By Representative Puppolo of Springfield, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr., and Samantha Montaño relative to school library standards. Education.
Maddy summaryThis bill designates the blue-spotted salamander as the official salamander of the Commonwealth. It amends state law to formally recognize this specific species as a state symbol. The bill has no substantive policy impact beyond this symbolic designation. It directly affects the Commonwealth's official state symbols, adding the blue-spotted salamander to the list of recognized state emblems.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires Massachusetts' governor to annually issue a proclamation designating September 20th as LGBTQ+ Veterans Day. It directs the governor to celebrate the service of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) veterans who have honorably served in the U.S. Armed Forces. The proclamation also recommends that the public observe the day appropriately. The bill affects the governor's office through the required annual action and recognizes LGBTQ+ veterans' contributions without creating new programs or funding.
Maddy summaryThis bill creates a public dashboard showing how residential energy bills are calculated, including detailed breakdowns of charges from gas and electric companies and explanations of each bill component. It requires energy companies to submit quarterly reports on rates, customer data, and clean energy program costs, and mandates the dashboard include analysis of benefits like reduced emissions, system reliability, and avoided energy costs. The bill also requires utilities to return 70% of certain clean energy payments directly to ratepayers through annual bill credits. These changes apply to Massachusetts residential electricity and gas customers and affect all energy companies operating in the state.
Maddy summaryHD 2279 imposes a one-year ban on commercial extraction of minerals, sand, and gravel in Plymouth and Bristol Counties, including land zoned for agriculture. This directly affects businesses and landowners engaged in such extraction activities. The bill aims to protect the federally designated Plymouth Carver Sole Source Aquifer (designated under the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1990) by preventing potential contamination to the region's drinking water supply. The moratorium is a direct measure to safeguard public health and water safety without altering existing land use regulations beyond the extraction prohibition.
Maddy summaryThis bill (HD 658) changes how unemployment benefits are calculated for workers with irregular schedules. It modifies the law to use wages from the two highest quarters (instead of just the single highest quarter) when determining benefit amounts. If using this two-quarter method makes a worker ineligible for benefits, the bill ensures they receive a minimum payment equal to 1/26th of their total wages reported in those two quarters. This directly affects hourly or part-time workers whose earnings vary significantly between pay periods.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts' 529 college savings program rules to allow the inclusion of "fossil fuel free" investment options. It defines a "fossil fuel free portfolio" as one with less than 0.25% fossil fuel investments (excluding companies involved in exploration, extraction, or processing of fossil fuels) and a reasonable fee structure. The amendment updates the law to explicitly permit these options within state-run college savings programs, even if not otherwise offered through the standard MEFA program. This directly affects MEFA (the state's 529 administrator) and investors in Massachusetts' college savings plans, providing a new investment choice meeting specific environmental criteria.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires all schools (including public, charter, and non-public) and child care centers serving pre-K through 12th grade to annually test every drinking water outlet for lead. If lead levels exceed one part per billion, schools must immediately shut off affected outlets, install certified point-of-use filters within 18 months, replace water fountains with filtered stations (one per 75 students), and maintain ongoing testing. Schools must also publicly report test results, remediation plans, and notify parents and staff of any elevated lead findings. The law directly affects all K-12 schools and child care centers in the state, mandating concrete actions to ensure safe drinking water.
Maddy summaryHD 3369 establishes a Climate Change Adaptation Superfund to finance projects that help communities prepare for and recover from climate impacts. It requires fossil fuel companies and entities that extracted coal, oil, or natural gas in Massachusetts between 1995 and 2024 to pay into the fund based on their historical greenhouse gas emissions. Payments will support concrete adaptation projects like upgrading stormwater systems, retrofitting public buildings for energy efficiency, and protecting communities from extreme weather. The fund prioritizes environmental justice communities - neighborhoods with high poverty rates, minority populations, or limited English proficiency - to ensure equitable access to climate resilience efforts.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires Massachusetts state agencies to assess whether clean energy policies will increase costs for households or businesses before implementation. It mandates that all new energy, emissions, or transportation regulations include an affordability and competitiveness review, evaluating impacts on residential energy costs and business operating expenses. Agencies must modify proposals if impacts are unreasonable or adopt alternative approaches to protect affordability, and must publish these assessments 30 days prior to adoption. The law applies to all state departments and authorities managing energy, climate, or utility programs, ensuring clean energy transitions do not disproportionately burden ratepayers or harm economic competitiveness.
