Rep. Marjorie Decker

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Massachusetts' public pension funds to review and reduce investments in climate risk assets, including fossil fuels and certain biofuels, to protect beneficiaries and taxpayers. It establishes a 12-member Climate Risk Investment Review Committee within the state treasurer's office to study climate-related financial risks and develop a divestment plan. The committee must create a plan to sell or withdraw from all climate risk investments by January 1, 2026, and report annually to the governor and legislature. The law directly affects the state's pension reserves, which manage retirement funds for public employees.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows public school teachers with 20+ years of service who return to full-time work after part-time teaching to count their part-time teaching years toward retirement benefits. Teachers may receive credit for up to 5 years of part-time service, calculated proportionally based on full-time equivalents. To qualify, teachers must pay the retirement system the equivalent of full-time deductions (plus interest) in a lump sum or installments. The policy directly affects teachers in Massachusetts' public school retirement systems who took part-time roles for parenting reasons.

Maddy summaryThis bill addresses two main areas: regulating unfair fees in rental housing and encouraging housing production. It limits what landlords and brokers can charge tenants, allowing only first and last month's rent, a security deposit, and key costs, while prohibiting extra fees for lease renewals or adding optional charges like internet or insurance unless clearly described and opt-out options are provided. The bill also caps late payment penalties at five percent of monthly rent and restricts when landlords can charge attorney fees to tenants. Additionally, it promotes housing development by reducing parking requirements near transit stations, defining underutilized land for redevelopment, and ensuring publicly owned property is prioritized for low and moderate income housing.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new provisional license for social work associates who have failed their licensing exam twice by less than 10 points, allowing them to work for up to one year while completing additional training. Under the new requirements, provisional licensees must maintain detailed professional portfolios including case analyses, daily journals, and evaluations from supervisors to demonstrate competency before receiving a full license. The bill also permits social workers who need to work in languages other than English to submit certain portfolio materials in their secondary language and protects all documentation from public disclosure. These changes directly affect social work applicants and licensees by providing a pathway to licensure for those who narrowly fail the exam while ensuring they meet professional standards through documented supervision and training.

By Representative Decker of Cambridge, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Marjorie C. Decker relative to a special commission (including members of the General Court) on perimenopause and menopause care. Public Health.

Maddy summaryHD 4103 amends Massachusetts law to clarify how courts determine custody and parenting arrangements for children in family court cases. It defines key terms like "shared decision-making responsibility" (both parents making major decisions) and "shared residential responsibility" (child spending significant time with both parents), replacing previous terms. The bill requires courts to prioritize the child's best interest using specific factors - such as the child's relationship with each parent and school adjustments - without presuming either shared or sole custody. It mandates detailed parenting plans covering education, healthcare, dispute resolution, and schedules, while ensuring child support follows existing guidelines regardless of custody type. This directly affects parents, judges, and family court proceedings involving child custody in Massachusetts.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Massachusetts sentencing laws to increase parole eligibility for certain life-sentence prisoners. It requires that individuals serving multiple life sentences for separate crimes become eligible for parole after 25 years, removes automatic parole exclusions for some life-sentence prisoners, and sets minimum terms for first-degree murder convictions (25 years for adults, 15-20 years for those aged 14-18). The bill also establishes a voluntary Restorative Justice program in prisons for those serving over 25 years, allowing structured dialogue between offenders, victims, and communities to address harm. These changes directly affect prisoners serving life sentences under specific circumstances, particularly those convicted of murder or multiple offenses.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a civil cause of action for individuals whose personal information (such as home address, phone number, or email) is maliciously shared without consent, with intent to cause harassment, stalking, injury, or death. To win a lawsuit, a plaintiff must prove the defendant knowingly disseminated their information without consent, with malicious intent, and that the sharing posed an immediate threat or caused actual harm. If successful, plaintiffs can recover damages, attorney fees, and other remedies, with courts considering if sensitive details (like health care or identity information) were shared alongside the personal data. The bill excludes liability for internet service providers, reporting of suspected crime, protected speech, or petitioning activities, and requires lawsuits to be filed within two years of the incident.

Maddy summaryHD 894 prohibits research institutions and product testing facilities from separating infant nonhuman primates (such as monkeys) from their biological mothers for research or testing purposes, except when medically necessary for the health of either animal. If separation occurs for medical reasons, facilities must minimize distress without sedatives or restraint and reunite mother and infant as soon as possible. The law applies to facilities testing products like cosmetics, drugs, or medical devices and covers the first 12 months of an infant’s life. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health must create implementing regulations within 90 days of the bill’s passage.

Maddy summaryHD 3355 establishes a task force to review Massachusetts' laws on domestic violence and sexual assault reporting confidentiality. The task force, including survivors and advocates, will assess current laws (like Section 97D) and recommend changes to protect survivors' privacy without shielding abusers. It must submit findings and recommendations to the legislature within 18 months of the bill's effective date. This procedural bill does not change existing laws but sets up a formal review process.