Sen. Lewis has filed the following bills to address healthcare and human services issues:

• An Act to Protect Youth from the Health Risks of Tobacco and Nicotine Addiction: This bill would raise the minimum legal sales age for tobacco products to 21, prohibit the sale of tobacco products in health care institutions, and include e-cigarette products in the state’s workplace smoking ban.
• An Act to Promote Value-Based Insurance Design in the Commonwealth: This bill would establish a panel of experts to recommend high-value and cost-effective services, treatments, and prescription drugs that would not be subject to cost sharing under all fully-insured health plans, including MassHealth and commercial insurance.
• An Act Relative to Expanding Access to Healthy Food Choices in Vending Machines on State Property: This bill would promote healthier food options in vending machines by requiring that all foods and beverages sold in government buildings meet nutritional standards as promulgated by the Department of Public Health.
• An Act to Eliminate the Tax Deduction for Direct-to-Consumer Pharmaceutical Marketing: This bill would disallow pharmaceutical company direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs as a tax deduction under Massachusetts law for the purposes of calculating ordinary and necessary business expenses.
• An Act Advancing and Expanding Access to Telemedicine Services: The bill would adopt federal standards to enable appropriate clinicians to provide telemedicine services within their licensure and scope of practice standards, and expand insurance coverage of telemedicine services.
• An Act Providing for Equitable Coverage in Disability Insurance Policies: This bill would prohibit insurers from using gender as a rating factor in disability insurance policies.
• An Act to Increase Access to Healthcare in Underserved Areas of Massachusetts: This bill would expand opportunities for foreign-trained medical professionals to work in the Commonwealth, particularly in underserved areas of the state.
• An Act to Increase Access to Children’s Mental Health Services in the Community: This bill would expand insurance coverage for community and home-based behavioral health services for children and adolescents.
• An Act to Promote Health Alternatives to Sugary Drinks: This bill would implement various strategies to reduce consumption of soda and other sugary beverages and improve children’s health, including a tiered per ounce sugary beverage tax, investment of new revenues in children’s health and wellness programs, warning labels on sugary beverage advertisements, and promotion of healthy alternatives like tap water.
• An Act to Promote Public Health Through the Prevention and Wellness Trust Fund: This bill would reauthorize and expand the Prevention and Wellness Trust Fund, originally created as part of Chapter 224 (healthcare payment reform).

Additionally, Sen. Lewis has filed the following bills to address marijuana policy:

• An Act Relative to the Regulatory Authority for Oversight of the Recreational Marijuana Industry: This bill would expands the size of the Cannabis Control Commission from 3 members to 5 members, ensure that these members possess the necessary experience and expertise to effectively carry out their regulatory responsibilities, and provide a role in making appointments for the Governor, Treasurer and Attorney General.
• An Act Strengthening Local Control Over Recreational Marijuana Businesses: This bill would provide cities and towns with greater flexibility in regulating marijuana establishments within their communities, including the ability to ban all or some types of marijuana establishments with a majority vote of the appropriate legislative body (city council or town meeting).
• An Act Further Regulating the Manufacture and Sale of Certain Commercial Marijuana Products: This bill would place a two-year moratorium on the manufacture and sale of marijuana edibles and concentrates, and create a process for safely introducing these products into the market.
• An Act Further Regulating Marijuana Commercialization: This bill would clarify what types of marketing and advertising will be permitted by marijuana businesses, primarily allowing “opt-in” marketing.
• An Act Relative to the Public Safety Risk of Marijuana-Impaired Drivers: This bill would expand the implied consent law to cover marijuana, direct the Secretary of Public Safety to investigate and recommend additional actions to hold impaired drivers accountable, including the possibility of establishing a legal standard for THC, and implement a public education campaign to warn drivers about the risks and consequences of drugged driving.
• An Act Relative to Safe Limits on Home Growing of Marijuana: This bill would permit home cultivation of up to 6 marijuana plants per residence, and authorize local governments to enact reasonable by-laws or ordinances to protect public health and safety.
• An Act Relative to Penalties for Underage Possession and Use of Marijuana, Tobacco, and Alcohol: This bill would provide consistent penalties for underage possession of marijuana, tobacco, and alcohol, emphasizing prevention and education rather than punishment.
• An Act Relative to Youth Marijuana Use Prevention and Education: This bill would implement public health campaigns to educate youth about the health harms and risks of marijuana use, and to encourage responsible adult use.
• An Act Relative to Marijuana Research, Data Collection, and Best Practices: This bill would create a comprehensive research program to track and monitor the social and economic impacts of marijuana legalization, beginning with a baseline study.
• An Act Relative to Marijuana Product Packaging and Labeling: This bill would set requirements for marijuana packaging and labeling to ensure accurate consumer information and safe consumption.
• An Act Relative to the Expungement of Convictions for Marijuana Possession: This bill would authorize the courts to expunge criminal records for past convictions of possession of up to one ounce of marijuana.
• An Act Relative to Energy Efficient Marijuana Cultivation: This bill would ensure that commercial marijuana cultivation is energy efficient and conserves water.

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You can see a full list of the legislation Senator Lewis has filed or co-sponsored here.