Sen. John Keenan

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Massachusetts agencies assisting older adults to include information about the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) in their services. Specifically, it mandates that state-funded long-term care facilities provide pre-admission counseling that discusses community-based options like PACE, while also offering this counseling to those paying privately. Additionally, the law directs state officials to study whether Medicaid providers can deliver this counseling and to report annually on how many people receive these services and how many are diverted from institutional care to community programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to provide genetic testing and bereavement support to families of children who die suddenly and unexpectedly, excluding cases of homicide, suicide, or known causes. It mandates that the office refer any undetermined death of a child three years old or younger to the Massachusetts Center for Unexpected Infant and Child Death at Boston Medical Center for counseling and grief support within three days of receiving the body. The law applies to various types of sudden unexplained child deaths, including sudden infant death syndrome and other cases likely to remain unexplained after a standard autopsy.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Massachusetts health care laws to prevent discrimination against people with disabilities by explicitly changing the term "handicap" to "disability" in state statutes. It prohibits hospitals and health care providers from denying or deprioritizing life-saving treatment based on assumptions that a person's life is less valuable because of their disability or chronic condition. The legislation also bans institutions from making access to care conditional on a patient having a "do not resuscitate" order or advance directive, while still allowing providers to discuss these options and consider short-term survival prospects.

Maddy summaryThis bill prevents utility companies from passing the costs of building new interstate gas pipelines onto residential and business customers. It achieves this by amending state law to ban the approval of gas purchase contracts that require new infrastructure construction if those costs would be recovered from ratepayers. The legislation directly affects utility providers and the consumers who pay for their services by restricting how they can finance pipeline expansions.

By Representative Vitolo of Brookline, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Tommy Vitolo, Samantha Montaño and Francisco E. Paulino relative to electrical load aggregation programs. Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a Behavioral Health Workforce Center of Excellence within a public university in Massachusetts to address shortages in mental health and addiction treatment staffing. The Center will collect data on current workforce gaps, analyze training needs, and study career pathways to help guide state policy decisions. It will also create an advisory committee made up of representatives from various health agencies, insurers, and professional organizations to review the state of the workforce regularly. Additionally, the Center will examine existing funding sources and loan forgiveness programs to recommend ways to improve recruitment and retention of behavioral health professionals.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires public colleges in Massachusetts to create housing programs specifically designed for students recovering from substance use disorders. These programs must offer an alcohol and drug-free environment along with services such as trauma-informed counseling, mentoring, and peer support. Additionally, the legislation mandates that all students, faculty, and staff receive overdose training and ensures that naloxone is available on campus to treat overdoses. The law directly impacts public higher education institutions and aims to provide a safer, supportive living situation for students in recovery.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new Financial Literacy Trust Fund to support financial education programs in Massachusetts schools. The fund will be managed by the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education and financed through state appropriations, interest earnings, and public or private donations. It mandates that the commissioner annually report on the fund's activities and expenditures to state legislative committees. Additionally, the bill changes existing law to require, rather than allow, financial literacy instruction as part of the curriculum.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a permanent commission dedicated to improving educational outcomes for American Indian and Alaska Native students in Massachusetts. The commission will consist of 17 members appointed by various state departments and the Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs, with a requirement to include diverse backgrounds and consult with tribal governments. Its primary duties include investigating how state agencies can better support these students, promoting heritage language instruction, and developing programs for suicide prevention and violence intervention. The commission operates as an independent agency, and its unpaid members serve two-year terms while receiving reimbursement for necessary expenses.