Sen. Jo Comerford

By Ms. Lovely, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 784) of Joan B. Lovely, Susannah M. Whipps, Bruce E. Tarr, Hannah Kane and others for legislation to promote and enhance the sustainability of birth centers and the midwifery workforce. Financial Services.

Senate, April 1, 2026 -- Text of the Senate Bill fostering agricultural resilience in Massachusetts (Senate, No. 3040) (being the text of Senate No. 2029, printed as amended)

Maddy summaryHD 3590, titled "An Act protecting consumers from unreasonable utility rate increases," limits how much profit electric and gas companies can earn in Massachusetts rate cases. It caps the allowed return on equity (a measure of profit) at the average rate approved for similar companies in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire over the past four years. Utilities cannot include compensation for certain efficiency programs or performance incentives when calculating this return. This directly affects Massachusetts utility companies and their customers by preventing rate hikes based on higher profit margins than neighboring states. The cap can only be waived if a company proves its constitutional rights would be violated.

Maddy summaryThis bill draft (HD 909) proposes utility shutoff protections during extreme heat events, but the provided text is incomplete - it only states "DRAFT BEING WORKED ON BY HOUSE COUNSEL" with no substantive provisions. The summary section is empty, so specific mechanisms, affected groups, or policy details cannot be confirmed from the available context. Without finalized text, no concrete policy changes or direct impacts can be described. A complete summary requires the finalized bill language, which is not provided here.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes "green plus communities" for municipalities that meet specific climate action requirements, including creating a 5-year plan to cut building emissions by at least 20% and adopting stricter energy codes. It allocates $40 million for energy programs, with $10 million specifically for green plus communities, and sets annual carbon intensity limits for large buildings that must decrease over time. Building owners must comply with these limits or use approved alternatives like on-site renewable energy, with reduced fees for low-income buildings and small businesses. The bill also creates a retrofit funding program to support deep energy upgrades (excluding fossil fuel conversions) and requires standardized reporting to avoid duplicate data collection.

Maddy summaryHD 3764 updates Massachusetts' bottle bill by modernizing container definitions, increasing the minimum refund value from 5¢ to 10¢, and establishing new recycling targets. It requires beverage producers to implement return-and-refill systems (aiming for 25% by 2029 and 50% by 2039) and mandates that containers sold after 2026 include UPC barcodes. The bill sets specific recycling rates: 65% by 2027, 75% by 2030, 85% by 2033, and 95% by 2036. These changes directly affect beverage producers, retailers, redemption centers, and consumers who return containers for refunds.

Senate, April 2, 2026 -- The committee on Public Health to whom was referred the petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1504) of Julian Cyr, Joanne M. Comerford, James B. Eldridge, John F. Keenan and others for legislation to protect Massachusetts public health from Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) a group of chemicals that are used in many consumer products and industrial processes, report the accompanying bill (Senate, No. 3034).

By Mr. Crighton, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 690) of Brendan P. Crighton, Marcus S. Vaughn, Steven George Xiarhos, Paul K. Frost and other members of the General Court for legislation to mandate access to cancer screenings for firefighters through health care benefits plans or programs provided by the public employer. Financial Services.

Maddy summaryThis bill would allow the town of Amherst to grant voting rights in local elections to lawful permanent residents (green card holders) living within its borders. It directly affects non-citizen residents who are legally authorized to live in the U.S. but cannot vote in state or federal elections. The key mechanism is authorizing Amherst to adopt a local ordinance, subject to approval by its town council, to extend these voting rights for municipal elections. The bill does not change state or federal voting laws but permits the town to determine local election eligibility.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows lawful permanent residents aged 18+ who live in Shutesbury to register to vote in local town meetings, elections, and serve on municipal boards after applying to the Town Clerk. It directly affects noncitizen residents living in Shutesbury, enabling their participation in town-level decisions. The law explicitly states it does not grant voting rights for state or federal offices or ballots. The Selectboard may create implementation rules, but the bill is limited to Shutesbury's local governance only.