Labor & Employment in Massachusetts

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 3063: An Act regarding retirement of public authority law enforcement employee groups

This bill (HD 3063) allows the Massachusetts Port Authority (MPA) governing board to improve retirement group classifications for its law enforcement employees who are part of the MPA Retirement System, via a majority vote. It directly affects MPA law enforcement employees by potentially providing them with better retirement benefits. The key provision requires the MPA board to approve any classification change through majority vote, and explicitly prohibits reducing retirement benefits by moving employees into lower classification groups. The bill focuses solely on procedural changes to retirement classifications without altering benefit levels.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 2905: An Act to amend the insurance law, in relation to providing protection to certain retirees from pension de-risking transactions

The Pension De-Risking Act protects retirees when their pension benefits are transferred from an ERISA-protected plan to an insurance company or alternative provider. It requires state insurance commissioners to approve such transactions and mandates third-party insurance or guarantees to cover retirees if the insurer fails, matching the federal PBGC's coverage level. The law also requires detailed disclosures about lost ERISA protections, tax changes, and costs, and gives retirees 90 days to opt out with a lump sum payment option (based on a standardized discount rate). Retirees' assets must be held in trust, and annuity payments are shielded from creditor claims.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 3786: An Act establishing the micro business fund

HD 3786 establishes a dedicated Micro Business Fund in Massachusetts to support small businesses with fewer than 50 employees. The fund, administered by the Micro Business Development Center, is financed through specific sources: 0.5% of certain tax collections, 1% of financial institutions' Community Reinvestment Act spending, 5% of LLC filing fees, plus grants, donations, and interest. It provides direct financial assistance for professional development, technology, workforce training, business planning, procurement help, and market research for qualifying micro businesses. Funds are permanently dedicated (not subject to annual re-appropriation) and require annual reporting on fund activity, recipients, and selection criteria to state legislative committees.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Technology

Sub-Topics Procurement Workforce Development

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 3049: An Act to establish de-escalation training in student transportation

This bill requires all school bus operators to complete de-escalation training approved by the commissioner of education. It directly affects school bus operators and their employers, who must cover the training costs. The law mandates that employers pay for this training, which focuses on techniques to reduce conflicts during student transportation. The training is intended to improve safety and communication during bus operations.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics School Safety School Transportation Public Transit

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 3115: An Act relative to the small necessities leave act

This bill amends Massachusetts' small necessities leave law (Section 52D of Chapter 149) to expand the definition of eligible family members. It replaces language limiting coverage to "blood or marriage" with "blood, marriage, or adoption," explicitly including parents and adoptive family members. This change directly affects employees seeking leave for family needs involving adopted children or adoptive parents, ensuring they qualify under the leave law. The amendment makes the eligibility criteria more inclusive without altering the core leave structure.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 3485: An Act relative to the department of unemployment assistance

This bill establishes a special team to review Massachusetts' Department of Unemployment Assistance, focusing on technology, fraud prevention, equitable access, and processing speed. The team, appointed by the labor secretary, must draft a reform action plan by July 1, 2025, including cost estimates for improvements. It also creates a dedicated "Unemployment Assistance Review Fund" to finance recommended changes using state appropriations, grants, or donations without requiring new legislation. The fund's annual activities must be reported to state lawmakers, ensuring transparency in how resources are applied to modernize the department.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Technology

Sub-Topics Unemployment

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 3664: An Act relative to line-of-duty death and survivor benefits

This bill increases the lump-sum death benefit for police and firefighters killed in the line of duty from $300,000 to $350,000. It also establishes new minimum pension amounts for survivors, ensuring payments are at least equivalent to the next grade-step salary the officer would have earned (e.g., a police officer's next step or a supervisory position) as of their death date, effective January 1, 2023. These changes directly affect the families of deceased police officers, firefighters, and fire officers who died while performing their duties. The bill modifies existing provisions in Chapter 32 of the General Laws to raise financial support for survivors.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Policing

introduced · Massachusetts · Senate

SD 1817: An Act protecting an employee's right to rebuttal of personnel records

This bill (SD 1817) amends Massachusetts law to give state employees the right to rebut negative entries in their personnel records. It directly affects public employees in Massachusetts whose personnel files contain disciplinary or performance-related information. The key change adds a specific provision allowing employees to challenge such entries under Section 52C of the state's personnel records law. The bill updates two sections of Chapter 149 to explicitly include this rebuttal right, ensuring employees can formally respond to negative records maintained by their employers.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Public Employees

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 3526: An Act providing for line-of-duty death benefits for firefighters

This bill amends existing law to clarify that firefighters who die "in the line of duty" are eligible for death benefits. It updates specific sections of the General Laws by adding the phrase "who died in the line of duty or was" after "firefighter" in two legal references. The change ensures the benefit program explicitly covers firefighters whose deaths occur while performing official duties. It directly affects firefighters who die on duty and their families, guaranteeing they qualify for existing death benefits under current law. The bill does not create new benefits but refines the eligibility language for clarity.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

introduced · Massachusetts · Senate

SD 2192: An Act relative to reimbursement to armed service members

SD 2192 amends Massachusetts General Law Chapter 33, Section 59, to clarify that employees of local governments (counties, cities, and towns) who serve in the armed forces are entitled to reimbursement benefits under the law. The bill replaces an outdated subsection with updated language ensuring these employees receive the same benefits and protections as prior law. This change does not alter existing reimbursement amounts or processes but explicitly confirms eligibility for local government employees who are military service members. The bill directly affects municipal, county, and city workers who serve in the armed forces.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Veterans

All labor & employment bills