After six hours of last-minute lawmaking on Beacon Hill the 2011-2012 legislative session was gaveled closed Monday.
With the New Year’s Day holiday today and 158 members of the House and Senate preparing to be sworn into the 188th General Court on Wednesday January 2nd, the House and Senate took one final day to pass a slew of bills.
The House enacted 36 bills Monday, and the Senate gave final approval to 52 bills sending a raft of legislation to Gov. Deval Patrick’s desk.
Among the bills sent to the governor was one that requires insurance coverage of oral cancer treatments, a bill promoting health through workplace safety for social workers, another regulating dam repair, safety and removal and a bill establishing a board of registration in naturopathy.
The House also received and placed on file a letter of resignation from Rep. Stephen “Stat” Smith of Everett. The resignation takes effective at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1 and is a required as part of Smith's plea deal with federal prosecutors stemming from charges of absentee voter fraud.
Both the House and Senate plan to reconvene on Wednesday at 11 a.m. for the start of the new session.
