Rep. Jim Hawkins

Maddy summaryThis bill requires administrators of certain retirement plans (specifically those offered by state political subdivisions like cities or towns to their employees) to disclose key financial details to plan participants. Starting January 1, 2026, administrators must provide annual disclosures showing the fee ratio and net return for each investment option, plus fees paid to any investment advisors. These disclosures must be given at initial enrollment and at least once yearly. The bill directly affects retirement plan participants by increasing transparency about costs and potential conflicts of interest in their investment choices.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides specific retirement benefits for Lieutenant Howard S. Levine, a Raynham correction officer injured in 1990. It grants him an accidental disability retirement allowance equal to 72% of his pre-retirement salary (adjusted for future pay increases for Correction Officer III positions). Upon his death, his surviving wife, Charlene Ann Levine, would receive a survivor annuity of 75% of his pension amount, provided she remains unmarried. The bill applies solely to this individual and his family, not to other state employees.

Maddy summaryThis bill gradually increases retirement benefits for public employees by adjusting the percentage of Social Security benefits they receive, starting at 65% (replacing a fixed $18,000 amount) and rising to 100% over multiple years. It also prevents future health premium increases from affecting retirees who retired before such changes take effect, and caps out-of-pocket health costs at $2,500 for individual coverage and $5,000 for family coverage for retirees over 65 not eligible for Medicare. The changes take effect between 2025 and 2043, with specific provisions phasing in over time. The bill directly affects retired public employees in the state, particularly regarding their pension calculations and health insurance costs.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes automatic job permanency for provisional Industrial Instructors working in the Michigan Department of Corrections (MADOC) program. After completing 12 months of continuous employment in their current position, these instructors will be converted to permanent status without needing additional approval. The law directly affects MADOC instructors currently holding provisional roles, changing their employment status to permanent after one year. It creates a clear, time-based mechanism for job security without altering other employment conditions.

Maddy summaryHD 2707 creates the "Nature for All Fund" to finance nature-based climate and conservation projects across Massachusetts. The fund, financed by specific sales tax revenues (codes 459110, 441210, and 713910), will support parks, trails, water protection, farm/forest conservation, and indigenous land access - prioritizing underserved communities and environmental justice areas. It establishes a 15-member board to oversee spending, requiring annual reports on funds directed to environmental justice populations. The fund will supplement, not replace, existing conservation programs and may issue bonds secured solely by its revenues.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates two specialized mental health units within the Department of Mental Health: one for men and one for women. It targets patients with persistent aggression, self-destructive behavior, or severe violence requiring specialized care. The units must provide comprehensive services including behavioral assessments, crisis management, and psychiatric treatment, staffed by trained professionals like psychiatrists and social workers. Patients must be transferred to appropriate care once stabilized, with clear discharge planning.

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 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 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 (HD 612) would ban Kratom in Massachusetts by adding it to the state's list of controlled substances under Class A. It directly affects anyone who uses, sells, or possesses Kratom, including consumers, retailers, and distributors. The key mechanism defines Kratom as any part of the *Mitragyna speciosa* plant or its compounds (like mitragynine), making possession without authorization illegal under Chapter 94C of Massachusetts law. The bill does not address medical use or enforcement details beyond this classification change.