Rep. Sam Montaño

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to require the state's Division of Developmental Services to cover medically necessary habilitative and rehabilitative treatments for adults aged 21 and older with developmental disabilities, intellectual disabilities, or autism spectrum disorder. The legislation specifically mandates coverage for applied behavior analysis and various augmentative and alternative communication devices, such as tablets, when deemed medically necessary by a licensed physician or psychologist. By expanding these insurance benefits, the bill aims to ensure that individuals with these conditions have access to essential care that helps develop, maintain, or restore their functioning.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes establishing a livable wage specifically for human services workers in Massachusetts. It directly affects employees of community-based organizations that receive funding from state agencies such as the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, or the Department of Housing and Community Development. The legislation defines these workers as staff who provide treatment, support, or services to clients and their families, while defining the organizations as those with funded human services programs. By amending Chapter 6A of the General Laws, the bill creates a formal framework to ensure these essential workers are paid a wage deemed sufficient to meet basic living needs.

By Representatives Khan of Newton and Santiago of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2859) of Kay Khan, Jon Santiago and others for legislation to impose an excise tax on distributors of certain drinks with added sugar and promoting healthy alternatives to such drinks. Revenue.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new independent state agency called the Foster Care Review Office to oversee the Massachusetts foster care system. The office would conduct administrative reviews of every child in foster care placement at least every six months to evaluate their progress toward permanent family arrangements. Trained volunteer citizen reviewers would join staff to examine individual cases and provide recommendations, while the office would also generate regular public reports on the system's performance. This new entity would operate separately from the Department of Children and Families to ensure greater transparency and accountability in how foster care cases are managed.

Maddy summaryThis bill would allow noncitizen residents of Massachusetts who are at least 18 years old to vote in local municipal elections, such as those for mayors, school committees, and town councils. To participate, eligible individuals would need to submit a special registration form declaring their residency, which election officials would then process and add to a separate list of noncitizen voters. The law explicitly clarifies that these voters cannot run for state or federal offices, vote in statewide initiatives, or participate in federal elections, and election officials must inform registrants that voting federally could jeopardize their path to U.S. citizenship.

Maddy summaryThis bill restricts political spending by foreign-influenced corporations in Massachusetts, which are defined as entities where foreign owners hold significant equity stakes or participate in political decision-making. Under the new rules, these corporations are prohibited from making independent expenditures, electioneering communications, or contributions to political committees and ballot question committees. To enforce this, the chief executive officer of any corporation making such political spending must certify under penalty of perjury that the entity was not foreign-influenced at the time of the expenditure. Additionally, political advertisements funded by these entities must include a disclaimer stating that some of the money used may have come from foreign-influenced corporations.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows Massachusetts cities and towns to choose whether to adopt ranked choice voting for their local elections. Under the new rules, municipalities can implement this system through a ballot measure, local ordinance, or charter amendment, provided they first educate voters on how the process works. The law specifies that voters can rank candidates in order of preference, with votes transferred to subsequent choices if a candidate is eliminated, and it permits 16 and 17-year-old residents to vote in these local elections. Additionally, the legislation ensures that communities can return to their previous voting method after four years if they choose to do so via the same approval processes.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows Massachusetts cities and towns to choose whether to use ranked choice voting for their local elections. Under the new rules, voters would rank candidates in order of preference instead of selecting just one, and votes would be counted in rounds where ballots for eliminated candidates are transferred to the voter's next choice. Municipalities that wish to adopt this system must pass a local ordinance detailing specific rules for counting votes and resolving ties, while the state law removes the requirement to mark ballots with a cross. The legislation also ensures that a voter's lower-ranked choices do not affect the election outcome of their higher-ranked candidates.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows eligible citizens in Massachusetts to register to vote and cast their ballots on the same day by appearing in person at a polling place or early voting site. To qualify, individuals must present proof of residence, such as a driver's license or a utility bill, and sign an affidavit confirming their citizenship and age. Once registered on the spot, voters can immediately participate in the election and will remain on the voter rolls for all future primaries and elections. The law also permits those who cannot provide immediate proof of residence to submit a provisional ballot, provided they submit the required documentation within two business days after the primary or six days after the general election. Additionally, the bill restricts voters from changing their party affiliation at the time of same-day registration and mandates investigations into allegations of illegal registration or multiple voting.

Maddy summaryThis bill would allow noncitizen residents of Massachusetts who have legal immigration status to vote in local municipal elections, such as those for city council or school committees, while explicitly prohibiting them from voting in federal or state offices. To implement this change, the legislation requires the state secretary to create a special registration form for these voters and mandates that election officials inform registered individuals about their specific voting rights and limitations. The bill also clarifies that participating in a federal election could jeopardize a noncitizen's future application for U.S. citizenship and restricts each person to registering to vote in only one municipality at a time.