Rep. Jessica Giannino

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Massachusetts Department of Education to create and manage a grant program aimed at helping social work students find field placement opportunities. The funding is specifically intended to recruit and retain Master of Social Work students from historically marginalized and low-income communities. Money for this initiative would come from state, federal, or other available resources, including existing trust funds. The legislation seeks to build a more stable and diverse workforce of licensed social workers within the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Massachusetts' Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program to include time off for individuals donating bone marrow, organs, or blood. It allows covered workers to take up to 30 days for living organ donation, five days for bone marrow donation, and up to 4 hours per year for blood donation without losing their benefits. The legislation also removes the standard seven-day waiting period for this specific type of leave and simplifies the certification process by requiring only basic details about the donation event from healthcare providers.

Maddy summaryThis bill aims to improve Massachusetts' Paid Family and Medical Leave Law by clarifying how employers can count toward the required wage contributions. It allows employers to include funds from existing temporary disability policies, paid family leave programs, and various types of paid time off, such as sick or vacation leave, even if those are provided through collective bargaining agreements. Additionally, the legislation requires employers to inform employees of their eligibility for paid leave within five business days of a request, ensuring the notification is provided in the employee's primary language. These changes directly affect employers and employees by expanding the sources of eligible wages and standardizing the process for requesting leave.

By Representatives Garballey of Arlington and Cahill of Lynn, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2522) of Sean Garballey, Daniel Cahill and others relative to Parkinson's disease disability and death of certain firefighters and other public safety officers in the contributory retirement plan for public employees. Public Service.

By Representatives Livingstone of Boston and Domb of Amherst, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2588) of Jay D. Livingstone, Mindy Domb and Rebecca L. Rausch for legislation to protect gender pay equity. Public Service.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows federally chartered veterans' organizations in Massachusetts to operate a small gaming establishment with up to five video gaming machines. The law defines these organizations as those incorporated by the U.S. Congress and lists specific restrictions, such as limiting bets to $2, capping maximum wins at $599, and restricting access to members and their guests over 21. Under the new rules, employees cannot receive payment for operating the machines, and all games must be monitored by a central computer system that only accepts cash. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is responsible for issuing licenses to eligible organizations, while local authorities retain the power to suspend or revoke those licenses if necessary.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Massachusetts prevailing wage laws to include offsite fabrication work for public projects, ensuring that workers building components like pipes, wiring, and modular units at factories receive the same wage protections as those working on construction sites. It defines offsite fabrication as non-standard items produced specifically for a project and mandates that contractors submit weekly certified payroll records detailing employee wages, hours, and the specific location where the work was performed. By applying existing penalties and reporting requirements to these offsite activities, the legislation aims to standardize labor standards across both on-site construction and off-site manufacturing processes for qualified public works.

Senate, March 4, 2024 --The committee on Labor and Workforce Development, to whom was referred the petitions (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1197) of Jason M. Lewis, Rebecca L. Rausch, Jack Patrick Lewis, Michael D. Brady and other members of the General Court for legislation to improve the Massachusetts paid family medical leave law; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1198) of Jason M. Lewis, Lydia Edwards, James B. Eldridge and Paul R. Feeney for legislation to amend the Massachusetts Paid Family Medical Leave law definitions of a covered business entity and a covered contract worker; (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1858) of Josh S. Cutler and others relative to the publication of hearing decisions by the Department of Family and Medical Leave; (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1859) of Josh S. Cutler and others relative to data reporting by the Department of Family and Medical Leave; (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1860) of Josh S. Cutler and others for legislation to include bone marrow and organ donation in the paid family and medical leave program; (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1888) of Kenneth I. Gordon and others relative to the Massachusetts Paid Family Medical Leave Law; (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1889) of Kenneth I. Gordon and others relative to the definitions of covered business entity and covered contract worker under the Massachusetts Paid Family Medical Leave Law; and (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1942) of Jeffrey N. Roy relative to unemployment benefits for replacement workers, report the accompanying bill (Senate, No. 2605).

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new State Athletic Commission within the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to oversee boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and other unarmed combat sports. The commission would consist of five members appointed by the governor, including at least one expert in boxing and one in mixed martial arts or kickboxing, along with an executive director who must have relevant sports experience. To fund the commission's operations, the bill establishes a dedicated fund financed by gaming fees and a mandatory annual transfer of $750,000 from the state comptroller. Additionally, the legislation repeals an existing section of state law related to boxing regulations and amends several other statutes to integrate the new commission into the legal framework.