Legislators in the Massachusetts General Court, their name for the state legislature, approved legislation on Tuesday, April 4, that would make it the first state in the United States to require all residents to have health insurance and impose penalties for non-compliance.  Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, a Republican who is expected to run for U.S. President in 2008, is expected to sign the bill.
The bill passed the lower house, the Massachusetts House of Representatives by a vote of 155-2, and unanimously by the state senate.  The Democratic Party holds supermajorities in both houses of the legislature.
Among the bill's provisions are these:
At least one other state (Hawaii) requires employers to provide employee health insurance, but no other state holds individuals accountable for coverage.
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Massachusetts lawmakers enact plan for universal health coverage