By Mr. Cyr, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1953) of Julian Cyr and Joanne M. Comerford for legislation to improve older adult tax relief to address the rising cost of home ownership. Revenue.
By Mr. Eldridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1975) of James B. Eldridge and Joanne M. Comerford for legislation to improve the earned income credit for healthier families. Revenue.
By Mr. DiDomenico, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1957) of Sal N. DiDomenico and Joanne M. Comerford for legislation to support families through enhanced tax credits. Revenue.
Maddy summaryThis bill (SD 1545) prohibits energy suppliers, marketers, or brokers from creating new or renewing existing electricity generation contracts with individual residential customers starting January 1, 2026. It directly affects residential electricity providers and consumers by restricting how residential electricity service can be contracted. Exceptions apply to municipal aggregation programs under Section 134 and specific programs under Section 137. Violations are treated as unfair acts under Chapter 93A, allowing the Attorney General to seek penalties, restitution, or court orders for enforcement.
Senate, July 24, 2025 -- Text of the Senate Bill facilitating better interactions between police officers and persons with autism spectrum disorder (Senate, No. 2565) (being the text of Senate No. 2558, printed as amended)
Maddy summaryThis bill requires Massachusetts state and municipal agencies to follow new outdoor lighting standards when using public funds for new permanent fixtures. It mandates fully shielded fixtures for most outdoor lighting (like roadways and parking lots), limits color temperature to 3000K or lower, and requires lighting to use only necessary brightness levels to reduce energy waste and light pollution. The regulations must be established by January 2026, with exemptions for temporary uses, safety needs, historic structures, and certain decorative lighting. These rules directly affect towns, cities, and state agencies managing public lighting projects funded by state or municipal budgets.
Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits gas and electric companies regulated by the department from charging customers (ratepayers) for specific non-essential expenses. It bans recovery of costs related to promotional advertising (like encouraging service use), political advertising, lobbying, charitable contributions, executive perks (travel, gifts), and certain other activities. Companies must annually report all prohibited expenses to the department and cannot recover the cost of preparing these reports. Violations trigger non-recoverable penalties, refunds to customers, and potential rebates for ratepayers. The bill directly affects regulated utilities and aims to prevent customer funds from subsidizing activities unrelated to core service delivery.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires Massachusetts gas companies to evaluate non-gas alternatives (like electrification) before expanding or replacing gas infrastructure. It prohibits gas companies from recovering costs for new gas projects unless they prove alternatives were considered and found unfeasible, and mandates a gradual shift in spending away from gas infrastructure replacement toward clean thermal energy projects by 2035. Gas and electric utilities must jointly create 5-year "tactical transition plans" to reduce emissions while maintaining affordability, including retiring gas pipes and installing clean energy systems. The bill also bans hydrogen injection into residential gas systems (except for specific industrial uses) and requires utilities to share costs for transitioning buildings to non-gas thermal energy. These changes directly affect gas utility companies, building owners, and ratepayers through their energy infrastructure and costs.
By Ms. Comerford, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2612) (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Joanne M. Comerford for legislation to provide for utility shutoff protections during periods of extreme heat. Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends a section of Massachusetts electricity law to change the duration of basic service contracts for electricity customers. It replaces the current rule allowing contracts for "up to six months" with a provision specifying the contract period must match "the period of time resulting from the competitive bidding process." This directly affects electricity customers enrolled in basic service (typically those without competitive provider options), tying their contract length to the timeline of the state's competitive bidding for electricity supply. The change modifies a specific legal phrase without introducing new policy or affecting other aspects of the electricity market.
