Sen. Becca Rausch

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts education laws to update high school graduation requirements and improve support for struggling schools. It establishes a new competency determination based on mastery of core skills in math, science, technology, and English, allowing districts to include history, social science, and foreign languages. Students who do not meet these standards would receive an educational assistance plan to help them achieve mastery, while parents would have the chance to review these plans. Additionally, the bill changes how schools identified for comprehensive support are selected, requiring that student growth be weighted as heavily as student achievement in the evaluation formula.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows registered pharmacists in Massachusetts to prescribe and dispense hormonal contraceptive patches and self-administered oral contraceptives without requiring a prior prescription from a doctor. To ensure safety, pharmacists would need to complete specific training, use a risk assessment tool with the patient, and refer the individual to a primary care provider after the transaction. The legislation also mandates that pharmacists provide a written record of the prescription and prohibits requiring patients to schedule an appointment for this service. These changes aim to increase access to birth control by enabling pharmacists to directly provide these medications to anyone who needs them.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to allow Certified Nursing Assistant exams to be administered in languages other than English, such as Spanish and Chinese. It directly affects nurses' aides working in long-term care facilities where the resident population predominantly speaks a language other than English. The legislation requires the state department to decide which specific languages will be available for testing and mandates that facilities offering this option must recognize the costs of compliance in their payment rates. The changes are set to take effect on October 1, 2024, aiming to improve access to certification for non-English speaking workers in the healthcare sector.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the chief medical examiner in Massachusetts to review and approve autopsy reports for children under the age of two before they are finalized. The law mandates that the chief examiner must verify both the initial findings regarding the cause of death and any subsequent changes made to the report. By adding this oversight step, the legislation aims to increase public safety and provide greater certainty in determining how young children die. It applies specifically to medical examiners and their offices when handling cases involving infants and toddlers.

By Representative Khan of Newton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2217) of Kay Khan and others relative to limited service clinics. Public Health.

By Representative Hawkins of Attleboro, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2192) of James K. Hawkins and others for legislation to protect patients and healthcare workers from exposure to surgical smoke. Public Health.

By Representatives Rogers of Cambridge and Owens of Watertown, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2258) of David M. Rogers, Steven Owens and others relative to improving environmental conditions to reduce asthma in schools. Public Health.

By Representative Higgins of Leominster, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2196) of Natalie M. Higgins and others relative to registered nurse patient assignment. Public Health.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands the ability of individuals in Massachusetts to have their juvenile and young adult criminal records permanently erased from public view. It primarily affects people who were arrested as minors or young adults and whose cases did not result in a conviction or delinquency adjudication. The law removes strict limits on the number of offenses eligible for expungement and extends the waiting period for felonies to seven years while reducing it to three years for misdemeanors and juvenile cases. Additionally, the legislation clarifies that expunged records cannot be used to identify individuals except for statistical or research purposes and prohibits the sharing of fingerprints for arrests made before a person reaches the age of criminal majority.

By Representative Garlick of Needham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3040) of Denise C. Garlick and others relative to providing for hybrid access to public meetings. State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.