Sen. John Keenan

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Regional Transit Authorities in Massachusetts to transition their bus fleets to electric vehicles by December 31, 2035. It mandates that new bus purchases meet specific electric vehicle targets, starting with 40% in 2025 and reaching 90% by 2034, while prioritizing routes serving environmental justice communities. The Department of Transportation must create a central planning office to oversee the rollout, and the bill includes provisions for worker retraining and prevailing wage requirements for construction projects. Additionally, transit authorities must report annually on their progress and explain any decisions to continue purchasing fossil fuel vehicles.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Massachusetts consumer protection laws to include specific rules for online sports betting advertisements. It requires that promotions such as bonus offers, same-game parlays, and risk-free wagers be treated as legally binding bets rather than mere marketing incentives. The change directly affects gaming companies and the state's regulatory framework by ensuring these specific ad types are subject to the same strict standards as other gambling offers.

Maddy summaryThis bill aims to improve the management of Massachusetts probate registries by clarifying the authority of registers to hire and oversee staff. It creates new positions for first and assistant registers of probate in various counties, specifying the number of employees each county can appoint and defining their three-year terms. The legislation also eliminates the administrative deputy assistant register role while allowing current holders to keep their jobs, and it increases the number of assistant judicial case managers available in certain counties. Ultimately, the act updates state laws to provide more structured staffing options for probate courts across the Commonwealth.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a special commission in Massachusetts to study how to increase the number of outpatient mental health providers who accept commercial insurance and Medicaid. The commission will include government officials and representatives from various mental health organizations, insurance companies, and advocacy groups. Its main tasks are to analyze current barriers to insurance acceptance, such as reimbursement rates and administrative rules, and to explore whether making insurance acceptance a condition for licensure would help. Within one year, the commission must submit its findings and proposed laws or regulations to the state legislature.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Massachusetts library laws to ensure that publishers offering digital books and audiobooks to the public must also make them available to libraries on fair terms. It requires these licenses to be accessible to all library types, including public, school, academic, and tribal libraries, without restricting the number of licenses a library can buy on the same day as the general public. The law defines specific rules for these licenses, such as limits on simultaneous users, loan periods, and digital security measures, while prohibiting restrictions on how many copies a library can purchase. Publishers who fail to comply with these requirements could face penalties under state unfair trade practice laws. Ultimately, the legislation aims to modernize how libraries access digital content to better serve their communities.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts election laws to protect poll workers from harassment, threats, and intimidation while they perform their duties. It defines "election workers" broadly to include anyone paid or unpaid who helps administer elections and explicitly prohibits actions intended to interfere with their work or retaliate against them. The law covers various forms of misconduct, including in-person gestures, verbal abuse, mail, and electronic communications like emails and texts. Additionally, it makes it illegal to post a worker's personal information online if doing so creates a serious threat to their or their family's safety. Violators face criminal penalties, including up to four years in prison or a $10,000 fine for a first offense, and stricter punishments for repeat offenders.

Maddy summaryThis bill streamlines the process for sealing criminal and juvenile court records in Massachusetts by mandating that agencies complete sealing within 90 days of eligibility. It also allows individuals with sealed records to access their own files without needing a court order or having to unseal them first. Additionally, the legislation requires the commissioner of probation to clear eligible records from their files within six months of the law taking effect. These changes directly affect residents seeking to remove past legal records from public view and improve their access to those documents.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to allow courts to approve the sale of vacant residential properties under receivership to nonprofit organizations. The sale must be at fair market value and is strictly conditioned on the nonprofit fixing all existing sanitary code violations and rehabilitating the home for affordable sale to a first-time homebuyer earning no more than 120 percent of the median income. Before the court can approve such a sale, it must determine that the nonprofit has the necessary expertise and resources to complete the required repairs. Additionally, the bill ensures that property owners and other interested parties have at least thirty days to propose their own plans to correct code violations, which would delay the sale if those plans are deemed feasible.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a grant program to help public and charter schools in Massachusetts develop robotics and STEM education initiatives. The funding is intended to assist students in succeeding academically and pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and math fields. Schools without existing robotics clubs will receive priority, as will those located in specific rural and coastal counties. Additionally, the program requires funded schools to register their teams with recognized robotics organizations and mandates annual evaluations to assess the success and potential for expanding these programs statewide.