Sen. Mike Brady

By Mr. Cyr, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1504) of Julian Cyr, Joanne M. Comerford, James B. Eldridge, John F. Keenan and others for legislation to protect Massachusetts public health from Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) a group of chemicals that are used in many consumer products and industrial processes. Public Health.

By Mr. Moore, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 799) of Michael O. Moore for legislation relative to ambulance service reimbursement. Financial Services.

By Mr. Lewis, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 149) of Jason M. Lewis, James K. Hawkins, John F. Keenan, Manny Cruz and other members of the General Court for legislation to increase current medical providers' knowledge about autism in order to improve treatment. Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.

By Mr. Gomez, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 763) of Adam Gomez, Lindsay N. Sabadosa, Manny Cruz, Sal N. DiDomenico and other members of the General Court for legislation relative to telehealth and digital equity for patients. Financial Services.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a pension benefit for surviving spouses of Department of Children and Families (DCF) social workers who die while performing their duties. It directly affects DCF social workers who are killed in the line of duty and their surviving spouses. The law requires the Massachusetts State Board of Retirement to establish specific eligibility rules for this pension, effective January 1, 2023. The policy change expands pension eligibility to cover these specific public safety workers who lose their lives on duty.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands eligibility for line-of-duty death benefits to include Unit 8 employees within the Public Safety Secretariat of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections. It amends Chapter 32, Section 100A of the Massachusetts General Laws to add "or Unit 8 employees within the Public Safety Secretariat" to the list of covered personnel. Currently, only corrections officers and similar roles received these benefits; this change specifically extends them to Unit 8 employees who serve in public safety roles. The policy change directly affects eligible Unit 8 employees and their families by providing financial support if they die while performing official duties.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a retirement savings program for personal care attendants and family child care providers in Massachusetts. It requires the state to establish a retirement account program (similar to a 403(b)) with mandatory state employer contributions, including a 100% match on employee contributions up to a cap. The program must include labor representation on governance, low fees, and financial literacy resources, with the Department of Medical Assistance acting as employer for personal care attendants and the Department of Early Education and Care as employer for family child care providers. Implementation must be completed within one year of the bill's passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires administrators of certain retirement plans (specifically those offered by state political subdivisions like cities or towns to their employees) to disclose key financial details to plan participants. Starting January 1, 2026, administrators must provide annual disclosures showing the fee ratio and net return for each investment option, plus fees paid to any investment advisors. These disclosures must be given at initial enrollment and at least once yearly. The bill directly affects retirement plan participants by increasing transparency about costs and potential conflicts of interest in their investment choices.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Massachusetts' Department of Mental Health, Youth Services, Children and Families, Public Health, and Personnel Administration to update their official job descriptions to include Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHCs) and Licensed Supervised Mental Health Counselors (LSMHCs) by September 1, 2023. It mandates that all behavioral health job postings within these departments reflect the full scope of practice for these licensed professionals. The bill directly affects state agencies hiring mental health staff and the LMHC/LSMHC professionals seeking these positions. The key mechanism is a deadline-driven update to job classification specifications, ensuring state hiring aligns with these counselors' authorized roles.

Maddy summaryHD 1919 allows veterans who previously served as State Staff members (as defined in Chapter 33, Section 15) to adjust their retirement compensation. Specifically, it permits them to add a 10% makeup payment for each year they received a housing or subsistence allowance that was not included in their original retirement calculation. This applies to veterans who served on State Staff for the prior three years. The change directly affects eligible veterans by increasing their regular annual retirement compensation based on excluded past allowances. The bill modifies how certain allowances are counted toward retirement benefits for this specific group.