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.
By Ms. Rausch, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 3139) of Rebecca L. Rausch (by vote of the town) for legislation to authorize the town of Medfield to continue the employment of David O'Toole as deputy fire chief. Public Service. [Local Approval Received.]
By Ms. Comerford, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2113) of Joanne M. Comerford, Rebecca L. Rausch, Michael J. Barrett, Jason M. Lewis and other members of the Senate for legislation to establish an Indigenous Peoples Day. State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.
Maddy summaryThis bill changes Milford's rules for nominating candidates to the town meeting. It allows current town meeting members (who haven't moved precincts) to run for re-election without needing 10 voter signatures on nomination papers. Instead, they only need to submit a written notice to the town clerk at least 30 days before the election. The bill specifically affects Milford residents seeking to serve on their town meeting, simplifying the re-election process for sitting members. It amends existing law to remove the requirement for nomination papers for these incumbents.
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.
By Mr. Eldridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1681) of James B. Eldridge, Liz Miranda, Joanne M. Comerford, Robyn K. Kennedy and other members of the Senate for legislation to protect the civil rights and safety of all Massachusetts residents. Public Safety and Homeland Security.
Maddy summaryHD 2501 allows cities and towns to adopt local rent stabilization and tenant protection measures. It enables municipalities to limit annual rent increases to the lower of the local Consumer Price Index or 5%, and requires landlords to have "just cause" (like nonpayment, lease violations, or property conversion) to evict tenants. The bill directly affects renters in participating municipalities, excluding owner-occupied buildings with four or fewer units, new construction (for five years), college dorms, senior facilities, and units subject to public housing regulation. Municipalities must adopt local ordinances within 180 days of acceptance and report annually to the state housing office. The law does not override existing state or federal tenant protections.
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).
Senate, August 10, 2026 -- Text of the Senate amendment (Senator Rausch) to the House Bill relative to the nomination process for candidates for town meeting in Milford (House, No. 4185).
Senate, August 10, 2026 -- The committee on The Judiciary to whom was referred the petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1247) of Rebecca L. Rausch for legislation to criminalize sexual assault of a passenger by a rideshare operator, report the accompanying bill (Senate, No. 3232).
