Senate Republicans Seek Emergency Contract Reforms File Bill to Promote Transparency, Accountability, and Procurement Integrity
October 17, 2025October 17, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jessica Margiotta, Director of Communications, Office of Senator Tarr | Cell: 978-675-6109 | jessica.margiotta@masenate.gov
Senate Republicans Seek Emergency Contract Reforms
File Bill to Promote Transparency, Accountability, and Procurement Integrity
Boston (10/14/25) – Responding to ongoing reports of serious issues involving the use of emergency contracts in the state’s emergency assistance shelter system, Massachusetts Senate Republicans have put forward comprehensive legislation to reform the use of these types of contracts in order to increase transparency and accountability and strengthen the integrity of emergency procurements involving state funding. The new bill, An Act to promote contract accountability and integrity, contains provisions which include time limits for contracts, increased reviews, and expedited public disclosure of procurements.
“Expedited procurements play an important role in responding to emergencies, but their use needs to be limited, tailored to specific emergency conditions, and accompanied by transparency and accountability,” said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester), the chief sponsor of the legislation. “The provisions of this legislation address serious issues that have been raised by multiple sources over the past several months and would significantly reduce the risk of impropriety whenever an emergency drives procurements.”
The bill’s provisions apply to contracts with a value of more than $100,000, to which the state is a party.
They include measures which:
Limit emergency procurements to no more than 90 days, while allowing subsequent 90-day extensions based on written findings of necessity
Require that a procurement officer make a record of each emergency contract as soon as practicable, specifying each contractor’s name, expenditure amounts, a listing of the supply or service provided, and the basis for determining the need for an emergency procurement
Require that these records must also detail the cause and circumstances of the emergency, the reasons why it was not reasonably foreseeable, and any identifiable risks arising from not utilizing an emergency contract
Require that a copy of this procurement record be submitted at the earliest possible time to the Secretary of State’s office and posted to the office’s website in an area dedicated exclusively for posting of procurements
Require that a copy of the procurement record also be submitted to the Inspector General for review, the results of which will be filed in a report to the state Senate and House of Representatives
“Government contracts continue to increase costs at a rate that is unsustainable, carried by Massachusetts residents, and prohibitive to innovation to drive costs down,” said State Senator Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton). “By allowing for transparent bidding and more accountability competition will increase and thereby decrease the cost burden for taxpayers. Massachusetts needs to promote and encourage cost controls through innovation and transparency, which is exactly what this legislation will do.”
The accountability measures included in the new legislation directly respond to ongoing concerns about the lack of transparency and oversight in the state’s use of emergency contracts.
In May, the Office of the State Auditor released a 74-page report of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC), outlining a pattern of “improper and unlawful” no-contract bids for the procurement of services for the state’s emergency shelter system that lasted far too long. In the report, Auditor Diana DiZoglio found that the EOHLC repeatedly relied on multi-million dollar deals with vendors that drove up taxpayer expenditures in circumstances where officials “should have used the normal procurement process.”
“This bill places an important safeguard on taxpayer dollars by ensuring that they are spent in an open, responsible, and transparent manner. It promotes honesty and accountability in times of emergency and establishes that no government contract extends too long without warrant or good reason. This bill is a step in the right direction in preserving both the high standards and integrity of the Commonwealth and reinforcing public trust in how we allocate their hard-earned money,” said State Senator Patrick M. O’Connor (R-Weymouth). “Transparency between legislators and the public is of the utmost importance to me, and I believe that this legislation provides the accountability framework for that.”
Other concerns regarding the state’s use of no-bid contracts have surfaced following the auditor’s report. Just this month, a new report from the Boston Globe found that a non-profit organization which was paid nearly $10 million by the state for emergency shelter services outsourced meal catering to a local grocery chain owned by a board member of the same non-profit. The grocery chain won the job without submitting a formal bid or even signing a written contract outlining the services to be provided.
“Labeling a situation an ‘emergency’ should never be a free pass to circumvent transparency or due diligence,” said Mary Connaughton, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Government Transparency at the Pioneer Institute, who was quoted in the Globe’s reporting on the no-bid contract.
“This legislation is a critical step toward restoring trust and ensuring that taxpayer dollars aren’t spent through loopholes, but through accountable and clearly documented decisions,” said Connaughton, who also served on the Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct and as COO of the State Lottery.
Responding to these reports, the new legislation adds restrictions on non-profit organizations involved in a contract to which the state is a party, including:
Subjecting any non-profit entity conducting work under a state contract, grant, or other state funding to the state’s contract procurement laws, including adherence to competitive bidding procedures
Subjecting any board member, officer, director or employee of a non-profit seeking or receiving contracts involving state funding to the state’s conflict of interest law
“We have a responsibility to make sure every taxpayer dollar is spent with integrity and oversight. This bill adds much needed transparency to emergency contracting and holds all recipients of public funds, including non-profits, to high ethical standards. It is a practical measure that promotes accountability, strengthens public trust, and protects taxpayer dollars,” said State Senator Kelly Dooner (R-Taunton).
“If we have learned anything in the past few years it’s that we need to change the way these contracts are approved and managed. The state needs to be fair and accountable in the awarding of contracts. We must be mindful that these are taxpayer dollars which should be frugally expended with very close oversight,” State Senator Peter Durant (R-Spencer), said.
Having filed the bill, the Senate Republican Caucus will continue advocating for strengthened oversight, transparency, and responsibility in the state’s contracting process. The bill will be assigned a docket number by the Senate Clerk in the coming days and now awaits admission to the House and Senate.
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Additional Resources:
Shelter Audit Finds Contract Mismanagement, Improper and Unlawful Use of Emergency Procurements
Audit of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities—Emergency Shelter
Boston Globe Article: ‘Healey used ‘unlawful’ no-bid contracts as migrant and homeless families surged into emergency shelter system, audit charges’
Boston Globe Article: ‘A Massachusetts nonprofit got a $9.3 million shelter contract. A big chunk went to a board member’s business’
Pioneer Institute, Mary Z. Connaughton. Director of Government Transparency and Chief Operating Officer
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Thank you,
Jessica
Jessica Margiotta
Director of Communications
Office of the Senate Minority Leader | State Senator Bruce E. Tarr
Massachusetts State House, Room 308 | Boston, MA 02133
Office: 617-722-1600, ext. 1603| Cell: 978-675-6109
Email: jessica.margiotta@masenate.gov
