Labor & Employment in Massachusetts

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 3887: An Act relative to the retirement benefits of certain employees of the Department of Public Health

This bill amends an existing retirement benefits law to specifically include employees of the Department of Public Health within bargaining unit 8. It adds this group to the list of covered employees under the current retirement provisions. The change is purely technical, clarifying eligibility without altering benefit amounts or requirements. It directly affects those specific public health employees in bargaining unit 8.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 1582: An Act relative to the retirement benefits of certain employees of the Department of Children and Families

HD 1582 updates Massachusetts retirement law to include specific long-term employees of the Department of Children and Families in retirement benefits eligibility. It adds job titles such as social workers (A/B, C, D), special investigators (A/B), case reviewers, human service assistants, and human service coordinators to the list of qualifying positions. Employees in these roles who have served for 10 years or more will now receive retirement benefits previously available to other state workers. The bill expands existing eligibility without creating new benefits or changing benefit amounts. It directly affects employees meeting the 10-year service requirement in the specified positions.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 2270: An Act relative to the retirement benefits of certain employees of the department of mental health

This bill amends Chapter 32 of the General Laws to expand retirement benefit eligibility. It specifically adds "employees of the department of mental health within bargaining unit 8" to the list of eligible workers covered under the existing retirement provisions. The change directly affects mental health department employees in bargaining unit 8, who were previously excluded from this specific benefit. The key mechanism is a technical addition to the statutory language defining who qualifies for these retirement benefits. This is a narrow procedural adjustment to the law, not a broad policy change.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Retirement Benefits Unemployment

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 561: An Act relative to the town of Plymouth Harbormaster employees

This bill classifies Plymouth's Harbormaster and Harbormaster Department employees with law enforcement powers as "Group 4 employees" under Massachusetts state law (M.G.L. c. 32, § 3(2)(g)). It ensures these employees’ prior service before the bill’s effective date counts toward their Group 4 benefits. The change directly affects Plymouth Harbormaster Department employees holding statutory law enforcement authority. The bill takes effect immediately upon passage and is procedural, focusing solely on employee classification and service credit.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 2842: An Act promoting and enhancing the sustainability of birth centers and the midwifery workforce

This bill creates a new Midwifery Workforce Development Fund to support midwifery education, retention, and birth center sustainability. The fund, administered by the state health department, receives state/federal maternal health funds and private donations, with unspent balances rolling over annually. It finances student education costs, midwife loan forgiveness (potentially requiring work in underserved areas), midwifery training programs, and mental health support for practicing midwives. Additionally, the bill mandates that state health insurance programs pay certified midwives and freestanding birth centers at rates no lower than those for physicians or hospital services for equivalent care.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Hospitals Women's Health Workforce Development

introduced · Massachusetts · Senate

SD 1113: An Act to provide paid family and medical leave to all educators

SD 1113 provides paid family and medical leave for all educators employed by Massachusetts school districts or education collaboratives. The bill specifically defines these educators as "covered individuals" and designates school districts as "covered employers" for leave purposes. School districts will fund their required contributions to the leave program using existing income surtax revenue (from Chapter 62), not from general operating budgets. This ensures educators can take paid leave for family or medical needs without impacting their employment benefits or health insurance coverage.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Paid Leave

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 2682: An Act relative to assault and battery upon a transit worker

This bill (HD 2682) amends Massachusetts law to expand protections for transit workers against assault and battery. It explicitly adds "public transit worker" to the list of protected employees under Section 13D of Chapter 265, and defines "assault and battery" to include attacks using bodily substances like blood, saliva, or urine. The law now treats such assaults as more severe offenses, with specific legal definitions clarifying what constitutes a "bodily substance." This directly affects transit workers by making assaults against them a distinct criminal violation under state law. The changes provide clearer legal grounds for prosecuting attacks on transit staff using bodily substances.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Violent Crime Public Transit

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 4040: An Act implementing the recommendations of the Walsh-Kennedy Commission Report

This bill (HD 4040) requires all welding, cutting, and hot works training programs in Massachusetts to use a specific National Fire Protection Association program or an equivalent system with an electronic worker status database, multilingual classes, identity verification, and annual refresher training. It adds "criminal negligence" to define repeated, reckless failure to follow safety rules, making such non-compliance potentially punishable as a crime. Penalties for violating welding/cutting rules escalate with offenses: first offense up to $1,000, second up to $2,000 or 1 year in jail, and third+ offenses up to 0.25% of project value or $10,000. The bill also mandates a public system (online database, quarterly reports) to track and notify about safety violations affecting workers and property owners.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

introduced · Massachusetts · Senate

SD 2088: An Act preventing gas expansion to protect climate, community health and safety

This bill prohibits new gas facilities or expansions within 5 miles of environmental justice neighborhoods, except when required for public safety. It mandates that Massachusetts gas companies submit detailed "just transition plans" by 2026, covering workforce training, retention, and pipeline retirement timelines through 2050 to align with net-zero emissions goals. These plans must address maintaining safe service while shifting to renewable energy alternatives and include measures for employee support during the transition. The requirements apply to all gas distribution companies operating in Massachusetts under Chapter 164.

Topics ✓ Energy ✓ Environment ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Pipeline Infrastructure Renewable Energy Environmental Justice Workforce Development

introduced · Massachusetts · Senate

SD 2199: An Act relative to public employee benefits for military service members on active duty

This bill amends Section 100A of Chapter 32 of the General Laws to clarify that public employee benefits for military service members on active duty apply to all deaths occurring while on active duty, regardless of whether the death was combat-related or not. It directly affects public employees who die during military service, ensuring their benefits coverage is not restricted to combat-related deaths. The key provision is a simple textual amendment to expand the scope of existing benefit eligibility under the law. This is a procedural clarification, not a new policy change.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Veterans

Sub-Topics Public Employees Unemployment

All labor & employment bills