By Mr. Feeney, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 747) of Paul R. Feeney for legislation to allow for graduate student workers to have access to paid family and medical leave and unemployment insurance. Financial Services.
By Mr. Crighton, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1492) of Brendan P. Crighton for legislation to provide written materials on safe sleep practices at the time of infant’s discharge from the hospital. Public Health.
This bill creates a working group to study how to establish a new acute care hospital in Norwood, Massachusetts, following the closure of Norwood Hospital under Steward Health Care in June 2020. The group, led by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, will examine the previous hospital's services, gather input from stakeholders (including local officials, nurses, firefighters, and community leaders), and recommend ways to restore comparable care. The working group must issue a report within 120 days of its first meeting to the state legislature and relevant committees. The bill does not fund or build a hospital but focuses on gathering information to guide future decisions.
This bill requires abortion facilities to post visible bilingual signs stating that forced abortions are illegal and consent must be freely given. It also mandates that doctors verbally inform patients privately about these rights before an abortion and obtain written certification confirming this notice, which must be kept in the patient's file for 7 years (or longer for minors). Facilities failing to comply face daily $10,000 fines per violation, and patients can sue for emotional distress if these requirements aren't met. The law directly affects abortion providers and patients seeking abortion services in Massachusetts.
This bill requires Massachusetts public and private schools to incorporate opioid use disorder education into existing health curricula. Schools must teach students about opioids, overdose identification, naloxone use and access, reducing stigma around naloxone, and medical amnesty for laypeople who assist during overdoses. The mandate applies to all school districts, charter schools, and approved private or residential schools. The law directs schools to build this content into current health education programs without creating new standalone courses.
This bill expands eligibility for city employee benefits in Cambridge to include domestic partners and surrogates. It defines registered domestic partners of Cambridge employees as "dependents" for health insurance coverage under state law, granting them the same benefits as spouses. It also grants domestic partners "spouse" status for all legal rights under Massachusetts law and classifies surrogates bearing children for city employees or their domestic partners as dependents for 12 months after pregnancy begins. The policy directly affects Cambridge city employees, their registered domestic partners, and surrogates involved in assisted reproduction. The changes take effect immediately upon the bill's passage.
This bill creates a retirement savings program for personal care attendants and family child care providers in Massachusetts. It requires the state to establish a retirement account program (similar to a 403(b)) with mandatory state employer contributions, including a 100% match on employee contributions up to a cap. The program must include labor representation on governance, low fees, and financial literacy resources, with the Department of Medical Assistance acting as employer for personal care attendants and the Department of Early Education and Care as employer for family child care providers. Implementation must be completed within one year of the bill's passage.
By Mr. Feeney, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 746) of Paul R. Feeney for legislation to improve patient access to non-emergency medical transportation. Financial Services.
By Mr. Driscoll, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1072) of William J. Driscoll, Jr., Dylan A. Fernandes and Paul R. Feeney for legislation to deposit money from fines collected from texting while driving into the head injury treatment services trust fund. The Judiciary.
By Ms. Friedman, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1117) of Cindy F. Friedman, Michael J. Barrett, Russell E. Holmes, John F. Keenan and others for legislation relative to treatment, not incarceration. The Judiciary.
