Rep. Susannah Whipps

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to create guidelines for integrating social-emotional learning into middle and high school athletic programs by June 30, 2024. These guidelines would require coaches and students to learn skills such as creating bias-free team cultures, resolving conflicts, managing emotions, and making ethical decisions. While school districts are not forced to adopt these programs, they must consider the guidelines if they choose to include social-emotional learning in their sports activities. The rules will be updated every two years and will be part of the state's broader safe and supportive schools framework.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires public schools in Massachusetts to teach mental health education as a mandatory subject for all students across every grade level. The law mandates that these programs address the connection between physical and mental health to improve student well-being and dignity. Additionally, the bill updates criteria for approving private schools, ensuring they include mental health education in their curriculum to receive official recognition. These changes aim to integrate mental health awareness into the standard educational experience for both public and private school students.

Maddy summaryThis Massachusetts bill requires health insurance plans to cover HIV prevention medication without charging patients any co-pays, deductibles, or requiring prior authorization. Specifically, it affects policies that currently cover pre-exposure prophylaxis drugs by eliminating financial barriers and administrative delays that could prevent access. The law also mandates that these medications include necessary support services like office visits and testing to ensure safe and effective use. By removing these obstacles, the legislation aims to make HIV prevention treatment more accessible to all eligible individuals under state-regulated insurance plans.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new state entity called the Municipal and Public Safety Building Authority to help cities and towns build or upgrade essential facilities like police stations, fire stations, and town halls. The authority will be funded by a dedicated portion of the state's marijuana sales tax revenue, which is placed into a special trust fund and used to support construction projects or pay off related debt. The law also establishes an advisory board to guide the authority's work and includes legal protections to ensure the tax money is used only for its intended purposes.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to create and publish guidelines by June 30, 2024, for integrating social-emotional learning into middle and high school athletic programs. The guidelines would instruct schools and coaches on teaching students to build safe, inclusive team environments, handle conflicts, and develop skills like emotional management and ethical decision-making. While the rules are mandatory for the state department to issue, individual school districts are only required to consider them if they choose to incorporate these lessons into their sports teams. The guidelines must be updated every two years and will be part of the state's broader safe and supportive schools framework.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts state laws to mandate that mental health education be taught as a required subject in all public school grades. The legislation requires schools to design these programs to address the connection between physical and mental health, aiming to improve student well-being and attitudes. Additionally, the bill updates rules for private school approval, requiring districts to ensure these schools incorporate mental health education into their curricula. By modifying existing statutes, the act directly impacts public and private school administrators, teachers, and students across the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to allow pub breweries to sell their own malt beverages to a wider range of customers beyond just their on-site taproom. Specifically, it permits these breweries to sell their products at wholesale to licensed wholesalers and retailers, as well as to institutions like churches and schools, and to sell bottled drinks directly to consumers for off-premises consumption. The legislation also authorizes pub breweries to export their products to other states and foreign countries where such sales are legal. Additionally, the bill includes a provision limiting the total annual sales to retail licensees to 50,000 gallons to prevent pub breweries from operating primarily as large-scale distributors.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires MassHealth to ensure that all Senior Care Options plans provide a specific dementia care coordination service to members diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. The legislation defines this service as a proactive care consultation designed to help individuals receive cost-effective and quality care within the existing senior care framework. By adding this requirement to state law, the measure directly affects seniors enrolled in MassHealth's Senior Care Options programs who have been diagnosed with these conditions.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a Children's Vision and Eye Health Advisory Council to help address disparities in children's vision care across Massachusetts. The council will consist of 13 members from various medical, educational, and community organizations, along with three parents, who will meet annually to offer advice on improving eye health programs and screening systems. Additionally, the bill requires the state to establish a secure, computerized registry where healthcare providers report vision screening results to track and improve access to eye care for children.