Rep. Paul Frost

Maddy summaryThis bill aims to improve school safety in Massachusetts by requiring cities and towns to create a special phone line for reporting threats to schools. It mandates that participating municipalities assign a school resource officer to every school building during regular hours and provides state assistance for funding physical security upgrades like hardened locks and surveillance systems. Additionally, the legislation requires school districts to implement specific training for students and staff on how to respond to active shooter situations, along with regular safety audits. Districts must also submit annual reports on their safety policies and activities to state agencies, while keeping specific security plans confidential to protect school safety.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to amend Massachusetts law to prohibit the use of bows and arrows for hunting on Sundays. Currently, the law allows bow hunting on Sundays, but this legislation would restrict that activity to firearms only. The change would directly affect hunters who wish to use traditional archery equipment on Sundays. By removing the exception for bows and arrows, the bill aligns Sunday hunting regulations with those for other days of the week.

Maddy summaryThis bill makes the Foundation Budget Review Commission a permanent body in Massachusetts instead of a temporary one. The commission will meet every five years to examine how school funding is calculated and suggest changes to ensure resources are used effectively for student success. Its membership includes leaders from the state government, the legislature, and various education and business organizations, and it must hold at least four public hearings before making recommendations. The law also clarifies that state employees and school district staff can serve on the commission without violating ethics rules, provided they recuse themselves from discussions that directly affect their own employment or pay.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to ensure public elementary schools maintain their current recess time even when adopting new curriculum standards. It specifically protects recess periods for students in grades one through five, as well as designated middle school grades five and six, from being reduced due to educational changes. The legislation mandates that schools cannot cut back on time allocated for physical and social activities during recess as a result of these updates.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows public high schools and middle schools in Massachusetts to offer vocational and trade classes to students who cannot attend a dedicated regional vocational school. It specifically targets students who were not accepted into such programs, those who previously attended but left, and residents of the local school district. The changes are optional for each local school, and the state Department of Education will provide guidance and create a waiver system to support these new opportunities.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows individuals with disabilities to qualify for teaching certification in Massachusetts without taking the standard written exam. It mandates the state education board to create a practical alternative assessment for people who cannot pass the written test due to intellectual, sensory, emotional, physical, environmental, or specific learning disabilities. The law applies specifically to provisional educator certifications and those with advanced standing, ensuring these candidates can still meet eligibility requirements through a different evaluation method. The changes will become effective 180 days after the legislation is passed.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance and the Department of Agricultural Resources to jointly hire an organization to survey farmers and SNAP recipients about the Healthy Incentives Program. The survey aims to gather feedback on how well the program meets the needs of both groups, specifically asking about awareness, usage frequency, barriers to participation, and overall experiences. Commissioners must set deadlines for conducting the survey within 12 months of the bill's passage and ensure the results are published online and submitted to the state legislature. This initiative focuses on collecting data to improve future outreach and ensure the program effectively supports both food assistance recipients and local farmers.

Maddy summaryThis bill transfers the authority to hire and fire the Oxford Police Department from the town's Board of Selectmen to the town manager. By amending the town's charter, the legislation removes the board's power to appoint the police chief and other officers, instead designating the town manager as the appointing authority who acts on the recommendation of the police chief. Additionally, the act exempts Oxford from state laws that typically require local boards to set police compensation and approve department regulations, centralizing these administrative decisions under the town manager's supervision.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the legal definition of an independent contractor in Massachusetts by changing the criteria used to classify workers. Specifically, it modifies a section of state law to allow a worker to be considered an independent contractor if they meet either one of two conditions instead of requiring them to meet both. This change directly affects businesses and individuals who hire workers, potentially altering how many people are classified as independent contractors versus employees. The amendment simplifies the legal test for contractor status by removing the requirement that all listed criteria must be satisfied simultaneously.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a special nine-member task force to study commission sales rates and their economic impact on workers in Massachusetts. The group includes state legislators, government officials, and representatives from the business community who will review existing laws and survey companies using commission-based pay. Within 12 months, the task force must submit a report with recommendations to the legislature on how to improve fairness and transparency in commission payments. The bill does not change current pay structures but creates a committee to analyze the issue and propose future regulations.