Rep. Joe McKenna

Maddy summaryHD 754 creates a Crumbling Concrete Assistance Fund to help homeowners repair or replace residential foundations damaged by pyrite or pyrrhotite. The fund, managed by the Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities, provides financial assistance for repairs, reimburses homeowners who already paid for fixes (up to the fund amount), and exempts these repairs from property taxes. It is funded through state appropriations, federal programs (like HUD's Section 108), private donations, and interest, with annual reports required to the legislature. A stakeholder working group must also develop long-term solutions by February 2026, including potential funding models like insurance surcharges. This directly affects Massachusetts homeowners with deteriorating foundations and aims to reduce municipal fiscal strain.

Maddy summaryHD 733 establishes a Retired Police Dog Care Fund within Massachusetts' executive office of public safety. The fund, administered by the Secretary of Public Safety, receives state appropriations, grants, gifts, and investment income, with unspent balances carrying over annually. It provides grants to nonprofit organizations in Massachusetts to cover medical and care expenses for retired police dogs, as defined in existing law. The Secretary must annually report fund activity, including funding sources and expenditures, to relevant state committees.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new bereavement leave policy for employees in the Commonwealth, allowing workers to take up to 10 business days of paid leave when a family member dies. The law defines family members broadly to include children, parents, spouses, domestic partners, and others with significant personal bonds, and permits leave to be used for funeral arrangements, attending services, or grieving. Employers must pay employees at their regular rate during this leave, maintain their benefits, and restore their position upon return, though businesses with fewer than 25 employees are exempt. The legislation also requires employers to notify staff of these rights and allows for reasonable documentation of the death, with the law taking effect on January 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryHD 868 amends DUI-related sections of Massachusetts law to redirect portions of fines and assessments into the Head Injury Treatment Services (HITS) Trust Fund. It specifies that 75% of certain fines collected for DUI offenses (including operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs) and 100% of a new $250 assessment for DUI convictions must be deposited monthly into the HITS Trust Fund. This directly affects individuals convicted of DUI offenses, as their fines and assessments will fund head injury treatment services. The bill modifies existing provisions in Chapter 90 to increase the percentage of funds directed to the trust fund (from $50 to $75-$250 in specific contexts) and clarifies the deposit mechanism. The HITS Trust Fund supports services for individuals with head injuries, with no new offenses or penalties created.

Maddy summaryHD 281 creates a legal right for residential property owners or tenants to sue neighbors who install video cameras on adjacent properties to record backyard activities without written consent, specifically when done to harass, annoy, threaten, or alarm. The bill defines "backyard" as the area extending beyond the rear footprint of a home to the property boundaries. It explicitly excludes law enforcement officers acting within their official duties from this provision. The law directly affects homeowners and renters whose backyards are targeted by unconsented surveillance, establishing a clear remedy for unauthorized video recording.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HD 1835) allows adults aged 18+ with sound minds to legally designate who controls their funeral arrangements and final disposition of remains after death. It establishes a clear hierarchy: first the person named in a pre-need contract or sworn affidavit (Section 1), then surviving spouse, children, parents, siblings, or other relatives in order (Section 2). The law also specifies circumstances where rights are forfeited (e.g., murder charges, failure to act within 2 days, or court determination of estrangement) and permits probate courts to resolve disputes if multiple people claim rights (Section 4-5). It directly affects anyone making pre-arrangements or whose family must make decisions after death.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends a Massachusetts adoption law to clarify the legal standard for adoption documents. It replaces the phrase "state or the country where it was executed" with "commonwealth or the laws of the place where it was executed." The change specifically affects adoption paperwork processed in Massachusetts, ensuring documents comply with either Massachusetts law or the laws of the location where the adoption was finalized. This is a technical clarification to improve consistency in adoption documentation procedures, with no new rights or obligations created.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HD 294) imposes stricter penalties for individuals convicted of both opioid/heroin trafficking and firearm trafficking. It mandates a potential life sentence in state prison plus a $500,000 fine for those found guilty of both offenses under specified sections of Massachusetts law. The bill also prohibits prosecutors from dismissing or delaying such cases and bars convicted individuals from early release options like furlough or sentence reductions for good behavior. This directly affects people convicted of combined drug and firearm trafficking, creating a mandatory maximum penalty with no leniency for good conduct.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes Massachusetts law to set a $80 maximum fee for processing bail or release on personal recognizance for people arrested for misdemeanors or felonies. It prohibits bail agents from splitting fees or delegating bail-setting duties, and requires the fee to be paid only after release terms are finalized. The bill directly affects individuals arrested for crimes who must pay bail and the bail agents processing these payments. It does not eliminate cash bail but regulates the fees charged for processing it. The law amends Chapter 262 of the General Laws, effective upon enactment.

Maddy summaryHD 295 allows federally recognized Indian tribes in Massachusetts to have non-lawyer tribal representatives appear in state courts on behalf of the tribe itself. The bill amends Massachusetts law to clarify that such tribal representatives do not violate statutes prohibiting unauthorized practice of law (M.G.L. c. 221, §§ 41 and 46A), provided they submit a court affidavit stating they are not licensed attorneys. This access applies only to tribal matters, not to individual tribe members representing themselves. The law ensures tribal representatives can advocate for their tribe within the legal system while maintaining clear boundaries against misrepresenting legal qualifications.