Rep. Rodney Elliott

Senate, July 22, 2024 -- The committee on Senate Ways and Means, to whom was referred the Senate Bill establishing a special commission to review the adequacy and equity of the Massachusetts school building program (Senate, No. 2659),- reports, recommending that the same ought to pass with an amendment substituting a new draft with the same title (Senate, No. 2885).

Maddy summaryThis bill directs that a portion of fines and fees collected from individuals convicted of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of substances be deposited into the Head Injury Treatment Services Trust Fund. Specifically, it requires $50 of each fine under one section to go to the fund and increases an existing assessment for DUI-related offenses from $50 to $100, with 100% of that new amount funding the trust. Additionally, the legislation mandates that 75% of fines collected under several other specific subsections of the same law be transferred to the trust fund. These changes directly affect courts and the state treasurer, who must now route these specific financial collections to support head injury treatment services rather than general state revenue.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to specifically protect sports officials, such as referees and umpires, from physical attacks. It establishes that anyone who assaults an official before, during, or immediately after a game faces fines ranging from $500 to $5,000 or imprisonment for 90 days to two and a half years. Additionally, the legislation makes it a crime to force an official to stay on the field after a contest has ended, punishable by a fine up to $200 or up to 30 days in jail. These measures apply to paid and volunteer officials working in interscholastic, intercollegiate, amateur, and professional athletic events.

March , 2024 -- The committee on Education, to whom was referred the petitions (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 251) of Brendan P. Crighton, Michael J. Barrett and Peter Capano for legislation to modernize school construction; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 278) of Barry R. Finegold, Adam Scanlon and James B. Eldridge for legislation to establish a special commission to study the effectiveness of the Massachusetts School Building Authority; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 295) of John F. Keenan for legislation to create a facilities loan program for private special education schools; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 309) of Jason M. Lewis, Rebecca L. Rausch and Kate Lipper-Garabedian for legislation to establish a special commission to review the adequacy and equity of the Massachusetts school building program; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 331) of Jacob R. Oliveira for legislation to provide school building assistance for Special Education Collaboratives; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 359) of John C. Velis for legislation relative to school districts in receivership and the Massachusetts School Building Authority; (accompanied by bill, House, No. 431) of Bruce J. Ayers relative to technology upgrade programs for public schools; (accompanied by bill, House, No. 441) of Daniel Cahill relative to school construction; (accompanied by bill, House, No. 553) of Edward R. Philips relative to the feasibility of ergonomically designed school buildings and its beneficial impact on students and faculty; (accompanied by bill, House, No. 568) of Adam Scanlon, Barry R. Finegold and others for an investigation by a special commission (including members of the General Court) relative to the effectiveness of the Massachusetts School Building Authority; (accompanied by bill, House, No. 569) of Adam Scanlon, Michael P. Kushmerek and others relative to providing for school building assistance for special education collaboratives; and (accompanied by bill, House, No. 606) of Marcus S. Vaughn and Ryan C. Fattman relative to School Building Advisory Board funding, report the accompanying bill (Senate, No. 2659).

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 requires Massachusetts mental health providers to offer support groups as a treatment option during annual wellness exams. It mandates that patients receive a list of resources and, if diagnosed with a mental health condition, be referred to care accessible within six weeks. The legislation also establishes a state network of evidence-based support groups and requires annual reporting on referral success rates to track system performance.

By Representative Pignatelli of Lenox, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2254) of Smitty Pignatelli and others for legislation to further regulate healthcare services to a patient via telehealth. Public Health.

By Mr. Kennedy, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2762) of Edward J. Kennedy, Vanna Howard, Rodney M. Elliott and Rady Mom (with the approval of the mayor and city council) relative to vacancies on the city of Lowell city council and school committee. Election Laws. [Local Approval Received.]

By Representative Blais of Deerfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3488) of Natalie M. Blais and others relative to the reimbursement of cities and towns for veterans' benefits. Veterans and Federal Affairs.