By Representatives Khan of Newton and Sousa of Framingham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2350) of Kay Khan, Priscila S. Sousa and others for legislation to further amend the anti-shackling statute for incarcerated pregnant women. Public Safety and Homeland Security.
By Representative Livingstone of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2876) of Jay D. Livingstone and others relative to the community investment tax credit. Revenue.
By Representatives Livingstone of Boston and Khan of Newton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2371) of Jay D. Livingstone, Kay Khan and others for legislation to provide reproductive health care to incarcerated individuals. Public Safety and Homeland Security.
By Representative Connolly of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2747) of Mike Connolly and others for legislation to support affordable housing with a local option for a fee to be applied to certain real estate transactions. Revenue.
By Representative Fluker Oakley of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2793) of Brandy Fluker Oakley and others (with the approval of the mayor and city council) relative to real estate transfer fees and senior property tax relief in the city of Boston. Revenue. [Local Approval Received.]
Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to improve care for pregnant women in correctional facilities by setting specific time limits for postpartum hospital stays. It requires that a woman remain in the hospital only until her doctor confirms she is safe to return to the facility and a pediatrician verifies that the baby has had at least 72 hours with the mother for health stability. The change directly affects incarcerated mothers and their newborns by ensuring they do not leave the hospital prematurely. This provision aims to balance medical safety with the needs of mother and infant during the early post-delivery period.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to expand access to medical parole for incarcerated individuals by updating the definitions of permanent incapacitation and terminal illness. It requires correctional facilities to consider parole requests from prisoners, attorneys, family members, or medical providers, with a strict timeline for reviewing these petitions. The legislation also mandates that the Department of Correction identify cognitively incapacitated prisoners through annual standardized assessments and allows them to choose a surrogate decision-maker to advocate on their behalf. Additionally, the bill ensures that risk assessments for violent recidivism account for a prisoner's medical condition and considers whether community-based treatment could reduce that risk.
The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two branches with reference to the Senate amendment of the House Bill authorizing additional licenses for the sale of alcoholic beverages to be drunk on the premises in the city of Boston (House, No. 4696), reports recommending passage of the accompanying bill (House, No. 5039).
Maddy summaryThis bill allows Massachusetts cities and towns to choose whether to implement local rent control and eviction protections for multi-family housing. Under the new Tenant Protection Act, municipalities that opt in can regulate rents and require landlords to provide specific reasons, such as non-payment or lease violations, before evicting tenants. The law includes exemptions for owner-occupied homes with three or fewer units, newly constructed buildings, and certain specialized facilities like dormitories and hospitals. Additionally, the bill permits local governments to set fair return standards for landlords and establish administrative bodies to oversee these regulations and assist small property owners.
Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the city of Boston to create local laws that limit how much landlords can raise rents and restrict when they can evict tenants. Under the proposed rules, landlords could only increase rent by a percentage tied to inflation plus six percent, or a maximum of ten percent, whichever is lower. The protections would apply to most multi-unit apartment buildings but would exclude small homes where the owner lives on-site, hotels, dormitories, and newly built units. Additionally, the bill would allow the city to define specific reasons, such as non-payment of rent or lease violations, that justify ending a tenancy.
