Rep. Patrick Kearney

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts vehicle laws to allow farmers to transport agricultural goods on trailers that weigh up to 99,000 pounds when combined with the towing vehicle. The provision applies specifically to trailers with at least two axles used exclusively for moving farm products to processing facilities within the state. To qualify for this exemption, the farmer must hold a general registration and a special permit that allows exceeding standard weight limits. The change aims to accommodate larger agricultural equipment without requiring the full commercial licensing typically needed for heavy loads.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands tuition and fee waivers in Massachusetts to cover children who are under a legal guardianship and are living with a grandparent or other relative, excluding parents. The program specifically targets residents who reach age 18 or enroll in a Massachusetts college while in this living arrangement, allowing them to receive financial assistance for their education. Financial responsibility for these waivers falls to the state government rather than the colleges, but only after all available federal funding sources have been used up.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new grant program called the Hunger Free Campus Initiative to help public colleges and universities in Massachusetts address student food insecurity. The program would provide funding to institutions, including municipally administered and minority-serving colleges, to support students in completing their career and technical education programs. To manage the initiative, the state would hire a program director responsible for developing guidelines and conducting surveys to guide how grants are distributed based on available data on student hunger.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands tuition and fee waiver eligibility in Massachusetts to cover children who have been placed under legal guardianship and are living with a grandparent or other relative, excluding parents. It specifically targets residents who reach age 18 or enroll in higher education while residing in these non-parental guardian households. Under the new provisions, the state government, rather than the colleges themselves, would fund these waivers after any available federal reimbursements are used up.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts General Law Chapter 152 to require employers to report specific severe workplace incidents within 24 hours. The law mandates immediate notification to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for injuries involving in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye. If an employer fails to meet this reporting deadline, they face a fine of $100 per day, with the total amount paid directly to the affected employee. Employers must also maintain written records of these reports and payments for two years and follow OSHA guidelines regarding where to submit the information.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to dedicate state resources to maintain a robust and healthy public higher education system in Massachusetts. It directly affects the state's public colleges and universities by seeking to ensure they have the necessary funding to operate effectively. The legislation aims to commit financial support to these institutions to prevent cuts that could impact educational quality and access. By focusing on resource allocation, the bill intends to provide a stable foundation for public higher education without specifying exact dollar amounts or spending limits.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Massachusetts Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development to study how state and federal fishing regulations, such as area closures and gear limits, impact the financial stability of commercial fishermen. The legislation requires the Secretary to create a plan that could include changes to the state's unemployment insurance system to better support workers facing income loss due to these rules. The plan must specifically consider economic hardships caused by seasonal lobster fishery closures designed to protect North Atlantic Right Whales. Any resulting plan and legislative recommendations must be submitted to the state legislature by April 1, 2022.