Sen. Adam Gómez

Maddy summaryThis bill directs MassVentures, the state's technology development corporation, to create a competitive grant program specifically for minority-owned or minority-led startups in Massachusetts. The initiative aims to provide these companies with technical assistance, financial support, and resources to help them secure additional funding. To fund this effort, the legislation appropriates $10 million from the state budget. The program is designed to help these entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses through direct investment and educational support.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance to provide cash and nutritional aid to immigrants who are lawfully admitted for permanent residence or permanently residing under color of law. It removes immigration status and citizenship requirements from eligibility for cash assistance programs for children, pregnant women, and caretaker adults, as well as for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The financial benefits and program rules would remain identical to those currently available to other residents, except for the exclusion of immigration status checks. Funding for these expanded benefits is contingent upon future state appropriations.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the language used in Massachusetts state law to refer to people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. It replaces older terms like "handicapped" and "autistic" with more modern and respectful phrasing such as "persons with disabilities" and "individuals with disabilities." The changes apply to various sections of the General Laws that govern employment, services, and support for people with disabilities. By updating these specific legal definitions, the bill ensures that official state documents use current terminology when discussing this population.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Massachusetts state agencies to create an annual report on family homelessness and establish a single phone hotline to help residents access assistance. The report will be produced by four specific offices and must include data on homeless households, how many families receive multiple types of aid, and the success rates of housing programs like HomeBASE. Additionally, the bill mandates that these agencies post clear information online about available benefits and provide training to staff and vendors on how to calculate benefits and avoid situations where earning slightly more income causes a family to lose all support. These measures aim to improve data sharing among departments and make it easier for families to understand and apply for the help they need.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts laws to give the Department of Children and Families more authority to review animals in homes where foster or adoptive parents are applying. It allows the department to request behavior assessments and veterinary records from applicants, with the cost of these assessments paid by the parent or applicant. While the bill permits the department to consider factors like a dog's breed, size, and history of dangerous behavior when making placement decisions, it explicitly states that a child cannot be denied placement solely because a specific dog breed is present in the home. The legislation also enables the department to create new regulations to carry out these requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new Outdoor Recreation Program in Massachusetts to support recreational activities and conservation projects. It creates a dedicated trust fund that automatically receives all state sales tax revenue generated from sporting goods stores, ensuring these funds remain separate from the general budget. The program is designed to provide grants for trails, parks, and nature-based initiatives while prioritizing access for underserved communities, including rural residents and people of color. Additionally, the legislation defines specific terms related to equity and recreational use to guide the program's implementation.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to ban retail gas stations from selling fuel directly into off-road vehicles such as ATVs and dirt bikes. It also amends the law to allow for the destruction of these vehicles if they are used illegally. The legislation directly affects gas station operators and owners of recreational motorized vehicles that are not meant for public roads.

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 establishes state and local teams to investigate the deaths and near-death incidents of children in Massachusetts. The state team will include representatives from various agencies such as public health, law enforcement, and education, while local teams in each district will be led by district attorneys and include medical examiners and police officers. These volunteer groups will work to understand the causes of child fatalities, develop better investigation protocols, and provide recommendations to prevent future tragedies. Additionally, the bill requires all team members to undergo criminal background checks and mandates that the state team publish annual reports on its findings and suggestions for policy changes.

Maddy summaryThis Massachusetts bill establishes a formal bill of rights for people experiencing homelessness to protect them from discrimination based on their housing status. It defines homelessness broadly to include individuals living in cars, parks, shelters, or other non-traditional settings and grants them specific rights such as equal treatment by government agencies, access to public spaces, and the ability to rest or sleep in public areas without obstruction. The legislation also ensures these individuals can vote, practice their religion, and access medical care without bias, while prohibiting the disclosure of their records to service providers without consent. Additionally, it allows people experiencing homelessness to occupy legally parked motor vehicles or recreational vehicles on public or private property with owner permission.