Rep. Jay Livingstone

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a dedicated education unit within Massachusetts' child welfare department to improve educational support for children in state care. The unit will monitor students' academic progress quarterly, provide social workers with training on educational needs, and coordinate with schools to ensure smooth enrollment and accurate record transfers. It also creates an education director position and requires full-time education specialists focused on educational stability. These changes directly affect children in foster care, their social workers, and local school districts.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a permanent Law Revision Commission to modernize Massachusetts' legal code. The commission, composed of legal experts, judges, and appointed officials, will identify outdated laws, recommend reforms, and suggest repealing obsolete statutes. It will examine common law, statutes, and judicial decisions to eliminate "anachronisms" and improve law accessibility. The commission must submit annual reports with proposed changes to state legislators. (Note: The bill also includes specific amendments to repeal outdated terms like "common night walker" and "sodomy" references in existing laws, but the core purpose is the commission's law modernization role.)

Maddy summaryHD 1588 amends Massachusetts forfeiture laws to clarify and limit when property can be seized after a criminal conviction. It exempts homesteads, vehicles under $10,000, and U.S. currency totaling $200 or less from forfeiture. The bill defines key terms like "contraband" (excluding legally grown marijuana) and requires the state to prove forfeiture with "clear and convincing evidence," not just a criminal conviction. It also specifies that property used in crimes (like a car or tools) may be forfeited only if directly linked to the offense.

Maddy summaryHD 1552 requires shelters, schools, and correctional facilities to provide free disposable menstrual products (like pads, tampons, and liners) to menstruating individuals without stigma. It applies to temporary housing providers (e.g., domestic violence shelters, emergency hotels), all public primary/secondary schools, and correctional facilities (jails, prisons). The bill mandates these products be available in convenient, non-stigmatizing ways, such as in restrooms. This directly affects menstruating people experiencing homelessness, attending school, or in detention. The law creates a new requirement for these specific institutions to cover the cost of products.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Massachusetts Uniform Trust Decanting Act, creating a legal framework for trustees to modify existing trusts. It defines key terms like "decanting power" (the ability to transfer assets to a new trust with updated terms) and "authorized fiduciary" (trustees or others with authority to make these changes). The act directly affects trustees managing trusts, beneficiaries (including charitable organizations named in trusts), and individuals with powers of appointment. Its key mechanism allows trustees to adjust trust terms - such as extending duration or changing distribution rules - without court approval, provided they follow the defined process. This streamlines trust management while maintaining legal safeguards for beneficiaries.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds "status as a victim of abusive behavior" to Massachusetts' anti-discrimination protections in employment. It directly affects employees and job applicants experiencing domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, or kidnapping (as defined in the bill), requiring employers to provide reasonable accommodations like schedule changes, safety modifications, or workplace access adjustments. Employers must engage in a good-faith interactive process to find suitable accommodations and cannot discriminate against someone who requests them. The law also mandates written notice of these rights to all employees and new hires, and requires the state commission to develop educational materials about these protections within 180 days.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to provide a one-time $300,000 death benefit to families of public employees killed while performing their duties. It expands eligibility beyond "public safety employees" to include all public employees working for state/county government, public schools, universities, municipalities, or public authorities. The bill broadens the definition of "public employee" in related sections to ensure all qualifying workers are covered. This changes the existing benefit structure by standardizing the payment amount and extending coverage to a wider range of public sector workers.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HD 1850) amends Massachusetts law to increase financial caps and extend notice periods for pedestrian injury claims. It raises the maximum damages for sidewalk injuries on state highways and boulevards from $4,000 to $100,000 (in Chapter 81), increases another cap from $5,000 to $100,000 (Chapter 84), and extends the deadline for filing injury claims from 30 days to two years. These changes directly affect pedestrians injured on sidewalks or boulevards who seek compensation through legal claims. The bill modifies procedural rules for filing claims but does not introduce new physical safety measures like improved crosswalks or traffic signals.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Chapter 151A of the General Laws to revise the definition of employee services. It specifically replaces a subsection with a new provision stating that certain service must be performed "outside the usual course of the business of the employer." The bill text provided does not include the original language being amended or explain the specific policy context or affected parties. Without additional context on the current definition, the purpose of the change, or who this impacts (e.g., specific worker classifications), a substantive summary of policy effects cannot be provided. The text only shows a minor textual revision without indicating the broader legislative intent or concrete changes to employee rights or employer obligations.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts health insurance laws to expand coverage for midwifery services. It updates definitions in multiple statutes to include "licensed certified professional midwives" alongside existing providers and removes the phrase "for abortion or abortion-related care" from coverage exclusions. These changes apply to health insurance policies under Chapters 32A, 118E, 175, 176A, 176B, and 176G, requiring insurers to cover a broader range of midwifery services without prior restrictions. The commissioner of health insurance must ensure compliance with these updated requirements.