BOSTON – A new year brings change, and new laws will be going into effect in Massachusetts for 2025.

From salary transparency to affordable housing to new tax credits, we’ve rounded up a list of incoming policy changes that will be affecting Massachusetts residents at some point in the new year.

Salary transparency law

Toward the end of the new year, a salary transparency bill that was signed into law by Gov. Maura Healey in 2024 will take effect. As of Oct. 29, 2025, employers in Massachusetts that have 25 or more employees “will be required to disclose salary ranges and protect an employee’s right to ask for salary ranges,” the state says.

Massachusetts will become the 11th state to mandate pay transparency, advocates of the bill said. 

“This new law is an important next step toward closing wage gaps, especially for People of Color and women,” Healey said in a statement. “It will also strengthen the ability of Massachusetts employers to build diverse, talented teams.”

Sealing eviction records

As part of the Affordable Homes Act that Healey signed in August, there are new provisions taking effect in 2025 to make it easier for some people to get a place to live. Starting on May 5, 2025, people can petition the court to seal past eviction records that might be preventing them from renting. 

The new law does not mean old evictions will automatically be sealed, as courts will make decisions on a case-by-case basis. “No-fault” eviction cases will be sealed immediately after an appeal period ends. 

Accessory dwelling units

Another aspect of the Affordable Homes Act, the Accessory Dwelling Units provision, goes into effect on Feb. 2, 2025.  

Accessory Dwelling Units are defined by the state as a “secondary residential living space located on the same lot of a single-family home.” That could include a backyard cottage, a basement converted into an apartment or new construction addition to an existing house.

The new law allows for families to add a new rental apartment to their property by creating ADUs that are up to 900 square feet.   The governor’s office estimates this could lead to the construction of 8,000 to 10,000 ADUs and help lower housing costs in Massachusetts. 

Expanded child and family tax credit

Massachusetts families filing their taxes this spring will be able to take advantage of an expanded child and family tax from the tax cut package Healey signed into law in 2023. For tax year 2024 and going forward on a permanent basis, the credit per dependent child, disabled adult or senior will rise to $440.

The administration says this is the “most generous universal child and dependent tax credit in the country,” and estimates 565,000 Massachusetts families will benefit. 

Veterans benefits

A bill signed in August called the HERO Act will provide new benefits for Massachusetts veterans in 2025.

The disabled veteran annuity will increase to $1,250 in February 2025 and then become an annual payment of $2,500 starting in August 2025. Also in 2025, veterans who quality for the disabled veterans license plate can use those Purple Heart specialty license plates for a sales tax exemption. 

Ballot questions

Massachusetts will also see impacts in 2025 from two ballot questions approved by voters back in November. 

Voters passed an initiative that gets rid of the MCAS graduation requirement for students in 2025 and beyond. As the State House News Service reports, that means school districts need to come up with new graduation standards by the end of the school year.

Another ballot question, which authorizes Auditor Diana DiZoglio to audit the state Legislature, will take effect Jan. 5. DiZoglio has been at odds with House and Senate leaders over the scope of the audit, and several groups are threatening a potential lawsuit early in the new year to force their cooperation with the auditor.