Rep. Angelo Puppolo

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Massachusetts law to clarify how the state handles pension forfeiture when a retirement system member is convicted of a crime. It requires the attorney general or district attorney to immediately inform the retirement commission of any final conviction that might lead to the loss of pension rights. The commission must first determine if the conviction legally mandates forfeiture before reporting the case to the member's employer or retirement board. Once confirmed, the commission directs the appropriate board to take action to remove the member's pension benefits. This change ensures a standardized process for enforcing financial penalties on public employees who commit crimes.

Maddy summaryHD 4751 would allow the city of Springfield to raise the maximum age for appointing special police officers. The city has already received local approval (from the mayor and city council) for this change. The bill authorizes Springfield to adjust the age limit without needing new state legislation, directly affecting who can be hired for these roles. This policy change would expand the pool of eligible candidates for special police officer positions in the city.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all Massachusetts public high schools to include hands-only CPR and automated external defibrillator training in their health or physical education curricula for grades 9 through 12. The law mandates that every student participate in this instruction as a graduation requirement, though students with a physician's note or a parent's written objection may be exempted. School districts must choose a free training program modeled after guidelines from a nationally recognized CPR organization and ensure it includes hands-on practice for each student. The new requirements are scheduled to take effect on September 1, 2025.

By Representative Puppolo of Springfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2390) of Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr., Aaron L. Saunders and Brian M. Ashe for legislation to further regulate the enforcement of waterways. Public Safety and Homeland Security.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to clarify which specific job titles fall under Group 4 of the public employee retirement system. It directly affects probation officers and court officers by explicitly listing their roles, such as senior community corrections probation officer and court officer I, in the legal definition. By adding these specific titles to the statute, the legislation ensures these workers are officially recognized for retirement classification purposes. The change updates existing regulations to include new or previously unnamed positions within the probation and court officer categories.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new state fund to provide annual funding of at least $150 million to regional transit authorities across Massachusetts. The money will come from a portion of the surcharges currently collected from transportation network companies, such as ride-sharing services. The funding amount will automatically adjust each year based on inflation and cannot increase by more than three percent compared to the previous year. Additionally, the law limits how much any single transit authority can receive to ensure the money is distributed among multiple organizations.

By Representative Zlotnik of Gardner, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2689) of Jonathan D. Zlotnik, Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr., and Carol A. Doherty relative to the retirement of University of Massachusetts police. Public Service.

By Representative Puppolo of Springfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3206) of Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr., relative to extending Department Energy Resources' rebates for electric and zero-emission vehicles. Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts education laws to update high school graduation requirements and improve support for struggling schools. It establishes a new competency determination based on mastery of core skills in math, science, technology, and English, allowing districts to include history, social science, and foreign languages. Students who do not meet these standards would receive an educational assistance plan to help them achieve mastery, while parents would have the chance to review these plans. Additionally, the bill changes how schools identified for comprehensive support are selected, requiring that student growth be weighted as heavily as student achievement in the evaluation formula.

By Representative Hunt of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2347) of Daniel J. Hunt and others relative to public fire safety and professionalism. Public Safety and Homeland Security.