Rep. Patrick Kearney

Maddy summaryHD 386 requires child welfare agencies to prioritize keeping siblings together in foster care. It mandates that when a child enters foster care, the agency must immediately search for relatives (including parents of siblings) to consider for placement and must place siblings together unless the agency provides clear evidence to a court that separation is necessary for safety or due to impracticality (e.g., more than four siblings). If siblings are separated, the agency must arrange frequent visitation unless the court rules it would harm a child, with the court required to document its decision. The bill also requires agencies to develop a plan to increase sibling placements and report annually on their progress to a legislative committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Nursing Workforce Center at the University of Massachusetts medical school in Worcester, replacing the former Nursing Council on Workforce Sustainability. The center will gather data, conduct research, and provide analysis on current and future nursing workforce needs across Massachusetts. It must convene stakeholders (including nurses, healthcare providers, and educators), develop recruitment/retention strategies, prepare annual reports, and make recommendations to state committees and health agencies. The center will be administered by a UMass dean-appointed director and overseen by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services. This directly affects nurses, healthcare systems, and state policymakers by creating a centralized resource for addressing workforce challenges.

Maddy summaryH 4672 requires Massachusetts school districts to use evidence-based literacy instruction for kindergarten through grade 3, banning methods like "three-cueing" (guessing from pictures or context) and mandating curricula aligned with five research-backed reading skills: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Districts must select "high-quality" curricula approved by the education department, though they can apply for waivers or pilot programs with specific reporting requirements. The bill also mandates annual data reporting on literacy implementation and creates resources for teacher training on evidence-based methods. It directly affects K-3 teachers, school districts, and curriculum developers by changing how reading programs are selected and evaluated.

Maddy summaryH 4651 creates the Open Educational Resource (OER) Trust Fund to reduce college textbook costs for students at Massachusetts public institutions. The fund will support the development and distribution of free, high-quality digital textbooks and learning materials, replacing expensive commercial course materials. It requires the Department of Higher Education to administer the fund, review private donations to prevent restrictions, and mandate competitive grants for OER adoption. Public colleges must inform students about OER courses, and the department must annually report on fund usage and savings to the legislature. This directly affects students by lowering course material expenses, a major factor in college affordability.

Maddy summaryH 4650 removes a licensing exam requirement for certain social workers in Massachusetts, renaming "Licensed Certified Social Workers" to "Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers" to streamline the process. It creates a new paid internship grant program for Master of Social Work (MSW) students from historically marginalized and low-income communities, funded through state or federal resources. The bill also allows licensed clinical social workers to earn continuing education credits for supervising interns. These changes aim to increase workforce diversity and retention, with an evaluation required to assess impacts on access to mental health services and workforce diversity, effective January 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryHD 2192 establishes the Open Educational Resource (OER) Trust Fund to reduce college costs for students at Massachusetts public institutions of higher education. The bill creates a dedicated fund to develop, distribute, and promote free or low-cost course materials (like textbooks and digital resources) instead of expensive commercial textbooks. Public colleges must use these materials in eligible courses, and the fund supports faculty training, technical assistance, and competitive grants for institutions to implement OER. The law requires annual public reporting on fund usage, savings for students, and grant outcomes. This directly affects students facing textbook cost burdens and public colleges implementing OER programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes the examination requirement for Licensed Certified Social Workers (LCSWs) and narrows exam focus to Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers (LICSWs). It creates a paid practicum grant program for Master of Social Work (MSW) students in Massachusetts, prioritizing recruitment and retention from historically marginalized and low-income communities. The bill also allows supervisors providing one-on-one mentoring to earn up to 8 continuing education credits per licensing period. An evaluation of the exam removal's impact on workforce diversity, access to behavioral health services, and patient care for vulnerable populations is required, to be submitted to relevant legislative committees.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases penalties for hit-and-run incidents involving recreational vehicles (like ATVs or snowmobiles) that cause injury or death. For non-fatal collisions where the driver flees without providing details, penalties now include up to one year in jail or a $500-$1,000 fine (previously only a fine). For hit-and-runs resulting in death, penalties rise to up to 2.5 years in jail or a $5,000 fine (previously less severe). The law directly affects recreational vehicle operators who flee after causing injury or death, aiming to strengthen accountability for these specific offenses.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a 23-member interagency commission to study the potential decriminalization of sex work in Massachusetts. The commission includes health officials, advocates for sex workers and transgender rights, anti-trafficking organizations, and current/former sex workers. It will examine criminal penalties, needed labor protections, health services, trafficking prevention strategies, and public health approaches to safety in the sex work sector. The commission must submit a report with recommendations to the legislature by December 31, 2026, but the bill itself does not change current laws. This is a study measure, not a law that decriminalizes sex work.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates an interagency committee to study the effects of decriminalizing sex work in Massachusetts. The committee, formed within 90 days by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, will include representatives from health, labor, housing, and advocacy groups, plus at least three current or former sex workers. It will examine criminal penalties, needed labor protections, health services, human trafficking prevention strategies, and alternatives to policing in the commercial sex sector. The committee must make recommendations on these topics but does not change current laws or implement decriminalization. The study aims to inform future policy decisions affecting sex workers and related services.