Rep. Christopher Markey

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 establishes a new Workforce Skills Cabinet within the Governor's office to coordinate state efforts on workforce development and college readiness. The Cabinet will include representatives from key agencies, business leaders, labor organizations, and community stakeholders who will meet monthly to align policies and strategies across the state. Its main duties involve creating joint plans for workforce training, conducting biennial studies on program equity, releasing annual reports on labor market needs, and improving data sharing between agencies. Additionally, the Cabinet will advise education departments on the employability skills students need to succeed in their careers.

Maddy summaryThis bill mandates that the Department of Correction and local sheriffs provide free voice telephone services to all inmates in Massachusetts correctional facilities, including jails and mental health units. The law requires these communication services to be available at all times, provided they do not disrupt educational programs or daily facility operations. Additionally, the bill ensures that both the incarcerated person and the recipient of the call incur no charges for these calls for a period of 90 days following the bill's enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a special task force to study Massachusetts' current bail system and pretrial treatment options. The 12-member group includes leaders from the governor's office, both legislative chambers, the courts, the attorney general, and various legal and advocacy organizations. Their job is to review how the system works, look into the possibility of eliminating cash bail, and examine ways to better assess risk and provide necessary treatment for defendants. Within twelve months, the task force must submit a report with its findings and specific recommendations for changing existing laws or creating new ones.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to create stricter penalties for adults who encourage or assist children under sixteen in committing murder or armed assault. It specifically criminalizes actions such as soliciting, threatening, or paying a juvenile to commit these violent acts, as well as providing them with firearms or other dangerous weapons for that purpose. Anyone convicted of these offenses faces mandatory minimum prison sentences of twenty years for solicitation and ten years for providing weapons, with no possibility of parole, probation, or sentence reductions. The legislation defines "armed assault" and "murder" by referencing existing state statutes to clarify the scope of the new charges.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts laws to increase penalties for driving recklessly. It defines reckless driving specifically as violating one or more moving traffic violations while traveling at least 25 miles per hour over the speed limit. Under the new rules, individuals who drive recklessly face up to five years in prison and a fine between $1,000 and $5,000. If such driving causes serious bodily injury, the maximum prison sentence rises to ten years, and if it causes death, the maximum sentence becomes twenty years. The legislation also removes the term "recklessly" from a separate section regarding vehicle operation.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to clarify when construction liens must be removed from property records. It establishes specific deadlines for contractors and subcontractors to dissolve liens, such as 90 days after a project is marked substantially complete or 120 days after work stops. For small residential projects involving one to four units, the bill allows homeowners to clear liens by filing a statement confirming no debt exists, provided they do so within five years of the Notice of Contract. These changes aim to streamline the process for clearing property titles while ensuring contractors have defined timeframes to resolve unpaid claims.

Maddy summaryThis bill introduces a new offense in Massachusetts for drivers who willfully ignore police stop signals and then speed at least 20 miles over the limit for a distance of one mile. The legislation directly affects motorists engaging in high-speed pursuits by establishing specific penalties for this behavior. Under the proposed law, offenders face a fine of up to $1,000 and a potential jail sentence of up to two and a half years, or a state prison term of up to five years. This change adds a distinct charge to existing traffic laws to address dangerous driving patterns that occur after a police officer attempts to stop a vehicle.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Massachusetts General Laws to adjust the jurisdictional rules for the District Court. Specifically, it modifies Section 26 of Chapter 218 by adding a reference to a specific subsection within Section 24. The change is technical and updates the legal text to ensure the statute accurately reflects the current structure of the court's authority.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Massachusetts law regarding the tax treatment and calculation limits for alimony payments. It establishes that alimony amounts should generally not exceed the recipient's financial need or a specific percentage of the difference between the spouses' gross incomes, with different rates applied depending on whether the payments are federally tax-deductible. The changes apply only to new alimony orders issued on or after January 1, 2019, or to existing agreements that are modified on or after that date. By setting these income-based caps, the legislation aims to standardize how much alimony can be awarded relative to the parties' earnings.