Rep. Brian Ashe

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Massachusetts laws regarding benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepine hypnotics to improve patient safety and informed decision-making. It requires pharmacists to include bolded warnings about long-term use risks on prescription labels and mandates that doctors obtain written informed consent from patients before prescribing these drugs. Additionally, the legislation limits refills to prescriptions for less than a ten-day supply and establishes a standardized process for safely discontinuing these medications to manage withdrawal symptoms. The law also directs the Department of Public Health to create educational materials for consumers and appoints a special commission to study safe discontinuation protocols.

By Representative Blais of Deerfield, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Natalie M. Blais relative to establishing a state disaster relief fund for emergency management. Emergency Preparedness and Management.

By Ms. Comerford, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2506) (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Joanne M. Comerford, Natalie M. Blais, Rebecca L. Rausch, John J. Cronin and other members of the General Court for legislation to create a state disaster relief fund for emergency management. Emergency Preparedness and Management.

April 11. 2024 -- The committee on Emergency Preparedness and Management, to whom was referred the petitions (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2506) (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Joanne M. Comerford, Natalie M. Blais, Rebecca L. Rausch, John J. Cronin and other members of the General Court for legislation to create a state disaster relief fund for emergency management, report the accompanying bill (Senate, No. 2724).

Maddy summaryThis bill expands access to specialized, high-performance breast pumps for mothers in Massachusetts who are unable to directly feed their newborns due to medical complications. It requires both the state's employee health insurance program and Medicaid managed care plans to cover the rental of these durable, multi-user pumps for the duration of the infant's hospital stay or until pumping ceases. The legislation also mandates that these pumps be provided within 24 hours of a mother's hospital discharge and includes coverage for essential replacement parts, storage bags, and professional lactation support services.

By Representative Puppolo of Springfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2639) of Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr., and Brian M. Ashe relative to retirement credit for private or parochial school teaching. Public Service.

By Representative Ashe of Longmeadow, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2429) of Brian M. Ashe relative to establishing an elected and appointed board for the Hampden County Regional Retirement System. Public Service.

By Representative Ashe of Longmeadow, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2430) of Brian M. Ashe and Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr., relative to pay parity for county correctional officers. Public Service.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts state law to ensure that all historical records held by the Secretary of the Commonwealth become available for public inspection and copying after seventy-five years from their creation. The change directly affects the public, researchers, and government agencies by removing previous restrictions on accessing these documents once the specified time period has passed. By setting a clear timeline for when records open to the public, the legislation aims to increase transparency and simplify the process for citizens seeking historical information.