Rep. Dawne Shand

Maddy summaryThis bill (HD 157) changes who pays brokerage fees in rental agreements. It requires that fees charged by licensed real estate brokers or salespeople must be paid only by the landlord or tenant who directly hired them to arrange the lease. The law prevents landlords from passing these fees onto tenants through the lease contract, or tenants from being charged by brokers they didn't personally engage. This directly affects landlords, tenants, and brokers involved in residential rental transactions.

By Representatives Lipper-Garabedian of Melrose and Vieira of Falmouth, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 86) of Kate Lipper-Garabedian, David T. Vieira and others relative to regulation of location information derived from electronic devices. Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity.

Maddy summaryHD 1371 creates a new six-member "Board of Hoisting Machinery Regulations" within Massachusetts' Department of Labor. The board, appointed by the governor, includes a safety inspector (chair), a public utility worker, a construction contractor, a safety trainer, an OSHA expert, and a union representative with five years' experience. This board will establish licensing rules for hoisting machinery operators, including training requirements, supervision protocols for apprentices, and procedures for license issuance, renewal, denial, or revocation based on safety violations. The bill directly affects apprentice and operator license holders and the safety training industry.

Maddy summaryH 4650 removes a licensing exam requirement for certain social workers in Massachusetts, renaming "Licensed Certified Social Workers" to "Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers" to streamline the process. It creates a new paid internship grant program for Master of Social Work (MSW) students from historically marginalized and low-income communities, funded through state or federal resources. The bill also allows licensed clinical social workers to earn continuing education credits for supervising interns. These changes aim to increase workforce diversity and retention, with an evaluation required to assess impacts on access to mental health services and workforce diversity, effective January 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes the examination requirement for Licensed Certified Social Workers (LCSWs) and narrows exam focus to Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers (LICSWs). It creates a paid practicum grant program for Master of Social Work (MSW) students in Massachusetts, prioritizing recruitment and retention from historically marginalized and low-income communities. The bill also allows supervisors providing one-on-one mentoring to earn up to 8 continuing education credits per licensing period. An evaluation of the exam removal's impact on workforce diversity, access to behavioral health services, and patient care for vulnerable populations is required, to be submitted to relevant legislative committees.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Merrimack River Collaborative, a coordinating group focused on improving water quality in Massachusetts' Merrimack River from the New Hampshire border to the river mouth. It directly affects communities along the river (like Amesbury, Lowell, and Haverhill), state agencies, local water systems, and environmental organizations. The Collaborative will standardize water monitoring, track pollutants, prioritize cleanup projects, and identify funding opportunities to make the river "swimmable, drinkable, and fishable" while supporting biodiversity and climate resilience. It operates through an Executive Committee and member organizations without receiving direct funding, requiring annual reports to the legislature.

Maddy summaryHD 287 creates the Merrimack River Collaborative, a coordinating body to improve water quality along the Merrimack River. It directly affects communities, local governments, state agencies (like the Department of Environmental Protection), environmental groups, and universities along the river. The Collaborative will convene working groups, standardize water quality data, monitor pollutants, identify improvement projects, and connect communities with funding - reporting annually by December 15th starting in 2025. Membership includes municipal officials, state departments, environmental organizations, and academic institutions, all serving without pay. The bill establishes the structure and deadlines for this new entity but does not change existing environmental laws.

By Representatives Ramos of North Andover and Shand of Newburyport, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 676) of Adrianne Pusateri Ramos and Dawne Shand that the Executive Office of Education study the financing of capital improvements in facilities providing primarily vocational-technical education or agricultural education. Education.

By Representative Doherty of Taunton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 558) of Carol A. Doherty and others relative to courses in American Sign Language. Education.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Massachusetts teacher retirement system rules to ensure continuity for educators. It requires that teachers moving to roles in the Executive Office of Education or Department of Elementary and Secondary Education retain their teacher retirement status without service interruption, with provisions for making up any contribution differences. It also creates a one-time 180-day window for certain teachers (who joined before July 2001 and didn't opt into an alternative retirement plan) to switch to that program. Additionally, the bill allows school districts to temporarily hire retired teachers during staff shortages, though this service doesn't count toward retirement credits. These changes primarily affect current and retired teachers employed in Massachusetts public schools or education agencies.