Massachusetts H 1380: An Act relative to healthcare industry recruitment and education for the 21st Century

Summary

This bill establishes a Healthcare Industry Recruitment and Education (HIRE) advisory council to help increase diversity in the primary and behavioral healthcare workforce by funding educational programs, summer internships, and mobile health labs in schools across Massachusetts. The bill creates the HIRE Fund, which would be financed by imposing a 2% annual excise tax on endowments at independent colleges and universities and a 1% annual excise tax on endowments at private schools. These taxes would affect higher education institutions and private schools with significant endowment assets, while the funded programs would primarily benefit disadvantaged and minority students interested in healthcare careers.

Bill Text

1 of 1 
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3501        FILED ON: 1/17/2025 
HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1380 
 
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 
_________________ 
PRESENTED BY: 
John J. Lawn, Jr. and Marjorie C. Decker 
_________________ 
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General 
 Court assembled: 
 The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: 
An Act relative to healthcare industry recruitment and education for the 21st Century. 
_______________ 
PETITION OF: 
 
NAME: DISTRICT/ADDRESS: DATE ADDED: 
John J. Lawn, Jr. 10th Middlesex 1/17/2025 
Mindy Domb 3rd Hampshire 1/22/2025 
Nick Collins First Suffolk 3/26/2025 
Michael D. Brady Second Plymouth and Norfolk 4/1/2025 
Natalie M. Higgins 4th Worcester 8/11/2025 

1 of 10 
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3501        FILED ON: 1/17/2025 
HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1380 
By Representatives Lawn of Watertown and Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by 
bill, House, No. 1380) of John J. Lawn, Jr., and Mindy Domb for legislation to establish a 
healthcare industry recruitment and education advisory council.  Health Care Financing. 
 
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION 
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1220 OF 2023-2024.] 
 
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 
 
_______________
 
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court 
(2025-2026) 
_______________
 
 
An Act relative to healthcare industry recruitment and education for the 21st Century. 
 
 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority 
of the same, as follows: 
 
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 6A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, 
2is hereby amended by inserting after section 16FF the following section:- 
3 Section 16GG. (a) There shall be a healthcare industry recruitment and education 
4advisory council within, but not subject to control of, the executive office of health and human 
5services.  The council shall advise the governor and the general court, and shall assist in 
6informing the work of the secretary of education, the secretary of health and human services, the 
7secretary of labor and workforce development and the secretary of housing and economic 
8development on issues relating to the Healthcare Industry Recruitment and Education Fund, 
9hereinafter referred to as the HIRE Fund, pursuant to section 2JJJJJJ of chapter 29. 

2 of 10 
10 (b) The council shall: (i) confer with participants and parties involved with primary and 
11behavioral healthcare planning and programming; (ii) assess how to increase student interest in, 
12and preparation for, careers in primary and behavioral healthcare; and (iii) advise on the creation, 
13implementation of and updates to initiatives that contain clear goals and objectives to guide 
14future efforts of the HIRE Fund, including the creation of benchmarks for improvements. 
15 (c) The council shall consist of 23 members.  The members of the council shall be 
16appointed by the governor and shall serve without compensation. Council members shall be 
17persons with demonstrated interest, experience and expertise in primary and behavioral 
18healthcare and shall include: the secretary of health and human services, who shall serve as chair 
19out the council and the executive committee, or a designee; the commissioner of the department 
20of mental health, or a designee; the director of health equity, or a designee; the president of the 
21University of Massachusetts Medical School, or a designee; the president of the Massachusetts 
22College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, or a designee; the dean of Tufts University’s School of 
23Dental Medicine, or a designee; a president of a private university or a designee; a president of a 
24public community college or a designee; the president of the Provider’s Council, or a designee; a 
25member of the Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals; a member of the Massachusetts 
26Association of Schools Committees; a member of the Massachusetts Association of Regional 
27Schools; a member of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents; a member of 
28the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; a member of the Union of 
29Minority Neighborhoods; a member of the Massachusetts Cultural Council; a member of the 
30Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women; a member of the National Association of 
31Social Workers; a member of Local 509, S.E.I.U; a member of Local 1199 S.E.I.U.; a mental 

3 of 10 
32health provider; a representative of persons with disabilities and a representative of the elder 
33community 
34 (d) The council shall establish an executive committee which shall consist of 9 members 
35who shall provide guidance on the recommendations of the council and plan future meetings and 
36initiatives. The chair shall determine the membership of the execu