Rep. Brad Jones

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to protect residents from surveillance by foreign adversaries using specific social media platforms. It defines "social media companies" as large platforms with over one million users that sell ads and allow content sharing, while excluding simple review sites or emergency alert services. The legislation specifically targets companies domiciled in or controlled by "countries of concern," explicitly naming Bytedance, TikTok, and WeChat as covered entities. By classifying these platforms as potential threats, the bill establishes a legal framework for the state to regulate or restrict their operations within Massachusetts to safeguard citizen data.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts state law to formally include cyberattacks and cybersecurity threats against critical infrastructure in the legal definition of a state of emergency. It directly affects the Governor and state officials by expanding their authority to declare emergencies when vital systems, such as election networks, utilities, or transportation grids, face digital disruption or data theft. The legislation establishes clear definitions for "critical infrastructure," "cybersecurity attack," and "cyber system" to ensure these terms are consistently understood when determining the appropriate emergency response. By updating Chapter 639 of the Acts of 1950, the bill provides a specific legal framework for addressing digital threats that could compromise public safety and economic stability.

Senate, December 28, 2023 -- The committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity, to whom was referred the petitions (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 26) of Brendan P. Crighton for legislation to modernize state agency information technology systems; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 30) of Barry R. Finegold for legislation to protect sensitive information from security breaches; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 31) of Barry R. Finegold for legislation to regulate generative artificial intelligence models like ChatGPT; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 32) of Barry R. Finegold for legislation relative to cyber incident response; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 35) of Paul W. Mark for legislation to protect against cyber ransom; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 36) of Michael O. Moore for legislation to establish a Cybersecurity Control and Review Commission; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 37) of Patrick M. O'Connor and Michael J. Soter for legislation to protect the residents of the Commonwealth; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 198) of Michael O. Moore for legislation to protect personal identifying information; (accompanied by bill, House, No. 66) of Bradley H. Jones, Jr., and others relative to cyberattack responses; (accompanied by bill, House, No. 76) of Tram T. Nguyen relative to protecting sensitive information from security breaches; (accompanied by bill, House, No. 77) of Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr., that the Office of Information Technology consider cloud computing service options under certain circumstances; (accompanied by bill, House, No. 82) of Michael J. Soter and others for legislation to protect residents of the Commonwealth from the threat posed by certain foreign adversaries using current or potential future social media companies; and (accompanied by bill, House, No. 84) of Marcus S. Vaughn relative to electronic security for certain procurements involving electronic or cyber security equipment components, report the accompanying bill (Senate, No. 2539).

An Order (filed by Representative Jones of North Reading) relative to allowing for the continuation of formal sessions. November 30, 2023.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the town charter of Reading to establish a five-member Board of Health. The new board members will be appointed by the Board of Selectmen to serve staggered three-year terms, ensuring one seat opens annually. To implement this change, the Board of Selectmen must appoint two individuals within 30 days, with one member receiving an initial two-year term before all future terms become three years. The legislation applies specifically to the town of Reading and takes effect immediately upon passage.

Senate, October 30, 2023 -- The committee on Health Care Financing, to whom was referred the petitions (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 732) of John J. Cronin for legislation to promote comprehensive transparency in the pharmaceutical industry; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 749) of Cindy F. Friedman, Rebecca L. Rausch, Susannah M. Whipps, Joanne M. Comerford and other members of the General Court for legislation relative to pharmaceutical access, costs and transparency; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 767) of Jason M. Lewis for legislation to define modest meals and refreshments in prescriber education settings; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 778) of Paul W. Mark for legislation to bring down the cost of prescription drugs; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 783) of Mark C. Montigny and Michael J. Barrett for legislation to promote transparency and prevent price gouging of pharmaceutical drug prices; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 784) of Mark C. Montigny for legislation relative to coverage for chronic illness; (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 797) of Jacob R. Oliveira for legislation to bring down the cost of prescription drugs; (accompanied by bill, House, No. 619) of Nicholas A. Boldyga relative to establishing a prescription drug rebate program for seniors; (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1176) of Edward F. Coppinger and others relative to promoting comprehensive transparency in the pharmaceutical industry; (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1201) of Kate Hogan relative to the pricing of prescription drugs; (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1205) of Bradley H. Jones, Jr., and others that the Health Policy Commission and health insurers create listings of certain high cost prescription drugs and that the Attorney General require drug manufacturers to provide information to justify increases in costs; (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1206) of Bradley H. Jones, Jr., and others for an investigation by a special commission (including members of the General Court) relative to contracts between the MassHealth program and pharmaceutical benefit managers; (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1215) of John J. Lawn, Jr., and others relative to pharmacy benefit managers; (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1246) of William M. Straus relative to drug prices paid by carriers; and (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1247) of Alyson M. Sullivan-Almeida, Michael J. Soter and David F. DeCoste relative to pharmacy benefit managers reimbursements to pharmacies in the Commonwealth, reports the accompanying bill (Senate, No. 2492).

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a special commission to examine the contracts between MassHealth, the state's health insurance program for low-income residents, and pharmaceutical benefit managers. The commission will evaluate whether MassHealth should switch from its current drug purchasing model to a pass-through model, which would allow pharmacies to negotiate prices directly with drug manufacturers. The ten-member panel includes state officials, legislative leaders, and representatives appointed by the governor to advocate for both pharmaceutical benefit managers and pharmacies. Within one year of the bill's passage, the commission must submit its findings and any proposed legislation to relevant state committees.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Massachusetts' MassHealth program and large health insurers to annually publish lists of prescription drugs that have seen significant price increases, specifically those with costs rising by 50% over five years or 15% in the last year. The Attorney General will then select up to 15 of the most expensive drugs from these lists and mandate that manufacturers provide detailed documentation justifying the price hikes. Additionally, the bill establishes a regulatory framework with penalties for non-compliance and requires the Attorney General to report findings to the legislature each December.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies the Home Improvement Guaranty Fund in Massachusetts to set stricter limits on how much money can be paid out to homeowners who sue contractors for violations. It caps payments to any single claimant at the lesser of $20,000 or their actual financial loss, while also limiting the total amount paid to claims against a single contractor to $100,000 within a twelve-month period. The fund administrator can only exceed these caps if the contractor repays the full amount, and the bill explicitly excludes consequential damages like attorney fees and punitive damages from coverage. Additionally, the law requires that by December 31, 2028, the single-claimant payment cap be raised from $20,000 to $30,000.