Sen. Pat Jehlen

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all schools in Massachusetts, including public, private, and charter institutions, to annually report the number of students who are fully vaccinated versus those with exemptions. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health will establish the specific method for schools to submit these numbers and will then publish the aggregated data for each school and district to the public. The law includes a privacy safeguard that prevents the release of any data that could identify individual students or violate existing privacy statutes. Additionally, the department has the flexibility to release this information by municipality or other geographic areas if it chooses to do so.

Maddy summaryThis Massachusetts bill aims to limit how schools can punish students for violations of dress and grooming codes. It requires school dress codes to allow religious headwear, apply rules equally to all genders, and forbid staff from physically enforcing these rules or making students undress in front of others. Additionally, the law prohibits suspending or expelling students solely for breaking dress code standards. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is tasked with creating necessary training and policies to help schools comply with these new requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Massachusetts public schools to include American Sign Language in their curriculum. It modifies existing state law by changing a permissive "may" to a mandatory "shall," ensuring that schools must provide this instruction. Additionally, the bill adds a specific rationale explaining that sign language is an effective communication tool for children with autism due to its visual nature and ability to facilitate quick interaction.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands the Massachusetts Earned Income Tax Credit to help low- and moderate-income families stabilize their finances. It allows more people to qualify by lowering the age requirement for adults from 25 to 18 and including students who are at least half-time enrolled in higher education programs. The legislation also increases the maximum income limit to $75,000 and adjusts it annually for inflation, while raising the credit amount for families with more than three children. Additionally, the bill modifies how the credit is phased out for higher earners, ensuring a broader range of working individuals can receive financial support.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the definition of "housing accommodation" in Massachusetts law to include buildings with fewer than four residential units, provided they are part of a larger housing development. The change directly affects condominium conversion projects by ensuring these smaller buildings are classified as housing accommodations under existing regulations. By removing the previous exclusion for small buildings, the legislation aims to extend protections to residents living in these specific types of converted properties.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to expand access to medical parole for incarcerated individuals by updating the definitions of permanent incapacitation and terminal illness. It requires correctional facilities to consider parole requests from prisoners, attorneys, family members, or medical providers, with a strict timeline for reviewing these petitions. The legislation also mandates that the Department of Correction identify cognitively incapacitated prisoners through annual standardized assessments and allows them to choose a surrogate decision-maker to advocate on their behalf. Additionally, the bill ensures that risk assessments for violent recidivism account for a prisoner's medical condition and considers whether community-based treatment could reduce that risk.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a legal framework in Massachusetts to ensure that owners of portable wireless devices can have them repaired by independent repair shops. It requires manufacturers to provide independent repair providers with the necessary parts, tools, and technical documentation on fair and reasonable terms, preventing companies from blocking third-party repairs through restrictive access. The law defines specific categories for manufacturers, authorized repair providers, and independent repair providers to clarify who must comply with these access requirements. By mandating access to repair resources, the legislation aims to increase consumer choice and competition in the device repair market.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new student loan repayment program in Massachusetts designed to support human services workers who have earned degrees or certificates. To qualify, employees of designated community-based organizations must work at least 35 hours per week and have completed 12 consecutive months of employment in the field. The program prioritizes applicants with lower salaries, bilingual skills, or experience in direct care, offering up to $30,000 in loan repayment assistance depending on the applicant's highest degree. The executive office of health and human services will manage the program using guidelines set by the department of higher education.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to ensure nursing home beds are reserved for residents who are MassHealth recipients while they are hospitalized or taking time off. Under the new rules, the state will cover costs for up to 20 days of bed preservation if a resident is in the hospital for a medical event, including stays longer than 24 hours. Additionally, the state will pay to keep beds open for up to 10 days per year for residents who request nonmedical leaves of absence. These changes directly affect nursing facilities by requiring them to hold beds for eligible residents during these specific absences without charging the state extra fees.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to protect patients from nonconsensual intimate examinations, specifically pelvic, prostate, or rectal exams, while they are anesthetized, deeply sedated, or unconscious. It requires health care providers to obtain specific written consent from a patient for such exams unless the procedure is already part of the planned medical treatment for which the patient gave general consent or is an emergency situation. The law defines "health care providers" broadly to include physicians, nurses, students, and other clinical trainees who might perform these procedures. By establishing these clear requirements, the legislation aims to prevent unauthorized intimate physical contact during vulnerable medical states.