Rep. Rita Mendes

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits mandatory overtime for healthcare workers in specific Massachusetts facilities, including hospitals and certain correctional facilities (excluding long-term care and most correctional settings). It allows overtime only during true emergencies with no reasonable alternatives, requires facilities to seek voluntary coverage first, and limits consecutive work to 16 hours with 8 hours off afterward. Facilities must report all mandatory overtime use to health authorities, and workers cannot face retaliation for refusing overtime beyond these limits. The law directly affects nurses, support staff, and other healthcare personnel in covered facilities, aiming to protect patient safety and staff well-being.

Maddy summaryHD 2376 requires the Division of Occupational Licensure to offer written and practical examinations for hoisting machinery licenses in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and other languages the division deems appropriate. This directly affects applicants seeking hoisting machinery licenses who meet the commissioner's established criteria under section 53A(g). The bill mandates that the division make these language options available without altering the existing licensure standards. It focuses on improving accessibility for non-English speaking applicants in a specific occupational field.

Maddy summaryHD 861 requires gas and electric utility contractors performing pipeline repairs on public infrastructure (like roads) to follow specific labor laws. It mandates utilities to obtain current wage rates from the labor department every six months for each municipality they work in. The bill also directs the labor department to create a one-year certification program for contractors and workers repairing pipelines, ensuring standardized training and safety standards across the state. This directly affects pipeline repair contractors and utilities working on public infrastructure projects.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Massachusetts broadband providers (wireline, fixed wireless, and satellite) to offer affordable high-speed internet to low-income households. Eligible households must participate in programs like SNAP, Medicaid, or have income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, or qualify for specific assistance programs. Providers must offer service at a minimum of 100 Mbps download speed for $15/month (including taxes/fees), with limited annual price increases. Providers must also advertise the program, report enrollment and compliance annually to the state, and face penalties for noncompliance.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides tuition and student loan reimbursement for healthcare professionals working in designated gateway cities. It covers physicians, dentists, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants who practice in a health care facility located within a gateway municipality (defined as a city with population 35,000-250,000, below-average income, and below-average bachelor's degree attainment). Eligible professionals receive 10% of their undergraduate or professional school tuition/student loans after completing 10 years of practice in a gateway city. Reimbursement is subject to state appropriation and requires the professional to work in a health care facility within the designated municipality.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes Massachusetts to transfer a specific parcel of land in Brockton (bounded by Beaumont Ave, Quincy St, Crescent St, and Burrill Ave) to Catholic Charitable Bureau of the Archdiocese of Boston for $1. The land must be used exclusively for affordable housing (for households earning ≤80% of area median income) and a community services center offering food, childcare, or vocational training. If the transfer isn't completed by December 31, 2030, the state may competitively sell or lease the land after appraisals and public notice, with a reversion clause requiring the land to return to the state if purposes change. The transfer includes enforceable restrictions to ensure the land serves its intended community purposes.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires home care agencies providing state-funded home care services to enter into labor peace agreements with labor organizations representing their workers, ensuring uninterrupted service delivery. Agencies must submit regular attestations to the Department of Elder Affairs detailing their labor relations status, including whether agreements exist, negotiations are underway, or no union representation is sought. Failure to comply may result in contract termination and a four-year ban on future state contracts for repeated violations. The policy directly affects home care agencies, workers, and the state's home care program participants.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HD 3348) changes how personal injury protection (PIP) insurance payments are handled in car accident trials. It requires courts to disclose to juries the amount of PIP benefits paid by an insurer to an injured person, along with the fact that those payments must be repaid. The court must then automatically deduct this amount from any jury award for damages. This directly affects people suing for injuries in car accidents and their insurance companies, altering how compensation is calculated during trials.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HD 1454) sets strict rules for police questioning of juveniles (people under 18) in misdemeanor cases. It states that any statement a juvenile makes during police questioning cannot be used as evidence unless three conditions are met: an attorney must be present before Miranda warnings and throughout the entire interrogation, the entire process must be audio and video recorded, and the charges must be for a misdemeanor only. The juvenile or their guardian cannot waive the attorney requirement or the recording rule. Recordings must be automatically shared with the defense and kept until the case is fully resolved, including after appeals.

Maddy summaryHD 1828 requires employers to provide new written wage notices within 10 days of hire, detailing pay rates, pay schedules, and business contact information in the employee's preferred language. It creates joint liability for wage theft among lead contractors, labor contractors, and subcontractors, holding their officers personally accountable. The Attorney General gains new enforcement powers to sue for treble damages, lost wages, and attorney fees on behalf of affected workers. The bill also adjusts unemployment benefits to account for unpaid wages during the benefit calculation period.