Rep. Manny Cruz

Maddy summaryThis bill allows registered pharmacists in Massachusetts to prescribe and dispense hormonal contraceptive patches and self-administered oral contraceptives to eligible patients. For adults aged 18 and older, pharmacists can provide these medications without a prior prescription from a doctor, while minors must have an existing prescription on record. The law requires pharmacists to complete specific training, use a self-screening risk assessment tool, and refer patients to primary care providers after dispensing the medication. Additionally, pharmacists are prohibited from requiring appointments for this service and must ensure patients have had a clinical visit for women's health within the previous three years.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires publicly traded corporations in Massachusetts to make their tax reports available to the public in a searchable online database. It affects large companies that currently file tax information with the state secretary, mandating that these records be accessible on the internet starting from the third year after the tax year ends. The legislation also ensures that the state secretary provides a list of corporations that failed to file their reports and allows the public to purchase copies of the database or individual reports. By removing previous restrictions, the bill aims to increase transparency regarding the tax activities of major corporate entities without changing the underlying tax laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance to provide cash and nutritional aid to immigrant residents who are lawfully admitted for permanent residence or otherwise permanently residing in the United States. It specifically targets children, pregnant women, and caretaker adults by allowing them to receive cash assistance and related benefits under Chapter 118, as well as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, regardless of their immigration status or citizenship. The legislation removes existing immigration-related barriers that currently prevent these individuals from accessing these specific state-funded programs. All benefits under the new section must be provided at the same level and subject to the same requirements as those given to other eligible residents, pending future state funding.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a statewide limit on the number of patients a registered nurse can care for at one time within Massachusetts hospitals. The specific patient-to-nurse ratios would be set by the Department of Public Health after holding public hearings and considering various hospital units, including emergency rooms and maternity wards. Facilities found violating these limits could face civil penalties of up to $25,000 per day, and the law protects nurses from retaliation if they follow the new staffing rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new Climate Change Adaptation Cost Recovery Fund in Massachusetts to finance infrastructure projects that help communities prepare for and respond to climate change impacts. The law defines eligible projects broadly, including coastal protections, upgraded drainage systems, resilient energy grids, and health programs to treat climate-related illnesses. Under the bill, entities responsible for greenhouse gas emissions between 2000 and 2018 would be charged to contribute to this fund based on their historical fossil fuel use. The collected payments would be used to cover the costs of building and maintaining the specified adaptive infrastructure.

Senate, February 5, 2024 --The committee on Education, to whom was referred the petitions (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 253) of Brendan P. Crighton, Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr., Vanna Howard, Jason M. Lewis and other members of the General Court for legislation relative to the training, assessment, and assignment of qualified school interpreters in educational settings, report the accompanying bill (Senate, No. 2587).

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a formal system to train, assess, and assign qualified interpreters for students and families with limited English proficiency in Massachusetts schools. It defines specific roles for interpreters based on their expertise, requiring highly trained Tier 3 interpreters for critical legal and educational meetings like Individualized Education Programs, while allowing less specialized interpreters for routine gatherings. The legislation also mandates that the state department of education create a training program and a public registry to help schools locate these qualified professionals for scheduled appointments.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires any organization or entity in Massachusetts that receives public funds to follow federal laws when returning Native American human remains, sacred objects, or cultural items to their tribes. Specifically, it mandates that groups holding these items must adhere to the penalties and requirements of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act if they plan to remove them from their collections. The law applies to a wide range of recipients, including government agencies, nonprofits, and trusts that use state or local money. By enforcing these existing federal standards, the bill aims to ensure that Native American heritage items are repatriated in accordance with established legal definitions.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to improve legal support and housing security for people facing eviction or the loss of housing subsidies. It creates a new advisory committee to oversee the program and defines specific legal actions, such as those involving mobile home parks or public housing, as "covered proceedings." The legislation designates non-profit organizations to provide legal counsel to individuals involved in these housing-related cases. By formalizing this support system, the bill aims to ensure that tenants have access to legal representation when their housing stability is at risk.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts insurance laws to reduce racial and socioeconomic disparities in auto insurance premiums by limiting how much insurers can charge based on where a driver lives. It requires insurance companies to weight their pricing plans so that no more than 75% of a premium is based on local risk data, while at least 25% must reflect the state-wide average. Additionally, the legislation mandates that insurers cannot create new rules that undermine this balance and must provide detailed explanations to regulators showing how they comply with these requirements. The changes directly affect private passenger auto insurance rates across the state and empower the Commissioner of Insurance to disapprove filings that fail to meet these equity standards.