Legislation

An Act to encourage retirement planning

This bill would promote greater retirement savings for private sector employees in the Commonwealth in a convenient, low-cost and portable manner at no cost to businesses. It would create a requirement savings program, known as the Massachusetts Secure Choice Savings Program, in the form of an automatic enrollment payroll deduction IRA. Employers who do not already offer a retirement plan would automatically enroll their employees in this option and a portion of the employee's pay would be contributed through payroll deduction. This program would be established as a trust outside of the State Treasurer's Office with the board as its trustee.

An Act to reduce waste and recycling costs in the commonwealth

This is a product stewardship bill which would make manufacturers responsible for the post-consumer management of their packaging waste. The proposal requires manufacturers to finance the infrastructure needed to recycle their packaging materials. This bill will increase our recycling rate, as recycling guidelines will become more straightforward, and recycling costs will be eliminated for all residents and subsidized for municipalities.

An Act relative to healthy youth

This bill would ensure that if Massachusetts schools choose to provide sex and relationship education, it must be age-appropriate, medically accurate, and inclusive of both abstinence and contraception. The bill upholds local control by allowing school districts to decide whether to offer this education, and it preserves parents' rights to opt their children out. It also mandates transparency through biennial reporting and promotes inclusive, comprehensive instruction on topics like consent, healthy relationships, and LGBTQ+ identities.

An Act improving campaign finance reporting by state ballot question committees

This legislation enhances campaign finance transparency in Massachusetts by defining "in-kind contributions" as non-monetary support, such as free goods, discounted services, or third-party payments benefiting candidates or committees. It also expands financial disclosure requirements for ballot question committees, mandating detailed reporting of in-kind contributions over $50, new liabilities, and a structured schedule for filing reports leading up to and after state elections. Additionally, it clarifies that ballot question committees have separate reporting obligations from independent expenditure PACs, ensuring clearer oversight of campaign finances.

An Act reforming the housing development incentive program

This legislation amends the HDIP statute in the MGL to ensure it includes provisions that consider equity and affordability for all individuals and families in the Commonwealth.

An Act relative to language access and inclusion

This legislation aims to codify and expand federally enacted protections for Limited English Proficient and deaf or hard of hearing individuals in order to ensure they receive equal access to services, programs and activities from public-facing agencies in the Commonwealth. It lists a tiered implementation process to determine which agencies are to implement their language access plans by which date, prioritizing the agencies that have the most impact of residents' day-to-day lives. The bill also codifies the establishment of the Office of Access and Opportunity under the Governor's office.

An Act lifting kids out of deep poverty

This bill would raise TAFDC grants for very low-income families with children, elders, and disabled individuals by 25% per year until they reach half of the federal poverty level. Families living below half of the poverty level are considered to be in Deep Poverty.

An Act addressing discriminatory police reporting

This bill establishes both civil and criminal penalties for knowingly making false reports to law enforcement based on biased perceptions of a person’s race, gender, religion, or other protected characteristics. Victims may bring a civil lawsuit for damages, injunctive relief, or other remedies, even without showing actual harm. Additionally, violators may face fines up to $5,000, imprisonment for up to 2.5 years, and restitution for property damage.

An Act preventing wage theft, promoting employer accountability, and enhancing public enforcement

This legislation seeks to address the growing wage theft crisis by giving the state greater power to go after corrupt employers and providing the Attorney General with additional tools to hold violators of wage laws responsible for their actions. Specifically, this legislation enhances enforcement against wage theft by providing the AG’s office with the ability to file directly in court to pursue wage and hour violations on behalf of workers, and to collect damages and attorney’s fees when those workers prevail in court. It also provides the Attorney General the ability to issue Stop Work Orders at worksites where they have investigated and determined wage theft violations to have occurred, while respecting the due process rights of employers and giving them time to appeal or cure the violations before the Order takes effect.

An Act creating fairness in workers' compensation disfigurement benefits

This bill amends M.G.L. c. 152, which covers workers' compensation, to ensure that workers who experience bodily disfigurement receive compensation that is equal to the average wage in the commonwealth on the date of the injury multiplied by thirty, rather than receiving the current $15,000 maximum. The bill would also ensure that workers who have scar-based injuries will receive compensation regardless of where on the body those scars are located, rather than the current requirement of those scars being located on the face, neck or hands.

An Act relative to disability or death caused by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

This legislation defines Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a disability and provides language to create a presumption that PTSD was suffered in the line of duty. In their profession, firefighters and police officers suffer adverse effects from the traumatic exposures they come in to contact with on a daily basis.  

An Act providing for diabetes management in schools

This bill aims to improve diabetes management in schools and enhance support for students with type 1 diabetes. The bill allows licensed school school nurses to delegate certain diabetes care responsibilities to trained health aides under specific conditions, while reserving insulin administration for nurses only. The bill also ensures that students with diabetes are placed in classrooms with support staff and can manage their condition appropriately in accordance with medical guidance and state health regulations.

