Rep. Kelly Pease

Maddy summaryThis bill amends a law that generally restricts hunting mammals on Sundays. It adds an exception specifically for deer hunting during officially designated open deer hunting seasons. The change directly affects deer hunters who can now legally hunt deer on Sundays when the season is open. This is a straightforward policy adjustment to the existing hunting regulations, clarifying that deer hunting during season is permitted on Sundays. The bill does not change the season dates or general hunting rules, only the Sunday restriction for deer.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts criminal law (Chapter 269, Section 14) to expand the definition of criminal threats. It adds two specific provisions: (1) threatening to "behead persons at a place or location," and (2) knowingly communicating a false report of an active shooting at a school. The law now explicitly criminalizes making false reports about school shootings and threats involving severe violence like beheading. This directly affects individuals who make such false threats or reports in public or school settings. The change clarifies and broadens existing criminal threat statutes to address specific safety concerns.

Maddy summaryHD 281 creates a legal right for residential property owners or tenants to sue neighbors who install video cameras on adjacent properties to record backyard activities without written consent, specifically when done to harass, annoy, threaten, or alarm. The bill defines "backyard" as the area extending beyond the rear footprint of a home to the property boundaries. It explicitly excludes law enforcement officers acting within their official duties from this provision. The law directly affects homeowners and renters whose backyards are targeted by unconsented surveillance, establishing a clear remedy for unauthorized video recording.

Maddy summaryHD 1342 restricts when governments can take private property through eminent domain. It prohibits takings for private development, commercial projects, or transferring property from one owner to another for "more profitable use," requiring that takings serve a true public purpose like roads or parks. The bill mandates courts - not government claims - to decide if a proposed use is genuinely public, and if property isn't used for its intended purpose within 5 years, the government must offer to resell it to the original owner at the original price or current fair market value (whichever is lower). This directly affects property owners and government agencies using eminent domain in Massachusetts.

Maddy summaryHD 1495 amends Massachusetts law to establish a process for designating a physician as a healthcare proxy when a patient's original proxy is unavailable, unwilling, or unable to act. It directly affects patients in medical emergencies who lack an accessible designated proxy. The bill requires physicians to follow four specific safeguards: make reasonable contact attempts to reach the original proxy, obtain independent confirmation of the patient's incapacity, secure medical ethics committee consensus, and document the new physician proxy in the medical record. The law explicitly states it does not authorize physician-assisted suicide.

Maddy summaryHD 1301 prohibits installing or using location-tracking devices in motor vehicles without the consent of the driver and all passengers. Exceptions include law enforcement using devices during investigations under legal protocols, parents monitoring minor children in vehicles they own, businesses tracking their own company vehicles, and recovering stolen vehicles with police notice. The law defines "electronic mobile tracking devices" as tools that reveal location via phone or computer. It explicitly excludes manufacturer-installed systems, rental company tracking with permission, and insurance company monitoring with consent. Violations are punishable under existing criminal harassment laws.

Maddy summaryHD 1309 (An Act to ban phishing) makes it a crime to impersonate a legitimate business via email, web pages, or online services with intent to steal payment details or personal information. It directly affects individuals or groups committing phishing scams, imposing penalties of up to $5,000 fines, 2.5 years in jail, or both. The law defines key terms like "electronic mail message" and targets unauthorized attempts to obtain sensitive data through deceptive digital communications. This bill creates new criminal liability for specific phishing tactics under Massachusetts law (adding Section 37F to Chapter 266).

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to update the definition of "invite" in the context of enticement of children online. It adds specific communication methods - such as instant messaging, email, phone calls, and postal mail - to the existing legal definition. The change directly affects how law enforcement and courts interpret and apply the enticement statute. It does not create new penalties or programs but ensures the law covers modern digital communication channels used to contact minors. (Procedural amendment; 2 sentences)

Maddy summaryThis bill expands the Good Samaritan Law to protect volunteers who transport people in need. It allows properly licensed individuals or drivers in legally registered insured vehicles to provide free rides to designated destinations without compensation (beyond tolls and parking fees). These volunteers cannot be held liable for harm caused during transport, except in cases of gross negligence or extreme carelessness. The law directly affects community members offering free transportation assistance and ensures legal protection for those acting in good faith.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HD 1547, "Tatiana's Law") requires a 6-hour minimum hold before bail can be set for individuals arrested for fentanyl trafficking (specifically violations of Chapter 94C sections 32, 32E, or 32F). It directly affects adults (18+) arrested for these offenses, preventing release by clerks, bail commissioners, or others and mandating that only a judge in open court can grant bail within that timeframe. The law also requires bail authorities to access criminal records, probation files, and police reports before setting release conditions to ensure court appearance and community safety. These changes apply specifically to fentanyl-related trafficking charges, not general drug offenses.