Rep. Kristin Kassner

Maddy summaryThis bill requires health insurance plans covering commonwealth employees (under group insurance) and Medicaid enrollees to cover biomarker testing - tests analyzing tissue or blood to identify biological markers for guiding treatment - when supported by medical evidence like FDA approvals, clinical guidelines, or CMS determinations. Insurers must approve or deny prior authorization requests within 72 hours (24 hours in emergencies), with automatic approval if no response is given. The bill also mandates coverage without unnecessary disruptions, such as multiple biopsies, to ensure continuous patient care.

Maddy summaryH 4611 requires public facilities across Massachusetts to provide free disposable menstrual products (like tampons and sanitary napkins) to menstruating individuals. It mandates this in all government-owned buildings, public colleges, shelters, schools, and correctional facilities. Products must be available in accessible restroom locations without stigmatizing the user. The law applies to all entities listed in the bill, including schools, shelters, and jails, ensuring no-cost access in designated areas. It does not cover private businesses or general public spaces outside these specified settings.

Maddy summaryHD 650 clarifies how Massachusetts sets payment rates for home health agencies and homemaker/personal care services. It requires the executive office to establish and review these rates at least every two years, using costs from up to four years prior (adjusted for reasonableness and new costs), and including administrative expenses and a reasonable profit factor. The bill mandates that rate-setting consider specific cost factors like minimum wage changes, payroll taxes, health insurance, and employee benefits, using national or regional cost indices. Additionally, it requires detailed reports to legislative committees comparing adopted rates to the federal "Home Health Agency Market Basket" index, with simulations if that index isn't used. The bill directly affects home health providers and homemaker service agencies by changing how their reimbursement rates are calculated and justified.

Maddy summaryHD 1374 establishes a commission to study how Massachusetts distributes unrestricted local aid to municipalities. The commission will examine the current formula for allocating this aid (excluding foundation aid), assess its fairness and effectiveness, and recommend changes to create a more equitable system. It will review factors like population shifts, tax base changes, and municipal service needs to determine if funding better matches community requirements. The commission, including state officials, legislative members, and appointed experts, must submit its findings and recommendations to the legislature within one year of the bill's passage. This bill directly affects all municipalities receiving unrestricted general government aid across Massachusetts.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Ipswich's town charter by replacing Section 6 of its 1966 charter. It requires the select board to appoint a town manager for 3-year terms without considering the candidate's political beliefs, with possible reappointment for additional 3-year terms. The town manager must be qualified by education and experience, take an oath of impartiality before the select board chair or town clerk, and provide a bond for faithful performance. The changes directly affect the Ipswich town manager position and the select board's appointment process. The bill takes effect upon passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies and streamlines site plan review processes for municipal zoning. It defines key terms like "bulk and height of structures" (using architectural features such as offsets and setbacks) and prohibits zoning rules from regulating building aesthetics. The bill requires performance standards for site plans (e.g., traffic, safety, parking) to be objective, publicly available, and limited to zoning ordinance requirements. It sets a 90-day timeline for municipalities to approve or deny site plans and bans conditions exceeding zoning regulations or imposing off-site restrictions unrelated to direct project impacts. This directly affects municipalities, developers, and local planning boards managing land development projects.

Maddy summaryThis bill strengthens protections for vulnerable elderly residents in Massachusetts by redefining "abuse" to include physical/emotional harm, financial exploitation, and caretaker failures to provide essential needs. It expands the definition of "caretaker" to cover family members, contracted providers, and facilities (except those licensed under specific statutes), and requires mandatory reporting with legal immunity for good-faith reporters. The bill also prohibits retaliation against those who report abuse and mandates the department to develop a coordinated protective services system for elders outside certain licensed facilities. These changes directly affect elderly individuals, their caregivers, and state agencies providing elder services, creating clearer accountability and reporting pathways.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new assessment system for streaming entertainment companies using public rights-of-way in Massachusetts. It requires companies earning over $250,000 annually in the state to pay an assessment based on their gross revenues, with rates set annually by a new advisory board. The collected funds aim to maintain previous revenue levels for community media facilities (PEG access facilities), which provide public, educational, and government programming. The bill directly affects streaming operators, not end-users, and establishes a structured process for collecting payments while prohibiting rate regulation of these services.

Maddy summaryHD 2739 creates a Massachusetts tax-advantaged savings account to help first-time homebuyers. It allows individuals to open a designated savings account (with a financial institution) to save for down payments and closing costs on a single-family home, with tax deductions for contributions (up to $10,000 annually for individuals or $20,000 for joint filers). The account must be used within 15 years for eligible home purchases by a qualified beneficiary (a Massachusetts resident who hasn’t owned a home in 3 years), with a lifetime cap of $100,000 in contributions and earnings. Unused funds after the 15-year period become taxable income. The bill applies specifically to Massachusetts income tax returns and does not provide direct grants or loans.

Maddy summaryHD 3502 requires health care employers (including hospitals, teaching hospitals, certain correctional facilities, and other specific health care settings) to create and maintain workplace violence prevention programs. Each year, employers must conduct risk assessments with employee input, develop written prevention plans covering training and reporting systems, designate a senior manager for crisis response, and submit annual incident reports to the state. The law prohibits retaliation against employees who report safety concerns and imposes fines of up to $2,000 per violation for non-compliance. These programs aim to protect employees, emergency medical personnel, and others working in health care facilities from violence risks.