Sen. Becca Rausch

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the practice of hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It directly affects any individuals or companies attempting to extract oil or gas using this method, as well as those involved in managing the associated wastewater and drilling waste. The legislation achieves this by amending existing state laws to explicitly ban the injection of fracturing fluids underground and to forbid the collection, storage, treatment, or disposal of fracking-related byproducts. Additionally, the bill defines key terms such as "hydraulic fracturing" and "fluid" to ensure clear legal boundaries for enforcement.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to create rules banning public schools from using Native American names, logos, or mascots for their athletic teams. It mandates that schools currently using such imagery must select new alternatives by a specific deadline set by the state board. The legislation allows schools to keep existing uniforms and materials that feature the prohibited names only if they have already chosen a replacement and stop buying new items with the old imagery. Additionally, any new signs or fixtures displaying the banned names must be removed, while those on existing facilities can remain until the next scheduled maintenance or replacement.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a special commission to evaluate the Massachusetts school building program, specifically looking at whether it meets current and future needs and if its funding is fair across different communities. The commission will be made up of representatives from various government bodies, educational organizations, and industry experts who will review how the program handles funding formulas, construction costs, and environmental standards. After their investigation, the group must submit a report with findings and recommendations by December 1, 2025, to help the state improve how it supports school facilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It directly affects any individual or company attempting to conduct oil or gas extraction using this method or to manage the associated wastewater and drill cuttings. The legislation achieves this by adding specific definitions for fracking and related fluids to existing environmental laws and explicitly banning the drilling process and the collection, storage, treatment, or disposal of fracking byproducts. By amending the state's General Laws, the bill ensures that no fracking activities can legally occur in the region.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to create rules banning public schools from using athletic team names, logos, or mascots that reference Native Americans or denigrate any racial, ethnic, gender, or religious group. The legislation requires schools currently using such imagery to select new alternatives by a specific deadline set by the board. While the ban applies to new team identities, schools are permitted to keep existing uniforms and materials if they stop purchasing new items with the prohibited names and remove the imagery from facilities during future maintenance. The law explicitly allows Native American tribes to use their own names for their sports teams and permits a public school to use a tribal name only if that specific tribe gives explicit consent.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts state law to regulate outdoor lighting by restricting the use of public funds for new fixtures that do not meet specific efficiency and shielding standards. It requires that new roadway and parking lot lights be fully shielded to prevent light from pointing upward, while also limiting decorative lights to emit less than 500 lumens of upward light. Additionally, the legislation mandates that building-mounted lights must be shielded unless they are specifically designed for façade illumination. These rules aim to reduce energy consumption and light pollution, thereby improving dark-sky visibility for residents.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new Office of Career Technical Education within the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to better align vocational training with local job market needs. The office will be led by a deputy commissioner responsible for developing new programs, setting teacher competency standards, and creating industry-recognized credentials for students. Key provisions include establishing partnerships with businesses to design skill assessments, allowing students to split their time between regular high schools and specialized vocational centers, and facilitating credit transfers to community colleges and universities. Additionally, the bill mandates the use of data from student assessments to improve curriculum and equipment, while encouraging the use of existing national standards to validate student skills.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation to create a new office dedicated to partnership coordination. The primary goal of this office is to build and maintain strong relationships with park friends groups and public-private partnerships that help support state parks. By establishing this specific unit, the legislation aims to formalize how the department collaborates with external organizations to manage park resources. This change affects the department's internal structure and its approach to engaging with community groups and private entities involved in park stewardship.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Massachusetts' existing Bottle Bill to include more types of drinkable liquids and larger containers, aiming to increase recycling rates. It defines "beverage" to cover most liquids for human consumption while excluding items like milk, infant formula, and small-scale fruit juices, and it raises the size limit for eligible containers to 2.5 liters for non-carbonated drinks and 3 liters for carbonated ones. The legislation also updates the refund value for returned containers to $2.75 for smaller items and $3.75 for larger ones, while exempting dealers with businesses under 2,000 square feet from certain immediate payment rules. Additionally, it requires the state secretary to review handling fees and refund values every three years to ensure they meet specific recycling targets, such as recycling 65% of containers by 2025 and 95% by 2031.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a temporary halt on approving new or expanded gas infrastructure projects across Massachusetts until at least 2026. The measure specifically targets facilities that process, store, transmit, or distribute combustible fuels like natural gas, renewable natural gas, and hydrogen. Under the new rules, regulators cannot grant permits for these projects unless they are strictly necessary for public safety. Additionally, the legislation prevents towns without existing gas service from digging up streets to build new fuel systems.