Rep. Kelly Pease

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Massachusetts' Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program to include time off for individuals donating bone marrow, organs, or blood. It allows covered workers to take up to 30 days for living organ donation, five days for bone marrow donation, and up to 4 hours per year for blood donation without losing their benefits. The legislation also removes the standard seven-day waiting period for this specific type of leave and simplifies the certification process by requiring only basic details about the donation event from healthcare providers.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new legal category for firefighters and related emergency personnel in Massachusetts to receive disability or death benefits specifically for Parkinson's disease. It establishes a presumption that the disease was caused by service in the line of duty, provided the individual passed a physical exam before symptoms appeared and has served for at least five years. The law applies to paid firefighters, state police fire investigators and K9 units, and specific airport and military fire crews who were employed at least five years prior to the bill's effective date.

Maddy summaryThis bill defines rural school districts in Massachusetts as those with low student density and below-average income to ensure they receive targeted support. It requires a state center to annually review these districts' health insurance plans and provide cost-saving recommendations, such as joining purchasing groups, while offering assistance to implement those changes. Additionally, the bill creates a new office of shared services to help rural districts form regional unions and manage shared resources, and it gives special education paraprofessionals priority for certain licensure grants.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Massachusetts governor to issue an annual proclamation designating April 13 as "413 Day." The legislation aims to promote tourism, economic development, and the unique culture of western Massachusetts. It requires the governor to recommend that residents observe this day in an appropriate manner. The measure directly affects the governor's office and the communities in western Massachusetts by establishing a specific date for regional celebration.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to produce a report on whether non-public school and home-schooled students can voluntarily take the MCAS exam. The report must analyze the feasibility and costs of allowing these students to participate and be distributed to key state officials and legislative committees within six months. This legislation does not immediately grant access to the exam but instead requires an official study to determine if such access is practical and affordable.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a grant program within the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to fund local food purchases and cooking equipment for schools and childcare centers. The program aims to improve student nutrition by enabling institutions to buy ingredients grown in the state and prepare scratch-cooked meals while teaching students about the food system. To receive funding, applicants must be public schools or licensed childcare programs that serve meals through specific federal feeding programs. An advisory committee, including representatives from agriculture and early education, will oversee the grants to ensure diverse stakeholder input.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new funding program within the Massachusetts School Building Authority specifically for vocational-technical education and regional vocational-technical schools. The legislation aims to improve access and capacity by directing capital investments toward infrastructure that supports industry-relevant workforce training and economic development. By establishing this dedicated tool, the bill seeks to ensure equitable access to public education and modern facilities for students pursuing technical careers.

Maddy summaryThis bill streamlines the process for sealing criminal and juvenile court records in Massachusetts by mandating that agencies complete sealing within 90 days of eligibility. It also allows individuals with sealed records to access their own files without needing a court order or having to unseal them first. Additionally, the legislation requires the commissioner of probation to clear eligible records from their files within six months of the law taking effect. These changes directly affect residents seeking to remove past legal records from public view and improve their access to those documents.