Sen. Becca Rausch

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new grant program called the Hunger Free Campus Initiative to help public colleges and universities in Massachusetts address student food insecurity. The program would provide funding to institutions, including municipally administered and minority-serving colleges, to support students in completing their career and technical education programs. To manage the initiative, the state would hire a program director responsible for developing guidelines and conducting surveys to guide how grants are distributed based on available data on student hunger.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Massachusetts Hunger-Free Campus Initiative, a grant program designed to help public colleges and universities address student food insecurity. Managed by the state department of higher education, the program will provide funding to eligible institutions, including municipal colleges and minority-serving schools, to support students in completing their post-secondary education. The department will hire a director to set guidelines for the grants, which may require schools to have specific staff, awareness programs, and meal options that accept federal nutrition benefits. Additionally, the bill mandates that the department provide technical assistance to schools and submit an annual report to state officials on the program's progress.

Senate, February 29, 2024 -- Text of the Senate Bill relative to healthy youth (Senate, No. 2692) (being the text of Senate, No. 2686, printed as amended)

Maddy summaryThis bill aims to improve Massachusetts' Paid Family and Medical Leave Law by clarifying how employers can count toward the required wage contributions. It allows employers to include funds from existing temporary disability policies, paid family leave programs, and various types of paid time off, such as sick or vacation leave, even if those are provided through collective bargaining agreements. Additionally, the legislation requires employers to inform employees of their eligibility for paid leave within five business days of a request, ensuring the notification is provided in the employee's primary language. These changes directly affect employers and employees by expanding the sources of eligible wages and standardizing the process for requesting leave.

By Representatives Livingstone of Boston and Domb of Amherst, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2588) of Jay D. Livingstone, Mindy Domb and Rebecca L. Rausch for legislation to protect gender pay equity. Public Service.

By Representatives Keefe of Worcester and Ultrino of Malden, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3246) of Mary S. Keefe, Steven Ultrino and others relative to establishing a program for local art and community engagement commission in support of local art and community engagement. Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development.

By Representative Cahill of Lynn, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3241) of Daniel Cahill, Vanna Howard and Jacob R. Oliveira for legislation to establish a trust to provide for the creation and preservation of creative space and presentation space in municipalities. Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Massachusetts prevailing wage laws to include offsite fabrication work for public projects, ensuring that workers building components like pipes, wiring, and modular units at factories receive the same wage protections as those working on construction sites. It defines offsite fabrication as non-standard items produced specifically for a project and mandates that contractors submit weekly certified payroll records detailing employee wages, hours, and the specific location where the work was performed. By applying existing penalties and reporting requirements to these offsite activities, the legislation aims to standardize labor standards across both on-site construction and off-site manufacturing processes for qualified public works.

Maddy summaryThis bill aims to improve Massachusetts' paid family and medical leave program by updating how employers handle leave requests and enhancing data tracking. It requires employers to inform employees of their eligibility for paid leave within five business days and to provide necessary forms in the employee's primary language. The legislation also expands the types of employer policies that count toward meeting leave requirements and mandates more detailed reporting on claim demographics and processing times.