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Read. Follow. Verify.Massachusetts establishes auto body labor rate advisory board and empowers insurance commissioner to set minimum repair rates
Last action · January 15, 2026: Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Senate Ways and MeansSponsor: Mike Moore
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What This Bill Would Do
Massachusetts creates a 14-member advisory board within the division of insurance to survey industry labor costs and requires the commissioner of insurance to set a minimum hourly labor rate for auto body repairs of at least $55.
Auto insurers and registered repair shops face new regulatory oversight regarding hourly repair reimbursements, and insurance payouts for vehicle repairs must meet a state-determined minimum floor.
- Auto body labor rates govern how much insurance companies reimburse repair facilities for collision work, a frequent point of dispute between insurers and repair shops. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Auto insurance industry
Insurers must pay at least the minimum hourly labor rate set by the commissioner of insurance on insured claims for repairs.
Registered motor vehicle repair shops
Shops are subject to surveys regarding hourly labor rates and benefit from a state-mandated minimum hourly labor floor.
Consumer advocacy groups
Representatives from consumer advocacy groups participate directly on the newly created advisory board.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who serves on the new auto body labor rate advisory board?
What is the minimum hourly labor rate established by the bill?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
6 actions- Jan 15, 2026SenateCommitteeBill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Senate Ways and Means
- Oct 22, 2025JointHearing rescheduled to 10/22/2025 from 10:30 AM-11:40 AM in B-1 and Virtual<br> <span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;">Hearing updated to New End Time</span>
- Oct 17, 2025JointHearing rescheduled to 10/22/2025 from 10:30 AM-01:00 PM in B-1 and Virtual<br> <span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;">Hearing location changed</span>
- Oct 10, 2025JointHearing scheduled for 10/22/2025 from 10:30 AM-01:00 PM in A-1
- Feb 27, 2025HouseHouse concurred
- Feb 27, 2025SenateCommitteeReferred to the committee on Financial Services
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Establishment of State-Mandated Auto Repair Rate Floors
Shifts insurance oversight by requiring a fixed minimum hourly labor rate of at least $55 determined through structured annual industry surveys.
Connected Entities
Sources
malegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance70How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy45Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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