Rep. Kim Ferguson

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 summaryThis bill requires the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to annually collect and report specific data on substance use disorder evaluations. The department must track the frequency and locations of these evaluations, including how many people who received an evaluation later returned to an acute care facility for opioid overdose treatment within the same year. The data must be reported annually by January 1 to the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, the Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse, and the House and Senate Ways and Means committees. The bill does not change treatment protocols or funding but mandates transparency in tracking evaluation outcomes related to opioid overdoses.

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 3516 establishes a special commission to study check washing crimes, defined as altering checks or money orders to fraudulently change payee names or amounts. The commission, composed of legislative leaders, banking representatives, law enforcement, and consumer advocates, will investigate better ways to deter, prosecute, and protect against these fraud schemes. It must hold public hearings, examine consumer protections and penalties, and submit a report with recommendations by June 30, 2026. This bill does not create new laws but directs a study to address vulnerabilities affecting consumers and financial institutions.

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 summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts criminal law (Chapter 269, Section 14) to expand the definition of criminal threats. It adds two specific provisions: (1) threatening to "behead persons at a place or location," and (2) knowingly communicating a false report of an active shooting at a school. The law now explicitly criminalizes making false reports about school shootings and threats involving severe violence like beheading. This directly affects individuals who make such false threats or reports in public or school settings. The change clarifies and broadens existing criminal threat statutes to address specific safety concerns.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HD 3871) modifies Massachusetts law to clarify procedures for removing occupants without legal rights to residential property. It specifically excludes tenants with valid leases or written agreements from being considered "squatters" and protects their right to remain. Landlords can now request sheriff removal of occupants who entered without permission, didn't have a lease, were told to leave, and stayed after their lease expired or violated terms. Landlords must submit a verified petition to the sheriff confirming these conditions are met, either in writing or online. The bill directly affects landlords seeking eviction and occupants without formal lease agreements.

Maddy summaryHD 1342 restricts when governments can take private property through eminent domain. It prohibits takings for private development, commercial projects, or transferring property from one owner to another for "more profitable use," requiring that takings serve a true public purpose like roads or parks. The bill mandates courts - not government claims - to decide if a proposed use is genuinely public, and if property isn't used for its intended purpose within 5 years, the government must offer to resell it to the original owner at the original price or current fair market value (whichever is lower). This directly affects property owners and government agencies using eminent domain in Massachusetts.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HD 3394) changes eligibility for Massachusetts emergency assistance benefits. It directly affects individuals receiving these benefits who are convicted or charged with a violent felony or sexual offense (under Chapter 265 of Massachusetts law). The key provision requires that such individuals lose their benefits automatically unless they obtain a written waiver from the director of the Massachusetts Emergency Assistance Program. This removes automatic eligibility for these specific offenders without requiring a waiver.

Maddy summaryHD 2254 creates a new rent escrow system in Massachusetts for tenants who withhold rent due to landlord failure to maintain habitable housing. It requires banks to establish accounts payable only with signatures from both the tenant and landlord (or property owner), without additional verification for account setup. Tenants must deposit withheld rent into this escrow account (or court-controlled/attorney-controlled accounts) before withholding rent, and must meet specific conditions including health department inspections and written notice to the landlord. Landlords must fix violations within 15 days (or a reasonable time) after notice, and the escrow funds are paid to the landlord per court order after resolving the dispute. This directly affects tenants and landlords in housing code violation cases involving rent withholding.