Sen. Becca Rausch

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a Midwifery Workforce Development Fund to support midwifery education, retention, and birth centers. The fund will finance midwifery student tuition, licensing fees, childcare stipends, loan forgiveness for midwives serving underserved areas, and grants for midwifery training programs. It also requires that certified midwives and freestanding birth centers be paid the same rate as physicians for equivalent services under state employee health plans. The bill directly affects midwifery students, practicing midwives, birth centers, and state health programs by providing dedicated funding and ensuring equitable reimbursement.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a PFAS Remediation Trust Fund to address contamination in Massachusetts drinking water, groundwater, soil, and other environmental media. It directly affects communities with PFAS pollution, including vulnerable environmental justice areas, private well owners, and public water systems. The fund provides grants for PFAS treatment, remediation, and outreach programs, prioritizing communities with limited resources. Money comes from settlements with PFAS manufacturers, other grants, and interest, with strict rules requiring repayment if responsible parties are later identified.

Maddy summaryHD 2651 modifies Massachusetts abortion law by removing specific medical justification requirements. It replaces the previous list of permitted circumstances (e.g., preserving life, health, or fetal anomalies) with a standard allowing abortions "based upon the professional judgment of the physician." The bill also eliminates a requirement for physicians to independently review cases involving pregnancies over 24 weeks and deletes language about "determinations" related to those cases. This change directly affects patients seeking abortions and physicians performing them by broadening the legal basis for the procedure.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a tax credit for Massachusetts food businesses (like farms, restaurants, and grocery stores) that donate food to nonprofits serving people in need. Donors can claim a credit equal to the food's fair market value (up to $25,000 annually) if the nonprofit distributes it free or at cost, without reselling it for profit. It also provides legal liability protection for donors and distributors who give food (including expired items) to nonprofits or directly to people, as long as the food meets safety standards and isn't adulterated. The law requires nonprofits to certify donations and ensures compliance with health regulations for food distribution.

By Mr. DiDomenico, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 3022) (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Sal N. DiDomenico and Pavel M. Payano for legislation to create the engaging neighborhoods, organizations, unions, governments, and households fund. Housing.

By Mr. Lewis, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2033) of Jason M. Lewis, Liz Miranda, Paul W. Mark, Carmine Lawrence Gentile and other members of the General Court for legislation to close corporate tax loopholes and create progressive revenue. Revenue.

Maddy summaryThis bill (H 4359) amends a 2022 law to allow the town of Milford to change its existing license for selling wine and malt beverages (like beer) into a license permitting the sale of all alcoholic beverages (including spirits like whiskey and vodka), while still prohibiting on-premises consumption. The key change replaces the phrase "wine and malt beverages" with "all alcoholic beverages" in the licensing statute. This directly affects Milford's licensed retailers, enabling them to sell a broader range of alcoholic products without altering the requirement that customers take drinks off-site. The bill is procedural and would take effect upon passage.

Maddy summaryHD 3390 modifies Massachusetts tax law to address income from foreign entities. It specifies that amounts included in federal income under Section 951A of the IRS Code (related to global intangible low-taxed income) will no longer be treated as dividends for state tax purposes, and taxpayers can only deduct 50% of this income instead of the full amount. This primarily affects businesses and individuals with foreign income subject to Section 951A provisions. The changes apply to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2025.

By Ms. Jehlen, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1447) of Patricia D. Jehlen, Adam Gomez, Mike Connolly, Paul W. Mark and other members of the General Court for legislation to enable cities and towns to stabilize rents and protect tenants. Municipalities and Regional Government.

Maddy summaryThis bill (H 4899) requires health insurance plans in Massachusetts to cover post-pregnancy mental health care - including postpartum and post-miscarriage care - without any out-of-pocket costs like deductibles or copays. It applies to both private insurance and Medicaid plans, ensuring coverage is equally available to enrollees and their spouses or dependents. The law explicitly adds this care to existing pregnancy-related coverage requirements in multiple sections of state health laws and prohibits unreasonable delays or restrictions in accessing these services.