Rep. Natalie Higgins

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts state law to formally include embodied carbon - the greenhouse gas emissions from building materials and construction processes - in the state's climate policy. It requires the creation of an Embodied Carbon Advisory Board composed of engineers, architects, industry representatives, and public officials to guide efforts in this area. The Department of Energy Resources, working with the board, must assess current industry knowledge, recommend training and certifications, and develop best practice guidelines for measuring and reducing these emissions in buildings and infrastructure.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a comprehensive educational diversion program to address the legal and social consequences of adolescents sharing sexual images, commonly known as sexting. It requires the Attorney General to create this curriculum in collaboration with state education and youth services departments, which will be used to divert minors from court proceedings if they are charged with related offenses. The program also mandates that schools integrate media literacy instruction using the same materials to help students understand the risks of online image sharing. Additionally, the legislation expands the legal definition of abuse to include coercive control and increases fines for certain offenses.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Massachusetts laws to ensure that legal parentage rights apply equally to all families, regardless of the parents' gender, marital status, or sexual orientation. It replaces gender-specific terms like "father" and "mother" with neutral language such as "other parent" and "person who gave birth," while also changing "paternity" to "parentage" throughout the statutes. The legislation introduces new definitions for various family arrangements, including surrogacy and assisted reproduction, to clarify how different types of parents are recognized under the law. By amending existing chapters on birth certificates and family law, the bill aims to provide consistent legal protections for children born through diverse circumstances, including those resulting from surrogacy or non-marital births.

By Representative LeBoeuf of Worcester, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3366) of David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf and others for legislation to require that new electric vehicles purchased by regional transit authorities be electric vehicles. Transportation.

Maddy summaryThis bill aims to reduce trauma for children involved in the court system by strengthening family connections and improving oversight of child welfare decisions. It requires the state department to report quarterly on cases where custody was taken without prior court approval, ensuring transparency in how quickly these decisions are reviewed. The law also mandates that children be placed with relatives or significant caregivers whenever possible and prioritizes keeping siblings together unless there is clear evidence that separation is necessary for safety. Additionally, the bill ensures that children placed apart from their siblings have the right to request a court review of that decision and guarantees frequent visitation between separated siblings to maintain family bonds.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to create a digital system called an "electronic backpack" to store and share educational records for children in foster care. The system would compile essential information such as school attendance, grades, transcripts, and contact details for case workers and educational decision-makers to ensure continuity when a child moves between schools. Once established, the electronic backpack would be accessible to teachers, authorized guardians, and medical providers who need to support the child's education and well-being. The legislation requires the department to develop specific rules for the system's format and function and mandates that the program be fully implemented within one year of the bill's passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a formal bill of rights for children in the Massachusetts foster care system to ensure their safety, dignity, and well-being. It requires the Department of Children and Families to provide these rights to every child upon entry into care, during key meetings, and in an age-appropriate manner, while also making the document available on the department's website and in offices. The legislation outlines specific protections, including freedom from discrimination and abuse, access to culturally relevant items, and the right to be placed in safe environments rather than secure facilities due to a lack of foster homes. Additionally, the bill mandates that children receive timely notice before placement changes and have the opportunity to meet potential foster families before being placed with them.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Child Advocate in Massachusetts to produce an annual report examining disproportionality and inequity in services provided to children by various state agencies. The report will analyze data on children from different demographic groups, including those based on race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability status, to identify where unequal treatment or outcomes occur. Additionally, the Child Advocate must publish a separate report each year offering specific recommendations to address these issues, such as improving data collection systems and implementing staff training on implicit bias. The findings and recommendations from these reports will be shared with state leaders and made available to the public to promote transparency and accountability in child-serving systems.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to expand in-state tuition eligibility at Massachusetts public colleges and universities to individuals who attended and graduated from a high school in the state for at least three years, regardless of their immigration status. To qualify, applicants must meet specific documentation requirements, such as registering for military selective service if applicable, providing a valid social security number or tax identification number, filing state income tax returns annually, and submitting a sworn affidavit if they are not U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. The legislation aims to ensure that long-term residents who have completed their secondary education in Massachusetts pay the same tuition rates as citizens, while excluding nonimmigrant aliens under specific federal definitions.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires colleges and universities in Massachusetts to create and publish clear policies on how sexual misconduct allegations are recorded on student transcripts. It mandates that schools place a temporary note on a student's record while an investigation is ongoing and add a permanent note if the student is found responsible for a crime of violence such as sexual assault, domestic violence, or stalking. The law also ensures that if a student is later cleared of these allegations, the notation must be removed from their academic record. Additionally, institutions must inform students in advance that such disciplinary actions will appear on their transcripts and submit annual reports to the state department of higher education.