# Massachusetts H 4644: An Act enhancing child welfare protections

Massachusetts H 4644, An Act enhancing child welfare protections, is a 194th General Court (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by House Committee on Ways and Means; status third reading, last action 2025-10-22 (Published as amended, see H4646) (as of 2026-11-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4644-194
- As of: 2026-11-01
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Massachusetts H 4644
- State: Massachusetts
- Session: 194th General Court (2025-2026)
- Title: An Act enhancing child welfare protections
- Status: third reading
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-10-22
- Last action: 2025-10-22, Published as amended, see H4646
- Sponsor: House Committee on Ways and Means
- Cosponsors: 5
- Subjects: House Ways and Means
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 2 (319 yes, 1 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: House Committee on Ways and Means
- Cosponsor: Christopher J. Worrell (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Jay D. Livingstone (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Russell E. Holmes (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Sean Garballey (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Thomas W. Moakley (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-10-22 | House | Amendment 5 adopted, as changed | pass | 160 | 0 |   |
| 2025-10-22 | House | Amendment 17 adopted, as changed | pass | 159 | 1 |   |

## Actions (14)

- 2025-10-22: Published as amended, see H4646 (House)
- 2025-10-22: Amendment 5 adopted, as changed - 160 YEAS to 0 NAYS (See YEA and NAY No. 95) (House)
- 2025-10-22: Amendment 17 adopted, as changed - 159 YEAS to 1 NAYS (See YEA and NAY No. 94) (House)
- 2025-10-22: Amendment 3 adopted (House)
- 2025-10-22: Amendment 6 laid aside (House)
- 2025-10-22: Point of Order well taken (House)
- 2025-10-22: Point of Order pending (House)
- 2025-10-22: Amendment 6 pending (House)
- 2025-10-22: Read third (House)
- 2025-10-22: Rules suspended (House)
- 2025-10-22: Ordered to a third reading (House)
- 2025-10-22: New draft of H4416 (House)
- 2025-10-22: Pending new draft of H4416 (House)
- 2025-10-22: Reported from the committee on House Ways and Means (House)

## Bill text

- As Filed: [PDF](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4644.pdf)

## Related bills

- H 4585: An Act authorizing the town of Auburn to offer expanded senior property tax abatements (signed)
- H 5435: An Act authorizing the town of Topsfield to continue to employment of police chief Neal Hovey (passed senate)
- H 5515: An Act to increase the value of estates eligible for abatements pursuant to M.G.L. chapter 59, section 5, clauses seventeenth D and forty-first C in the town o… (passed house)
- H 4755: An Act amending the means tested senior citizen property tax exemption in the town of Sudbury (signed)
- H 3909: An Act authorizing the Provincetown year-round market rate rental housing trust to acquire year-round housing occupancy restrictions (signed)
- H 5429: An Act providing injured on duty compensation to Chelmsford firefighter Nicholas Spinale (second reading)

## Sources
- [As Filed (PDF)](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4644.pdf)

## Related
- [H 4585: An Act authorizing the town of Auburn to offer expanded senior property tax aba…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4585-194)
- [H 5435: An Act authorizing the town of Topsfield to continue to employment of police ch…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5435-194)
- [H 5515: An Act to increase the value of estates eligible for abatements pursuant to M.G…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5515-194)
- [H 4755: An Act amending the means tested senior citizen property tax exemption in the t…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4755-194)
- [H 3909: An Act authorizing the Provincetown year-round market rate rental housing trust…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H3909-194)
- [H 5429: An Act providing injured on duty compensation to Chelmsford firefighter Nichola…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5429-194)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4644-194 (as of 2026-11-01).