Rep. Nick Boldyga

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to cap the cost of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy services at $5,000 per treatment unit in Massachusetts. It defines a treatment unit as the administration of the drug and related counseling within a seven-day period. The law would apply to any licensed provider registered to prescribe, manufacture, or distribute the medication. Additionally, the bill removes a specific exemption from the state's controlled substance regulations for this therapy. The provisions only become active once the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves MDMA as a prescription drug.

Maddy summaryThis bill seeks to legalize the possession, use, and cultivation of small amounts of specific natural plants and fungi by adults aged 21 and older in Massachusetts. It removes criminal and civil penalties for individuals holding up to 2 grams of these substances without selling them, ensuring that such activities do not result in fines, jail time, or the loss of public benefits like housing or student aid. Additionally, the legislation prevents local towns from creating their own rules that contradict these state protections and mandates that records of these activities be kept separate from criminal offender databases.

Maddy summaryThis bill would make psilocybin legal in Massachusetts for therapeutic, spiritual, and medicinal use under strict supervision. It creates a new licensing system where the Department of Public Health would oversee the training and certification of facilitators, requiring applicants to be at least 21, have a high school diploma, and complete 20 to 300 hours of training at a licensed school. Licensed facilitators would be allowed to possess up to 5 grams of psilocybin and could lead sessions for adults 18 and older, while the law would take effect on July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill validates the results of the June 6, 2022 annual town meeting for the town of Blandford. It declares that the votes cast and actions taken during that meeting are official, even though the town did not fully follow the state's requirements for posting the meeting agenda. The law overrides specific sections of the General Laws that would normally invalidate such a meeting and confirms that all decisions made at the time remain in effect. This measure ensures that the town's governance from that period is legally recognized without requiring a new election or redoing the decisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill promotes economic opportunities for cottage food entrepreneurs by amending state laws to exempt home-based food producers from most licensing, inspection, and labeling requirements. It defines cottage food operations as those producing non-perishable items like baked goods and jams in a home kitchen for direct sale to consumers at markets or online. While the bill removes barriers to entry, it maintains consumer protections by requiring clear labels that disclose the product's origin and potential allergens, and it establishes a voluntary registry where operators can pay a fee to receive a personal identification number for their labels.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends state laws to clarify how health care facilities are defined and what constitutes a "substantial change in services" for regulatory purposes. It directly affects hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and other medical institutions by updating the rules that determine when a facility must report new or expanded services to the state department. The legislation specifically excludes spiritual healing centers and ambulatory surgical centers from the definition of a health care facility and clarifies that adding staff alone does not count as a major service change unless it significantly increases operating costs. Additionally, the bill sets specific financial and capacity thresholds for what counts as a substantial change for different types of facilities, such as requiring a minimum expenditure or an increase of more than twelve beds for non-hospital settings.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Massachusetts laws regarding vehicle registration for off-road vehicles used in sanctioned racing and rally events. It clarifies that motor vehicles legally registered for on-road use do not require a separate off-road registration when participating in these events, provided they display their standard license plates. Additionally, the legislation expands exemptions from registration fees to include all participants in events sanctioned by recognized state, regional, national, or international organizations, removing previous restrictions that limited these exemptions to non-residents. The law also ensures that vehicles used exclusively for agricultural, forestry, lumbering, or construction purposes remain exempt from these specific regulations.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission to run national criminal background checks on people applying for specific alcoholic beverage licenses. It directly affects individuals seeking Section 12 and Section 15 licenses, which permit the sale of beer, wine, and spirits. The law requires the commission to share these criminal records with local licensing authorities to help them review applications, but it strictly limits how the information can be used to only license decisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a pilot program to offer tuition and fee waivers for Massachusetts residents aged 60 and older attending public colleges and universities. Eligible seniors can enroll in undergraduate courses, summer sessions, or evening classes between July 2023 and June 2024, provided space is available, with a limit of four courses per year. The legislation requires state universities and community colleges to report the lost revenue from these waivers to state officials, who will then transfer funds from the General Fund to cover the cost. The total amount reimbursed during this pilot period will determine the base funding level for making these waivers permanent starting in Fiscal Year 2025.