What Happens When MA State Of Emergency Ends?

MASSACHUSETTS —While Gov. Charlie Baker lifted most coronavirus restrictions on May 29, the state of an emergency he declared on March 10, 2020 does not officially end until Tuesday.

"Unless something odd happens, I would say that it is pretty much over," Baker said May 28.

Indeed, life in Massachusetts since May 29 has looked a lot like life before the emergency order went into effect. Schools are back to in-person learning, five days per week. People are eating out more often, leaving face coverings at home and paying less attention to the daily updates from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health with the latest data on COVID-19 cases, deaths and vaccination rates.

But some state lawmakers are looking to extend certain elements of the emergency order, ranging from to-go cocktails at restaurants to voting by mail. Here's a rundown of some of those efforts, as of Monday:

TBD: Virtual Public Meetings

Proponents of allowing government boards to continue to conduct business in virtual meetings note public participation increased during the pandemic, and the virtual meetings offer more equity by making it easier for people with work, transportation or childcare issues to attend. An extension of the rules past the emergency order would likely require bodies to hold hybrid meetings, where the session is held in person with the ability for people to participate remotely. There would also be exemptions for boards that don't have the technological capabilities to offer remote meetings.

The Massachusetts Municipal Association, which advocates for local governments, says its members want the option to offer remote or hybrid meetings, but they do not want it to be a requirement.

TBD: Vote By Mail

Last week, the House passed a spending bill amendment that would allow registered votes to continue to cast their ballots by mail, as they did under the emergency order. The Senate, meanwhile, passed a bill temporarily extending voting by mail through mid-December, with plans of making the measure permanent at a later date. While the Democratic leadership in both chambers support permanent mail voting, Republicans passed a resolution last week opposing the measure. Baker supports it, although he does not want ballots automatically sent to registered voters.

Going: Restaurant Relief

Rules that allowed restaurants to serve "to-go" cocktails and capped the fees third-party food delivery services could charge restaurant customers are set to expire Tuesday. In a voice vote last month, the state Senate rejected two budget amendments that would have extended the rules for two years after the state of emergency is lifted. Proponents had argued the measures were crucial for the still-struggling food and hospitality industry in Massachusetts.

Staying: Behavioral Telehealth Service

Baker signed a law in January ensuring telehealth would remain available to patients after the pandemic, effectively extending a rule in the emergency order that required insurers to cover the virtual health sessions. Under the January rule, insurers will have to reimburse behavioral providers the same rates for telehealth visits as they pay for in-person visits. The new rule also keeps equal rates for all other health care services offered via telehealth until Sept. 13, which is 90 days after the emergency order expires.

Going: Unemployment Waiting Period

But not on Tuesday: the relief will expire 90 days after the emergency order ends. The emergency order had waived the one-week waiting period imposed when people made a new unemployment claim.

Going: Utility Shutoff Moratorium

Utilities were prevented from shutting off customers' gas, electric and other utility services during the pandemic. That moratorium ends July 1.

Going: Virtual Notary Services

Public notaries will have to resume in-person meetings to verify documents and signatures three days after the emergency order is lifted. They had been allowed to conduct business online through the pandemic.

Gone: Remote And Hybrid Learning

Unless they applied for a waiver, all public school districts in Massachusetts returned to full-time, in-person learning for all students last month. All public schools will be expected to reopen as normal in the fall.