By Ms. Jehlen, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 870) of Patricia D. Jehlen, Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr., Hannah Kane, Michael O. Moore and other members of the General Court for legislation to clarify rate setting processes for home health and home care services. Health Care Financing.
Senate, September 29, 2025 -- The committee on The Judiciary to whom was referred the petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1045) of Joanne M. Comerford, Mindy Domb, Brendan P. Crighton, Jason M. Lewis and other members of the General Court for legislation to protect personal security before a decree of a change of name, report the accompanying bill (Senate, No. 2615).
By Mr. Gomez, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 369) of Adam Gomez, Joanne M. Comerford, Vanna Howard, Michael D. Brady and other members of the General Court for legislation to establish the Whole Child Grant Program. Education.
By Mr. Mark, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 407) of Paul W. Mark for legislation to create a special commission to examine regional school education finance reform. Education.
Maddy summaryThis bill (SD 40) requires the state treasurer to reimburse school districts and vocational schools for transportation costs of students in special education programs. It directly affects school districts that provide transportation for these students, as it covers costs not normally provided to regular students and not eligible for other state reimbursements. The reimbursement includes the base cost per pupil in regular programs plus any excess costs for special education transportation, capped at 110% of the average excess cost across all districts. Funding will be phased in over four years, starting at 25% in 2026 and reaching 100% by 2029.
By Mr. Cronin, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 328) of John J. Cronin, Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr., Joanne M. Comerford, Vanna Howard and other members of the General Court for legislation relative to full funding of regional school district transportation. Education.
By Ms. Kennedy, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 388) of Robyn K. Kennedy, Vanna Howard, Jacob R. Oliveira, Mike Connolly and other members of the General Court for legislation to fix the chapter 70 inflation adjustment. Education.
By Mr. Velis, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 495) of John C. Velis, Paul K. Frost, Susannah M. Whipps, Joanne M. Comerford and other members of the General Court for legislation to codify the Hospital to Home Partnership Program. Elder Affairs.
By Mr. Moore, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1736) of Michael O. Moore, Dylan A. Fernandes, Paul W. Mark, James B. Eldridge and other members of the General Court for legislation to establish a board of hoisting machinery regulations. Public Safety and Homeland Security.
Maddy summaryThis bill creates a commission to assess and improve the health and energy efficiency of Massachusetts public college and university buildings, directly affecting all 15 public institutions (including UMass, community colleges, and state universities). The commission will evaluate factors like air quality, water safety, energy use, and accessibility, then develop standards and publish findings online. It establishes two funds: one to cover debt service on campus construction (freeing up money for faculty hiring and student support programs) and another to finance renovations and new construction meeting the commission's green and healthy standards. The bill mandates that by 2027, all new academic/administrative buildings must be fully funded by the state, eliminating reliance on institutional debt.
