Rep. Sean Garballey

Maddy summaryHD 346 requires all 4-year, degree-granting colleges in the state to annually report detailed admissions data, including whether they use legacy preferences, donor relationships, or early decision/admission policies, and to disaggregate student enrollment by race, financial aid status, and admission pathway. The bill prohibits colleges from considering legacy status, donor relationships, or early decision policies without paying a public service fee calculated as a percentage of their endowment per student. Fees range from 0.01% to 0.2% of endowment, with minimum payments of $1 million for institutions with over $1.5 billion in endowment. All collected fees fund the Higher Education Opportunity Trust Fund, which supports public community colleges and state universities.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a state grant program to address student food insecurity at public colleges and universities in Massachusetts. It provides funding for institutions to implement campus food support programs, including partnerships with meal vendors that accept federal nutrition benefits and student meal credit sharing systems. The program requires participating colleges to meet specific criteria, such as designating staff to assist students with food assistance programs and establishing campus awareness initiatives. A dedicated "Hunger-Free Campus Trust Fund" will manage the grants, with annual reports tracking participating schools, student engagement, and program outcomes.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts health insurance laws to expand coverage for midwifery services. It updates definitions in multiple statutes to include "licensed certified professional midwives" alongside existing providers and removes the phrase "for abortion or abortion-related care" from coverage exclusions. These changes apply to health insurance policies under Chapters 32A, 118E, 175, 176A, 176B, and 176G, requiring insurers to cover a broader range of midwifery services without prior restrictions. The commissioner of health insurance must ensure compliance with these updated requirements.

Maddy summaryH 4371 establishes a 15-member commission to study the misuse of service animals in Massachusetts, including intentional misrepresentation (e.g., falsely claiming a pet is a service animal). The commission will examine current laws, fraud prevalence, benefits for people with disabilities, and practices from other states, with a report due by April 2026. It will recommend potential policy changes, such as clarifying "service animal" definitions or creating civil penalties for fraud, and assess the feasibility of registering service animals. The bill does not create new laws but sets up a review process to inform future legislation.

By Representative Livingstone of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 262) of Jay D. Livingstone relative to enhancing child welfare protections. Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a student loan repayment program for human services workers in Massachusetts. It directly affects employees of community-based human services organizations (funded by state health, elder affairs, housing, or early education offices) who provide client support. Key provisions include: offering up to $30,000 in repayment assistance based on education level (associate, bachelor's, or master's degree), requiring a 1-3 year service commitment in an eligible setting, and prioritizing applicants working in designated health disparity communities (AHEM areas), earning under $60,000 annually, or possessing language skills matching community needs. The program aims to recruit and retain workers in high-need areas by reducing their student debt burden.

Maddy summaryHD 866 requires health insurance plans covering Commonwealth employees (active and retired) and other health benefit plans to provide comprehensive coverage for cognitive rehabilitation treatments related to acquired brain injury (ABI). The bill mandates coverage for specific therapies including cognitive rehabilitation, neurocognitive therapy, community reintegration services, and neurofeedback therapy without lifetime or unreasonable annual limits. Insurers must cover these treatments regardless of facility type (e.g., not just hospitals) and cannot apply stricter cost-sharing (like higher deductibles or copays) than for other medical benefits. This law also requires insurers to train staff on these benefits in consultation with the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Massachusetts' Department of Children and Families (DCF) to proactively identify and apply for federal benefits (like Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance) for children in foster care within 60 days of placement, and to annually review eligibility. DCF must act as a representative payee for these benefits when appropriate, maintain detailed financial records, and provide regular updates to the child's legal counsel and parents about benefit status. The bill prohibits using these benefits to reimburse the state for foster care costs and mandates that excess funds be conserved in accounts (like ABLE accounts) that preserve eligibility for ongoing federal benefits. It also requires DCF to provide age-appropriate financial education to youth starting at age 14 to prepare them for managing their benefits independently.

Maddy summaryH 4408 establishes a state grant program to address student food insecurity at public colleges and universities in Massachusetts. The bill creates a "Hunger-Free Campus Trust Fund" to provide grants to eligible institutions - including minority-serving colleges and municipally administered schools - to support on-campus food assistance programs. Participating schools must meet specific requirements, such as designating staff to connect students with federal food aid, accepting nutrition benefits at campus vendors, and implementing meal-sharing initiatives. The program requires annual reporting on grant usage, campus activities, and student outcomes to track progress toward reducing food insecurity among students.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits Massachusetts public and private degree-granting colleges and universities from considering applicants' family ties to alumni or donors during admissions decisions. It also bans institutions from disclosing relatives' educational history or donation records in application materials. The bill requires the state department of higher education to study how binding early decision policies impact student diversity - including economic status, racial/ethnic representation, and first-generation students - and report findings within one year. These changes will take effect for admissions leading to the 2026-2027 school year.