By Mr. Rush, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1620) of Michael F. Rush and Rebecca L. Rausch for legislation to protect children from harmful diet pills and muscle-building supplements. Public Health.
Maddy summaryThis bill extends the deadline for issuing liquor licenses in the town of Hanover from August 20, 2026, to August 20, 2029. It achieves this by amending an existing state law to change the specific date by which these licenses must be granted. The change directly affects the town's licensing process, allowing the issuance of new permits to continue for an additional three years.
Senate, August 10, 2026 -- The committee on Education to whom was referred the petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 341) of Sal N. DiDomenico for legislation to expand access to family, friend, and neighbor-provided childcare administered by the Department of Early Education and Care, report the accompanying bill (Senate, No. 3239).
By Mr. Keenan and Mr. Cusack of Braintree, a joint petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 3165) of John F. Keenan and Mark J. Cusack (by vote of the town) for legislation to authorize the town of Holbrook to appoint Patrick Doherty as a firefighter notwithstanding the maximum age requirement. Public Service. [Local Approval Received.]
Maddy summarySD 1113 provides paid family and medical leave for all educators employed by Massachusetts school districts or education collaboratives. The bill specifically defines these educators as "covered individuals" and designates school districts as "covered employers" for leave purposes. School districts will fund their required contributions to the leave program using existing income surtax revenue (from Chapter 62), not from general operating budgets. This ensures educators can take paid leave for family or medical needs without impacting their employment benefits or health insurance coverage.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to place accessible naloxone in all Blue, Green, Orange, and Red Line subway stations. Each station must have two freestanding boxes containing two 4-milligram intranasal naloxone sprays, with daily checks for maintenance and informational flyers about naloxone use. The MBTA must also report on the program's efficacy, benefits, costs, and expansion recommendations to legislative committees within 12-18 months. The policy directly affects MBTA station users and staff by making naloxone available for opioid overdose emergencies in transit hubs.
Maddy summarySD 919 extends collective bargaining rights to legislative employees in Massachusetts. It defines "legislative employees" to include all staff working for the General Court, such as committee employees, office staff, and information services personnel, while specifying certain roles (like those in the speaker's or president's offices) may be excluded if classified as managerial or confidential. The bill establishes that bargaining units can include most legislative employees, with specific exclusions for defined managerial or confidential positions in key leadership offices. This directly affects hundreds of non-elected staff working within the state legislature.
Senate, August 10, 2026 -- The committee on Public Health, to whom was referred the petitions (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1485) of Joanne M. Comerford, Rebecca L. Rausch, Jason M. Lewis, Julian Cyr and other members of the Senate for legislation to prohibit nonconsensual intimate examinations of anesthetized or unconscious patients; and (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1491) of Brendan P. Crighton, Rory McCarthy, James B. Eldridge and Joanne M. Comerford for legislation relative to chaperones for medical exams, report the accompanying bill (Senate, No. 3197).
By Ms. Comerford, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1485) of Joanne M. Comerford, Rebecca L. Rausch, Jason M. Lewis, Julian Cyr and other members of the Senate for legislation to prohibit nonconsensual intimate examinations of anesthetized or unconscious patients. Public Health.
By Mr. DiDomenico, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 341) of Sal N. DiDomenico for legislation to expand access to family, friend, and neighbor-provided childcare administered by the Department of Early Education and Care. Education.
