the DOC to follow the mental health standards of the American
Psychiatric Association’s Task Force Report on Psychiatric Services
in Jails and Prisons in providing mental health care for the state’s
prison population.
Authored new legislation for 2005-2006 session to require insurance
coverage for treatment of eating disorders.
House 3024 — Requiring
Equitable Insurance Coverage for Eating Disorders
Amends the Mental Health Parity Law to provide equitable insurance
coverage for eating disorders.
Mental Retardation
• Helped support successful override of Gov. Romney’s veto
of $4.2 million from the Dept. of Mental Retardation in the ’04
budget.
Children
• Helped override Gov. Romney’s veto of $2 million from
the school breakfast program which protects poor children from hunger.
• Supporter of 2002 law requiring clergy to report instances of
sexual abuse.
Transitional Assistance
• Cosponsor of current legislation to allow education and training
to satisfy transitional assistance work requirement for adults with
young children receiving cash assistance.
Disability Services
• Supported successful override of Gov. Romney’s veto of
$1.9 million in ’04 budget for disability agencies including the
MA Commission for the Blind, MA Commission for the Deaf and Hard of
Hearing and the MA Rehabilitation Commission.
Mental Health/Mental Retardation Facilities
• Authored legislation for 2005-2006 session to place proceeds
from the sale of surplus former state hospitals (Dept. of Mental Health)
and state schools (Dept. of Mental Retardation) into a fund for use
on services for current DMH and DMR clients.
KAY'S LEGISLATION:
House 3428 — An Act to Create a State Hospital Disposition
Fund
Diverts funds earned from the sale of surplus state hospitals to
pay for services for Dept. of Mental Health and Dept. of Mental Retardation
clients.
Environment
Metropolitan Parks System Preservation
• Lead sponsor of new law in 2003 to place the Metropolitan Park
System on the National Register of Historic Sites. The Metropolitan
Parks include Newton locations along the Charles River in Auburndale,
West Newton, Nonantum and Newton Corner as well as Hemlock Gorge in
Newton Upper Falls and Hammond Pond. Historic boulevards in Newton including
Quinobequin Rd., Hammond Pond Pkwy. and Nonantum Rd. are also within
the Metroparks system. Led successful effort to override Governor'ss
veto.
KAY'S LEGISLATION
Section 605 of Chapter 26 of the Acts of 2003
Requires the Dept. of Conservation and Recreation to pursue historic
recognition of parklands throughout eastern Massachusetts including
Newton to protect the properties and expand avenues for obtaining maintenance
funding
Pesticides
• Working with local environmental groups and state agencies to
protect Newton residents from harmful pesticides on state property.
• Cosponsor of legislation to further promote safe pest management
in the Commonwealth.
Toxic Chemicals Reduction
• Cosponsor of An Act for A Healthy Massachusetts to reduce the
use of dangerous chemicals in commerce and replace them with safer alternatives.
Community Preservation Act
• Cosponsor of landmark 2000 legislation that is currently providing
funds to Newton for open space protection, affordable housing and historic
preservation.
Energy Efficiency
• Cosponsor of 2003-2004 legislation to encourage energy efficiency
in state government facilities.
Recycling
• Cosponsor of legislation to expand the bottle bill to increase
recycling.
Housing
Senior Property Tax Relief
• Chief sponsor of new state law to expand program to
allow seniors to defer property tax payments.
KAY'S LEGISLATION:
Chapter 453 of the Acts of 2004 – An Act Relative to Property
Tax Deferrals in the City of Newton
Allows City of Newton to expand property tax deferral program to
protect low-income senior homeowners from burdensome property taxes.
Housing Bond Bill
• Supported $500 million housing bond bill in 2002 to authorize
expenditures for improving public housing, promoting development of
new affordable housing and funding other housing initiatives.
Housing for People with Disabilities
• Lead sponsor of legislation to use surplus (unused) state property
to build housing with units for people with mental illness and the mentally
retarded.
KAY'S LEGISLATION:
House 3179/H 3180 — An Act Facilitating the Development
of Underutilized Facilities and Properties for Housing in the Commonwealth/An
Act Facilitating the Development of Underutilized Facilities and Properties
for Supported Housing for Chronically Mentally Ill and Disabled
Companion pieces of legislation 1) facilitate the disposition of
surplus state property to encourage housing construction and 2) requires
new housing on surplus state property to include units for mentally
ill and disabled.