# Massachusetts H 542: An Act expanding access to family, friend, and neighbor-provided childcare

Massachusetts H 542, An Act expanding access to family, friend, and neighbor-provided childcare, is a 194th General Court (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Marjorie C. Decker (Democratic); status in committee, last action 2026-03-23 (Accompanied a new draft, see H5282) (as of 2026-11-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H542-194
- 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 542
- State: Massachusetts
- Session: 194th General Court (2025-2026)
- Title: An Act expanding access to family, friend, and neighbor-provided childcare
- Status: in committee
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-02-27
- Last action: 2026-03-23, Accompanied a new draft, see H5282
- Sponsor: Marjorie C. Decker (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 25
- Subjects: Education
- Touches household money: no
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Marjorie C. Decker (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Adrian C. Madaro (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Amy Mah Sangiolo (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Andres X. Vargas (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Angelo J. Puppolo Jr. (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Brandy Fluker-Reid (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Carmine Lawrence Gentile (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Christopher J. Worrell (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Danillo A. Sena (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Dennis C. Gallagher (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Donald R. Berthiaume Jr. (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Estela A. Reyes (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Hadley Luddy (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: James B. Eldridge (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: James C. Arena-DeRosa (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: John J. Marsi (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Lindsay N. Sabadosa (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Michelle L. Badger (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Natalie M. Higgins (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Patricia A. Duffy (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Russell E. Holmes (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Sal N. DiDomenico (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Samantha Montaño (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Sean Garballey (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Steven Ultrino (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: William F. MacGregor (Democratic), House

## Actions (6)

- 2026-03-23: Accompanied a new draft, see H5282 (House)
- 2025-12-18: Reporting date extended to Wednesday, March 18, 2026 (House)
- 2025-12-04: Reporting date extended to Wednesday, December 17, 2025 (House)
- 2025-08-20: Hearing scheduled for 09/02/2025 from 1:00 PM-5:00 PM in A-2 (legislature)
- 2025-02-27: Senate concurred (Senate)
- 2025-02-27: Referred to the committee on Education (House)

## Bill text

- As Filed: [PDF](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H542.pdf)

## Related bills

- H 5435: An Act authorizing the town of Topsfield to continue to employment of police chief Neal Hovey (passed senate)
- H 4585: An Act authorizing the town of Auburn to offer expanded senior property tax abatements (signed)
- 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 5520: An Act exempting George Patrinos from the maximum age requirement age for the position of firefighter in the town of Dudley (signed)
- H 5429: An Act providing injured on duty compensation to Chelmsford firefighter Nicholas Spinale (second reading)
- H 3909: An Act authorizing the Provincetown year-round market rate rental housing trust to acquire year-round housing occupancy restrictions (signed)

## Sources
- [As Filed (PDF)](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H542.pdf)

## Related
- [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 4585: An Act authorizing the town of Auburn to offer expanded senior property tax aba…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4585-194)
- [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 5520: An Act exempting George Patrinos from the maximum age requirement age for the p…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5520-194)
- [H 5429: An Act providing injured on duty compensation to Chelmsford firefighter Nichola…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5429-194)
- [H 3909: An Act authorizing the Provincetown year-round market rate rental housing trust…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H3909-194)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H542-194 (as of 2026-11-01).