Massachusetts Senate Votes to Open Legislature, Governor Records to Public

(BOSTON—7/30/2026) The Massachusetts Senate today passed legislation that increases residents’ access to information about how decisions are made inside the Legislature and the Governor’s office, along with critical free press protections that allow journalists to protect their sources.

For the first time, the bill writes into the state public records law that the public has a right to know about key legislative records, such as vote tallies, salaries of elected officials and staff, ethics disclosures, operating expenditures, and contracts.

The legislation—S.3200, An Act promoting transparency and public access in state government—also opens up access to records created by the Office of the Governor. The transparency measure has earned the support of several groups who advocate for greater access to government and the promotion of democracy, including the Massachusetts Newspaper Publishers Association, Common Cause Massachusetts, and the ACLU of Massachusetts.

“The Senate has long believed that the people of Massachusetts have a fundamental right to see how their government operates and how their tax dollars are spent, and this bill affirms that belief while ensuring our expanded transparency measures are constitutional,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “Our work better reflects the will of the people we serve when more voices are a part of it. This legislation is a critical step forward and builds on the success of this session’s rules reforms that opened more of our work to public view. I applaud Majority Leader Creem for her leadership on this legislation, each of my colleagues for their support, and all of the advocates whose collaboration helped us produce a comprehensive bill.”

“From the adoption of new joint rules between the House and Senate to promote greater transparency and public access, to advancing legislation that modernizes the state’s public records law, the Senate has remained committed to making state government open and accessible,” said Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Stone Creem (D-Newton). “With the passage of this bill, Massachusetts residents will have additional insight into how their government works on their behalf. I am grateful to Senate President Spilka for her leadership in advancing these values, and to the ACLU of Massachusetts, Common Cause Massachusetts, and the many advocates whose partnership helped make this legislation possible.”

Building on the legislation’s support for freedom of information, Senators voted unanimously during today’s debate to adopt Amendment 17 guaranteeing legal protections for journalists by allowing them to protect the anonymity of their sources.

The ‘press shield’ provision would prohibit anyone from compelling a journalist to disclose the identity of a confidential source except under certain qualified circumstances.

The underlying transparency bill’s process for members of the public to access legislative records is modeled after the legislative record components of Pennsylvania’s ‘Right-to-Know Law.’

The bill outlines the process for people to request legislative records, including the assurance of an impartial appeals process. A designated staff member in the Senate or in the House would be required to answer a request within 10 days and share any responsive records.

Requestors could appeal any denied requests to the Superior Court, independent of the Legislative or Executive branches of government.

Similarly, people requesting records from the Governor’s office could appeal a decision to the Secretary of the Commonwealth, then to the Superior Court.

The new public records statutes would take effect at the start of the new term in January 2027.

Full details of the bill are available online in a fact sheet in the Senate’s press room.

The bill was reported to the full Senate by the Committee on Ways and Means with a 15-0 vote on July 23, 2026. A previous version was passed by the House of Representatives.

Following public debate today, the Senate passed the bill on a 34-6 roll call vote and sent it back to the House for further consideration.

Throughout this legislative session, the Senate has worked to increase government accountability and transparency. The Senate has championed rules reforms that resulted in publicly posted committee votes and longer periods of public review before large bills are voted upon.

Statements of Support

Robert Ambrogi, Executive Director, Massachusetts Newspaper Publishers Association

“For too long, Massachusetts has remained one of the only states in the country where the press and the public cannot access records of the Legislature and Governor. This bill would finally change that. We commend the Senate for taking this long-overdue step.”

Geoff Foster, Executive Director, Common Cause Massachusetts

“Transparency in government is a cornerstone of a strong democracy, and to achieve it requires good policy that empowers people and that can sustain constitutional challenges. That’s why we’re thrilled to see the Senate finally subject both the Governor’s office and the Legislature to a public records law with today’s vote. This reform has been a top legislative priority for Common Cause Massachusetts and our members for decades.”

Carol Rose, Executive Director, ACLU of Massachusetts

“This landmark bill would expand the public’s direct access to important records, strengthen transparency, and improve our ability to hold our government accountable. We thank the Senate for moving the bill forward and look forward to these thoughtful and actionable public records reforms advancing through conference committee.”

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