Over the past quarter, the Roundtable has continued to work closely with the Healey-Driscoll Administration, the Legislature, coalition partners, and our members to advance policies that strengthen the Commonwealth’s economic future. As we enter the final months of the legislative session, the Roundtable remains actively engaged on several major priorities, including health care affordability, statewide graduation requirements, energy, data privacy, and AI. Below is a recap of our policy work over the past quarter.

Health Care Affordability

Health care affordability remains one of the most significant cost pressures facing Massachusetts employers and employees. This quarter, the Roundtable participated in a working group convened by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation that released a comprehensive report identifying five interconnected challenges facing the Commonwealth’s health care system: maintaining coverage, controlling system costs, improving consumer affordability, addressing workforce shortages, and reducing administrative burden. The report recommends several policy strategies, including expanding value-based payment models, strengthening the primary care and behavioral health workforce, simplifying administrative requirements across payers and providers, and improving access to affordable coverage. The Roundtable is also participating in Governor Healey’s Health Care Affordability Working Group, where these recommendations will help inform the Administration’s ongoing work. We expect additional recommendations later this summer and look forward to continuing to work with policymakers and stakeholders on solutions that improve affordability while maintaining access to high-quality care.

Statewide Graduation Requirement

Following the 2024 ballot question eliminating MCAS as a graduation requirement, Governor Healey established the Statewide Graduation Council to develop recommendations for a new statewide graduation framework. The Roundtable was proud to serve on the Council alongside education, business, labor, and community leaders. The Council’s final report establishes what we believe is a strong foundation for ensuring that a Massachusetts diploma continues to represent meaningful readiness for college, careers, and civic life. Following the report’s release, the Roundtable joined business and higher education leaders in calling for a rigorous statewide graduation standard that includes state-designed end-of-course assessments in core academic subjects. We believe Massachusetts students deserve a diploma that reflects mastery of essential academic and durable skills while giving employers and higher education confidence that graduates are prepared for future success. The Roundtable will remain actively engaged as the Administration begins implementing the Council’s recommendations.

Energy

This spring, both the House and Senate advanced comprehensive energy legislation designed to reduce costs for consumers while supporting the Commonwealth’s long-term clean energy goals. Throughout the legislative process, the Roundtable has advocated for an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy that balances affordability, reliability, and climate progress. In testimony and meetings with legislators, we emphasized the importance of maintaining existing energy infrastructure while continuing to invest in future energy resources that support economic growth and innovation. The Roundtable reinforced these priorities in a recent Boston Business Journal op-ed, Massachusetts needs an all-of-the-above energy strategy, urging policymakers to pursue a balanced energy framework centered on affordability, reliability, and climate leadership. As the legislation moves to conference committee, the Roundtable will continue advocating for policies that strengthen both Massachusetts’ energy future and its economic competitiveness.

Data Privacy

Working alongside the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, the Roundtable has remained actively engaged in efforts by the House and Senate to pass comprehensive data privacy legislation. Over the past year, we coordinated coalition letters to legislative leadership, organized a business sign-on letter supported by more than 100 Massachusetts employers, and met extensively with legislators to advocate for a balanced framework. While both the House and Senate bills represent progress in several areas, significant concerns remain around the private right of action, data minimization requirements, and definitional inconsistencies. As negotiations move to conference committee, the Roundtable will continue working with legislative leaders and the Healey-Driscoll Administration to support legislation that protects consumers while preserving innovation and ensuring Massachusetts employers remain competitive with businesses in other states.

AI

AI continues to be one of the greatest opportunities identified by employers in this year’s Talent and Competitiveness Survey. Building on our work with Roundtable member BCG, we launched two initiatives designed to strengthen the Massachusetts’ AI ecosystem. First, in partnership with the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and Lever, we launched the Applied AI Life Sciences Challenge, which will award a $35,000 innovation grant to a Massachusetts startup using AI to advance life sciences research and development. The initiative is designed to strengthen connections between AI startups and established employers while encouraging companies to commercialize and grow in Massachusetts.

Second, the Roundtable is partnering with the Massachusetts AI Hub and the Massachusetts AI Coalition to develop a statewide AI Skills Guide—a research-grounded, employer-informed framework that will help employers, educators, workforce organizations, and policymakers better understand the AI skills needed across industries. Earlier this month, the three organizations convened employers, educators, workforce leaders, and public-sector partners to begin developing this living resource.