An Act relative to the licensure of behavior analysts

This legislation would create an independent board of professional licensure for behavior analysts within the Division of Professional Licensure. Currently, ABAs are licensed in Massachusetts, but as part of the Board of Allied Mental Health, a board that governs four types of other professions. This bill proposes a nine-member independent board composed of a diverse group with varying experience in the field. By aligning ABA eligibility criteria with that of the national certifying entity, the licensing board will be able to approve licenses at a faster rate and with more efficiency.

An Act supporting families through enhanced tax credits

This bill would create a guaranteed minimum income (GMI) to ensure that everyone in the Commonwealth can attain a basic standard of living. Creating a GMI program in Massachusetts will be accomplished by enhancing the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) so that it covers more households and delivers larger cash benefits. Specifically, this legislation would increase the state match rate from to 50% of the federal credit and establish a minimum $2,400 credit for extremely low-income households and those with no taxable income at all. The bill would also extend the GMI credit to middle income families who are currently ineligible, expand to previously excluded groups of people, and improve access to the GMI credit through more frequent payments and communications/outreach. 

An Act to eliminate disparate impact

Disparate impact' is defined as a 'seemingly neutral policy or practice that disproportionately and negatively affects members of a protected group, even if there's no intent to discriminate. This legislation would prohibit all forms of government from directly or indirectly utilizing any program or practice that has a disparate impact. The bill would also allow people claiming to be aggrieved by said program or policy to bring a private right of action to the court to sue for damages (actual or punitive) within 3 years of the instance.

An Act promoting access to counsel and housing stability in Massachusetts

This bill establishes a statewide "Access to Counsel" program in law, which would be ran by the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation, and provide free legal assistance and full representation to eligible individuals in covered eviction proceedings. The purpose of this proposal is, in the short-term, to provide families facing eviction—and, in many cases, homelessness—with housing stability through a greater likelihood of success in eviction proceedings by expanding access to legal representation. Similar programs in cities such as New York City have shown that tenants are far more likely to win eviction cases when they are represented by legal counsel. Long-term, this bill will assist with housing and economic stability, avoiding recurring evictions, and preventing shelter entry in Massachusetts.

An Act to ensure equitable health coverage for children

This bill will expand comprehensive MassHealth coverage to all eligible low-income children, regardless of immigration status.

An Act ensuring high quality pre-kindergarten education

This legislation establishes a grant program to support the creation and expansion of high-quality pre-kindergarten programs for children aged 2 years and 9 months up to kindergarten eligibility. The program prioritizes districts based on readiness and need, requiring comprehensive plans that include family engagement, inclusion of children with disabilities, evidence-based curricula, and equitable teacher compensation. Grant recipients must form local councils, meet strict program standards, and submit regular reports, with ongoing evaluations to guide potential statewide replication.

An Act protecting survivors of rape and their children

This bill prohibits courts from granting custody or visitation rights to parents who have been convicted of, charged with, or found by clear and convincing evidence to have committed certain serious sexual or violent crimes, particularly in cases where the child was conceived during the offense or affected by it. Exceptions are allowed only if the child’s best interests are served and the child’s mother affirmatively consents. The bill also establishes an irrebuttable presumption of parental unfitness in adoption cases involving such offenders, allowing courts to dispense with their consent. However, these restrictions do not relieve the offender of child support obligations or affect the child's right to inherit from them.

An Act relative to the disclosure of certain police reports

This bill ensures that victims of sexual assault and domestic violence are notified if someone asks to see their police report without their authorization.

An Act regarding the pediatric palliative care program

This bill amends the pediatric palliative care statute of the MGL to expand age eligibility from its current 19 years old to 22 years old.

An Act relative to growth opportunities for state financial institutions

The bill provides equal access to increased growth and business opportunities as a new tool for mutually owned state chartered financial institutions by authorizing the purchase of deposits and the assumption of deposit liabilities. As accounts are automatically transferred to an institution, new accounts and members/customers are gained. In addition, the acquiring mutual institution gains the opportunity to expand into new and strategic markets.

An Act relative to class 3 electric bicycles

This bill would define “Class-3” e-bikes, aligning Massachusetts law with federal definitions and statewide regulations set by the Department of Conservation of Recreation. Since “Class-3” e-bikes are already being bought, sold, and ridden through the Commonwealth, a definition will allow for proper regulation, and will include them in e-bike incentive programs.

An Act protecting an employee's right to rebuttal of personnel records

This bill protects workers from being penalized for seeking to protect their rights regarding their personnel record, and allows the worker to file a claim if they believe their rights concerning their personnel record was violated by an employer.