Rep. Kathy LaNatra

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Hanson Milone Act, creates a dedicated Boater Safety Program Fund in Massachusetts to finance boater education, law enforcement training, and vessel safety enforcement. The fund will be financed by collecting fees from boater safety certifications, fines related to boating violations, and other designated revenues, with the Office of Law Enforcement responsible for managing and spending the money. A key provision requires anyone born on or after January 1, 1989, to complete an approved boater safety course and pass an exam before operating a motorboat or personal watercraft in the state. The legislation also clarifies legal definitions for terms like "motorboat" and "commercial fishing vessel" to ensure consistent application of boating laws. Additionally, at least 25 percent of the annual fund revenue must be used for education programs, training, and grants to municipalities for safety activities.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Massachusetts General Laws to expand the legal definition of a "prostituted person" for the purposes of the state's sex trafficking statute. The change directly affects individuals currently involved in sex work by including them under the protections of the law if they are victims of sexual servitude, sex trafficking, or specific forms of prostitution involving fees, necessities, minors, or street solicitation. By broadening this definition, the legislation ensures that a wider range of people engaged in the sex trade can access existing legal remedies and support services designed for trafficking victims. The bill does not alter criminal penalties but rather clarifies who qualifies for the state's victim assistance framework.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires covered employers in Massachusetts to submit detailed wage data reports alongside their existing annual reports to the state secretary. The state secretary will then compile this information and publish aggregate wage statistics on the executive office of labor and workforce development website, organized by industry and released annually by June 1. While the bill mandates the collection and public release of these aggregate statistics, it explicitly excludes the individual wage data reports from being considered public records, thereby protecting specific employer information from public disclosure.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows pharmacists in Massachusetts to dispense up to a 30-day supply of insulin without a doctor's immediate authorization during emergency situations where a patient cannot quickly reach their provider. The law defines an emergency as a time when obtaining standard authorization is not readily available and requires pharmacists to use their professional judgment to determine if the medication is essential to prevent harm. To prevent abuse, the bill restricts pharmacists from providing this emergency supply to the same patient more than once within any six-month period. Additionally, the legislation updates several state laws to explicitly include insulin as an item that can be dispensed under these emergency conditions.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new Commercial Fisheries Offshore Wind Mitigation Fund to support commercial fishermen affected by offshore wind energy projects in Massachusetts. The fund will be managed by the Division of Marine Fisheries and financed through a percentage of contracts with wind developers, fees paid by ratepayers, and other designated donations. Before spending money from the fund, the Division of Marine Fisheries must seek written input from the Commercial Fisheries Commission regarding proposed expenditures. Any money left over at the end of a fiscal year can be carried forward to the next year rather than returning to the state's general budget.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Massachusetts state law to change how elected officials in the town of Pembroke can be removed from office through a recall process. It extends the time residents have to gather signatures on a recall petition from fourteen days to thirty days and lowers the required number of signatures from twenty percent to ten percent of registered voters. The legislation also speeds up the timeline by requiring the town board to order a recall election within five days if the official does not resign, while simultaneously removing a rule that previously required at least forty percent voter turnout for the recall to succeed. These changes directly affect the town of Pembroke by making it easier and faster for residents to initiate and complete a recall election.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the town of Plymouth to issue two new licenses for off-premises alcohol sales in Precincts 9 and 17. The law requires that these licenses remain within the specified precincts and mandates that applicants demonstrate they are in good standing with state tax and unemployment departments. Additionally, any existing licenses granted under this act must be clearly marked to indicate their restricted geographic area. If a license is cancelled or returned, the town retains the right to reissue it to a new applicant within the same precincts.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the James Ward Act, increases penalties for drivers who leave the scene of an accident involving recreational vehicles or snowmobiles. Under current law, leaving the scene after causing bodily injury without stopping to provide identification is punishable by up to one year in jail or a fine of $500 to $1,000. The legislation would raise the maximum jail sentence to two and a half years and increase the maximum fine to $5,000 if the accident results in a death. These changes apply specifically to operators of recreational vehicles and snowmobiles who fail to stop and exchange information after a collision that causes injury or death.

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 Cutler of Pembroke, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2492) of Josh S. Cutler and others relative to the retirement classification of certain officers employed by the Bureau of Investigation of the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department. Public Service.