Old Colony Law 2026 Legislative Agenda
Published January 7, 2026
We are pleased to announce our 2026 legislative priorities. The three issues we identified are:
End of life options (including “death with dignity,” “medical aid in dying” or “physician-assisted suicide”)
Massachusetts estate tax relief
Financial literacy
You can read more about our legislative agenda below and read our full press release here.
End of Life Options
The issue: Individuals lack options when it comes to end-of-life medical care. People seek dignity, autonomy and compassion for themselves and loved ones when diagnosed with a terminal illness, not government restrictions.
Old Colony Law’s position: We support the so-called Medical Aid in Dying legislation pending in the Massachusetts legislature (S.1486 and S.2505). We believe that individuals with terminal illness can decide for themselves when and how to die based on their values and beliefs, with their medical professionals and family.
Massachusetts Estate Tax Exemption Amount
The issue: Of the 13 jurisdictions in the United States that imposes an estate tax (12 states and Washington, D.C.), Massachusetts has among the most punitive estate tax schemes, with an exemption amount of only $2 million. The estate tax is often considered to be a tax targeted to the ultra-wealthy. In today’s reality, however, the Massachusetts estate tax pitches outside the strike zone, hitting middle-class families who do not consider themselves to be wealthy.
Old Colony Law’s position: We support current proposals to increase the Massachusetts estate tax exemption amount to $5 million; to tie the Massachusetts estate tax exemption amount to the federal estate tax exemption amount ($15 million for 2026, adjusted annually for inflation); or to eliminate the estate tax altogether.
Financial Literacy
The issue: There is increasing economic uncertainty in the world today, a growing reliance on debt, and a rapidly evolving digital economy, yet our public schools are not adequately preparing students with fundamental financial literacy knowledge and skills.
Old Colony Law’s position: Financial literacy is a necessity, not a luxury. We support H.4670, which proposes to establish a financial literacy curriculum in Massachusetts middle schools and high schools. We also believe that the bill should also be strengthened to include basic estate planning concepts in the curriculum.