Rep. John Mahoney

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new Board of Registration in Midwifery within the Department of Public Health to oversee the licensing and regulation of midwives in the state. The board will consist of eight appointed members, including licensed midwives with significant experience, a physician, a nurse-midwife, and a public representative, with specific requirements for members to address racial disparities in maternal health. Additionally, the legislation establishes a new Board of Allied Health Professions that includes representatives from various health fields such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and lactation consulting. The bill also expands the legal definition of "licensed midwife" to allow them to issue prescriptions and grants local health agencies the authority to conduct in-depth reviews of fetal and infant deaths to improve community health services.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new Board of Registration in Midwifery within the Department of Public Health to oversee and regulate the practice of midwifery in the state. The board will consist of nine appointed members, including licensed midwives, obstetricians, and a public representative, with a specific requirement to consider racial disparities in maternal health during appointments. Additionally, the legislation expands the definition of who can prescribe medication to include licensed midwives and establishes a program for postpartum depression screenings for state employees. It also updates various state laws to formally recognize and define the roles of certified nurse-midwives and licensed midwives across different departments.

Maddy summaryThis law establishes a mandatory educational diversion program in Massachusetts for minors charged with specific offenses related to possessing or sharing sexual images, commonly known as sexting. The Attorney General will lead the creation of this program in collaboration with various state agencies and community groups, focusing on informing youth about legal penalties, social consequences, and the risks of online image sharing. If a child is charged with these offenses, the court will typically pause legal proceedings to require the completion of this program instead of immediate prosecution, unless the district attorney objects. Successful completion of the program allows the case to be dismissed, while failure to participate results in the case being restored for standard legal processing. Additionally, the bill expands the legal definition of abuse to include "coercive control" and requires schools to teach media literacy skills using materials from the new diversion program.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a comprehensive educational diversion program to address the legal and social consequences of adolescents sharing sexual images, commonly known as sexting. It requires the Attorney General to create this curriculum in collaboration with state education and youth services departments, which will be used to divert minors from court proceedings if they are charged with related offenses. The program also mandates that schools integrate media literacy instruction using the same materials to help students understand the risks of online image sharing. Additionally, the legislation expands the legal definition of abuse to include coercive control and increases fines for certain offenses.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to strengthen protections against discrimination by government entities. It establishes clear definitions for key terms such as age, disability, and familial status, while also introducing the concept of "discriminatory effect" to cover policies that disproportionately harm protected groups even without intentional bias. The legislation requires government programs to provide a legally sufficient justification, which must be narrowly tailored and supported by concrete evidence, to avoid being found discriminatory. These changes aim to make it easier for individuals to challenge unfair government actions and ensure that policies do not inadvertently exclude or disadvantage people based on their characteristics.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes changing how Massachusetts distributes state lottery money to cities and towns. Currently, lottery funds are part of a larger pool of unrestricted aid, but this legislation would require that portion to be allocated based on the relative amount of lottery sales in each municipality. The change aims to ensure that communities where more lottery tickets are sold receive a larger share of the revenue. It directly affects the state's budgeting process and the financial resources available to local governments.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits school resource officers from being stationed on school grounds, requiring them instead to be located at local police stations. Under this proposal, these officers would serve primarily as emergency responders to calls from public schools rather than being present during the school day. Additionally, the legislation mandates that formal agreements between schools and police explicitly forbid officers from acting as disciplinarians, enforcing school rules, or using police powers to handle non-violent behavioral issues. The law aims to redefine the role of these officers to focus on emergency support while removing their involvement in traditional school discipline.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Toxic Use Reduction Act in Massachusetts to update how facilities must create and submit plans for reducing the use of hazardous chemicals. It requires large users of toxic substances to prepare new reduction plans at least once every six years or whenever a new toxic chemical is introduced at their site, with a summary of these plans due annually by July 1. The legislation also adjusts the certification process for environmental professionals, extending the validity of their credentials to six years and lowering the required continuing education hours for renewal. Additionally, the bill clarifies that fees for these plans and certifications do not apply when the use of toxic substances is mandated by federal laws, regulations, or specifications.

By Representative Mahoney of Worcester, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2374) of John J. Mahoney relative to establishing a board of hoisting machinery regulations. Public Safety and Homeland Security.

By Representatives Balser of Newton and Cruz of Salem, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2288) of Ruth B. Balser, Manny Cruz and others for legislation to prohibit local and state involvement in federal immigration enforcement, unless required by law. Public Safety and Homeland Security.