This bill would reclassify certified emergency telecommunicators in Boston (such as 911 call handlers) into Group 2 for retirement benefits. Currently, these city employees may be in a different retirement category, but this change would move them to Group 2 eligibility. The bill requires and has received approval from Boston's mayor and city council. It directly affects Boston's emergency telecommunicators by altering their retirement plan classification.
Senate, April 8, 2026-- Order (Senator Rodrigues) relative to procedures to be followed when considering the Senate Bill to build resilience for Massachusetts communities (Senate, No. 2542)
By Mr. Cronin, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1816) of John J. Cronin for legislation relative to the membership of the PRIM board. Public Service.
By Ms. Friedman, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1868) of Cindy F. Friedman for legislation relative to Option (d) beneficiaries. Public Service.
By Ms. Friedman, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1867) of Cindy F. Friedman for legislation relative to the annual allowance for certain survivors of public retirees and employees. Public Service.
By Mr. Feeney, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1844) of Paul R. Feeney for legislation relative to Group 1, Group 2 or Group 4 employees with creditable service to serve on retirement boards. Public Service.
HD 430 allows nonprofit charitable organizations to raise funds through temporary alcohol sales events. It creates two types of licenses: one for nonprofits to sell alcohol at their own locations (up to 10 days per event, max 2 events yearly) and another for nonprofits to host charity alcohol auctions (up to 10 days per event, max 5 events yearly). All alcohol must be donated at no cost to the nonprofit, and all sales proceeds must be used exclusively for the nonprofit's charitable purposes. The bill requires nonprofits to be registered with the Attorney General's office and limits sales to legally zoned premises, while also modifying existing licensing procedures to accommodate these temporary authorizations.
This bill requires the MBTA to improve transparency and performance by expanding public dashboards with specific metrics like cost-per-passenger-trip and revenue recovery ratios, benchmarked against regional transit authorities. It mandates an 80% on-time performance goal for all transit modes (buses, trains, ferries, subways), with monthly route audits and public reporting of results. The MBTA must also implement a fleet replacement program prioritizing low-emission, accessible vehicles and equip all vehicles with real-time tracking for service delays and passenger data. Annual reports to state lawmakers will detail progress on these initiatives, including dashboard updates, on-time performance, fleet modernization, and service reliability improvements.
HD 3679 prohibits the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) from entering, renewing, or renegotiating contracts for public transit train equipment (rolling stock) with manufacturers owned or controlled by corporations based in specific countries. The bill targets manufacturers incorporated in or operating facilities in the U.S. but linked to countries designated as "nonmarket economies" under U.S. trade law, listed as priority trade concerns by the U.S. Trade Representative, or under active trade monitoring. This directly affects MBTA procurement decisions and rolling stock manufacturers with ties to those designated countries. The law aims to restrict transit infrastructure contracts with foreign entities under specific U.S. trade designations.
By Mr. Cyr, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1817) of Julian Cyr, Joanne M. Comerford, Vanna Howard, Michael D. Brady and other members of the General Court for legislation to provide fair and affordable public retiree benefits. Public Service.
By Mr. Feeney, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1856) of Paul R. Feeney, Joanne M. Comerford and Marcus S. Vaughn for legislation relative to Massachusetts certified emergency telecommunicators. Public Service.
By Mr. Feeney, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1853) of Paul R. Feeney for legislation to include forensic scientists employed at the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory in Group 2 of the contributory retirement system for public employees. Public Service.
