Rep. Chris Worrell

Maddy summaryHD 3165 establishes a $25 per hour minimum wage for care workers in home care agencies and social service programs, with annual inflation adjustments based on the U.S. Department of Labor's CPI index. The bill directly affects home care workers and social service program providers by requiring agencies to pay this enhanced wage. Key provisions mandate that state payment rates for these services must fully cover the cost of this higher wage, adjusted annually for inflation. This policy change ensures care workers' compensation keeps pace with living costs while requiring rate adjustments to providers' reimbursement.

Maddy summaryThis bill declares free public higher education a right for Massachusetts residents. It creates a state grant program covering tuition and mandatory fees at public colleges, universities, and vocational programs for eligible students. Eligibility requires graduating from a Massachusetts high school (or equivalent) after three years of attendance, or qualifying for in-state tuition under federal rules. The grants supplement, but do not replace, existing federal aid like Pell Grants and state scholarships, with no restrictions on academic programs.

By Representative Worrell of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 294) of Christopher J. Worrell relative to surveillance in out-of-home care facilities. Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HD 4856) directs the Boston Police Department to waive its standard maximum age requirement for Gissell Melo's initial appointment as a police officer. If Melo meets all other department requirements, she becomes eligible for certification. The bill is specific to one individual and does not change general hiring rules for other applicants.

Maddy summaryHD 507 extends Massachusetts' prevailing wage requirements to offsite fabrication work for public construction projects. It requires contractors to pay prevailing wages for prefabricated items like pipes, electrical systems, or modular units made offsite, and to include specific payroll details in weekly reports (e.g., facility location, worker names, hours, and wages). This applies to all public projects covered by existing wage laws, ensuring offsite manufacturing work meets the same labor standards as on-site construction. The bill takes effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires most Massachusetts employers (those with more than 25 employees) to adopt written anti-harassment policies by January 1, 2027, and provide annual interactive training to all employees focused on preventing sexual harassment and unlawful retaliation. The training must cover specific examples, bystander intervention, internal/external remedies, and supervisory responsibilities, with online sessions requiring anonymous Q&A and participation tracking. Employers must maintain records of training completion for five years and provide written policy copies to all employees at hire or role change. Smaller employers (25 or fewer employees) are exempt from these requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill renames the Center for African, Caribbean & Community Development at the University of Massachusetts Boston as the "Senator Bill Owens Center" to honor his service. It requires UMass Boston to install designated markers and organize commemorative programming, funded by a $250,000 allocation from the Department of Higher Education (subject to budget approval). The bill directly affects UMass Boston's center, its administration, and the state's higher education funding. As a commemorative resolution, it has no policy impact beyond the naming and associated events.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HD 848) requires all Massachusetts employers, employment agencies, and labor organizations to adopt written anti-harassment policies and provide annual training to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. Employers must create policies detailing prohibited conduct, complaint procedures, and consequences by January 1, 2027, and provide written copies to all employees by that date. The annual training, starting January 1, 2027, must cover harassment examples, bystander intervention, internal/external remedies, and supervisory responsibilities, with a minimum of one hour per year. Employers must maintain records of policy distribution and training completion for five years and comply with specific interactive and content standards for the training.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new Midwifery Workforce Development Fund to support midwifery education, retention, and birth center sustainability. The fund, administered by the state health department, receives state/federal maternal health funds and private donations, with unspent balances rolling over annually. It finances student education costs, midwife loan forgiveness (potentially requiring work in underserved areas), midwifery training programs, and mental health support for practicing midwives. Additionally, the bill mandates that state health insurance programs pay certified midwives and freestanding birth centers at rates no lower than those for physicians or hospital services for equivalent care.

Maddy summaryH 5032 requires that for public construction projects in Massachusetts exceeding $10 million in cost, contractors and subcontractors must ensure at least 15% of labor hours for each trade are performed by registered apprentices. This applies to all public works projects (like schools or roads) and directly affects construction companies bidding on such projects. Contractors must use apprentice programs approved by the Division of Apprentice Standards and maintain required apprentice-to-journeyperson ratios. Public agencies can exempt specific trades only after proving no qualified bidders with apprenticeship programs are available, with strict documentation requirements. The bill does not apply to projects under $10 million or exempt entire projects unless documented per trade.