Rep. Sean Garballey

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Safe Drinking Water at School Act to mandate annual lead testing for all drinking water outlets in Massachusetts schools and child care centers. It requires facilities to use certified laboratories and specific testing methods to check for lead levels exceeding one part per billion, with a six-month deadline for those previously excluded from the state's assistance program. The legislation defines key terms such as "school" and "drinking water outlet" to ensure clear compliance standards across public, charter, and non-public educational facilities. By updating Chapter 111 of the General Laws, the bill creates a uniform requirement for monitoring water safety to protect student health.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Massachusetts medical examiner to provide autopsy reports to legally entitled individuals within 90 days of taking jurisdiction over a death. The law mandates that if the report is not ready by that deadline, the medical examiner must notify the recipient of the expected completion date and the reason for the delay. This change directly affects families and other parties legally authorized to receive these documents, ensuring they are not left waiting indefinitely for results.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands employment protections in Massachusetts for individuals experiencing or who have experienced abusive behavior, including domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, and kidnapping. It achieves this by adding new legal definitions to state labor laws that explicitly include psychological, emotional, and mental abuse alongside physical harm and threats. The legislation specifies that abusive behavior covers actions such as isolating a victim, controlling their finances, monitoring their communications, or restricting their freedom. By clarifying these terms, the bill aims to ensure that workplace policies cover a broader range of harmful behaviors beyond just physical violence.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a legal shield for farmers in Massachusetts who are affected by PFAS contamination in their soil, water, or crops. It grants immunity from lawsuits and civil liability to individuals or entities engaged in farming for any damages resulting from these chemical contaminants. The primary mechanism is the amendment of state law to prevent farmers from being sued by third parties when PFAS exposure occurs on their land.

Senate, January 29, 2024 --The committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure, to whom was referred the petitions (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 175) of Cindy F. Friedman, Joanne M. Comerford, Carmine Lawrence Gentile, Lydia Edwards and other members of the General Court for legislation relative to the disclosure of toxic chemicals in children’s products; and (accompanied by bill, House, No. 318) of James K. Hawkins and others for legislation to direct the Department of Environmental Protection to publish a toxic chemicals of concern consumer products list, report the accompanying bill (Senate, No. 2564).

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to create and publish a list of toxic chemicals of concern found in consumer products intended for children. The legislation defines "children" as individuals aged 12 and under and includes a wide range of items such as toys, clothing, cosmetics, car seats, and artificial turf fields. To determine which chemicals are harmful, the law requires the department to consult with recognized authoritative bodies like the EPA and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Once the list is compiled, it will be made available to the public to inform parents and consumers about potential health risks in products used by young people.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Massachusetts laws to regulate how sports and entertainment tickets are sold and resold, primarily affecting ticket vendors and secondary market platforms. It defines who counts as a ticket reseller as any business selling more than 100 tickets electronically in a year and establishes clear definitions for ticket issuers, platforms, and non-transferable systems. The legislation mandates that resellers maintain contact information for complaints, implement refund policies covering full purchase prices including fees, and take steps to prevent counterfeit tickets. Additionally, it ensures consumers receive full refunds or replacement tickets if they cannot access an event due to issuer errors, cancellations, or delivery failures.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts' family and medical leave law to explicitly include time off for grieving the death of a family member. It grants eligible employees up to eight weeks of leave per year for attending funerals, making arrangements, or grieving, with two of those weeks providing weekly benefits. The legislation allows this leave to be taken intermittently or on a reduced schedule and clarifies that employers cannot require multiple concurrent leave periods if more than one family member dies in a single year. To simplify the process, the bill expands the types of documents employees can submit to verify their need for bereavement leave.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands bereavement leave rights for employees in Massachusetts by adding death of a family member as a qualifying reason for family leave under state law. It specifically grants eligible workers up to eight weeks of leave per year to attend funerals, make necessary arrangements, or grieve, with financial benefits provided for two of those weeks. The legislation also clarifies rules regarding how this leave can be taken, allowing it to be used intermittently or on a reduced schedule, and prevents employers from requiring multiple concurrent leave periods if more than one family member dies in a single year.