Labor & Employment in Massachusetts

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 1024: An Act providing for disability and death benefits for explosive device canine handlers and bomb technicians

This bill amends Section 94B of Chapter 32 in the General Laws to add "explosive device canine handlers and bomb technicians" to the list of eligible individuals for disability and death benefits. It directly affects these specific public safety professionals who work with explosive devices. The key mechanism is a simple statutory update expanding the current eligibility criteria within an existing benefits program. The change does not create new benefits but extends existing ones to cover these roles.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 3861: An Act to encourage, and improve the level of availability of nursing staff

This bill establishes a Nursing Scholarship Program (NSP) through Massachusetts' Department of Public Health to address nursing staff shortages. It provides full tuition coverage for up to four years to students enrolled in accredited Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs within Massachusetts, contingent on committing to two years of full-time work at a Massachusetts healthcare facility after graduation. The program aims to increase nursing workforce stability by reducing educational barriers and encouraging retention in the state's healthcare system. It directly affects nursing students seeking degrees and healthcare institutions needing qualified staff. The program requires annual reporting on participation and outcomes to evaluate effectiveness.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Student Financial Aid Healthcare Workforce Public Health

introduced · Massachusetts · Senate

SD 957: An Act expanding access to commuter transit benefits offered by employers

SD 957 requires Massachusetts employers with 50 or more employees to offer pre-tax commuter benefits (like transit passes or parking) to non-union staff, directly affecting these employers and their employees. Employers failing to comply face fines starting at $100 for the first violation, increasing to $250 per subsequent month. The law mandates a multilingual public awareness campaign by the Department of Revenue, in partnership with transit authorities, to inform employees about these benefits. It also establishes a confidential reporting process for non-compliance and takes effect one year after enactment.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 2545: An Act establishing the public higher education contingent faculty reform pilot program

HD 2545 establishes a 3-year pilot program at three selected public Massachusetts colleges (one community college, one state university, and one UMass campus) to improve working conditions for contingent faculty - part-time instructors paid per course without tenure-track status. The program tests specific reforms including two career advancement tiers with clear promotion paths, earlier course assignments, shared office space, and limited benefits like pro-rated health insurance for those teaching 50%+ of full-time load. Each participating institution must provide 25% matching funds and share implementation findings, while an oversight committee evaluates metrics like faculty retention, cost impacts, and scalability. The pilot, funded initially with up to $2 million annually, concludes with final recommendations by December 2027.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Higher Education

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 4279: An Act expanding the definition of dependent for the purposes of municipal employee benefits as to the city of Cambridge

This bill expands dependent definitions for Cambridge city employee benefits. It adds registered domestic partners to the list of eligible dependents for Group Insurance Commission coverage and treats them as "spouses" for all spousal rights under state law. It also grants surrogates bearing children for city employees or their domestic partners the status of "dependent" for 12 months from pregnancy start. The law takes effect immediately upon passage.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

introduced · Massachusetts · Senate

SD 801: An Act expanding truck safety requirements

This bill requires certain large trucks (class 3 or higher, weighing over 10,000 pounds) operated by specific entities - including municipalities, utility companies, and wireless providers - to install lateral protective devices, convex mirrors, crossover mirrors, and backup cameras by January 1, 2028. It directly affects commercial vehicles leased or purchased by these public or utility entities, excluding ambulances, firefighting vehicles, and agricultural tractors. The state motor vehicle registrar must establish detailed standards for these safety devices based on federal DOT guidelines, allowing for alternative compliance methods. The law aims to enhance safety around large trucks through standardized equipment requirements.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Freight

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 378: An Act relative to increasing professional licensure opportunities

HD 378 expands professional licensure opportunities by restricting how licensing authorities can consider applicants' criminal records. The bill prohibits boards from factoring in non-violent misdemeanors, sealed or expunged convictions, juvenile adjudications, and most offenses older than three years (with exceptions for serious crimes like violent felonies or sex offenses). If a license denial is based on a relevant criminal record, authorities must prove public safety concerns outweigh the applicant's rights and consider rehabilitation evidence like time since the offense, completion of sentences, or community involvement. The bill also mandates annual public reporting by licensing authorities on how often criminal history leads to license denials.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Juvenile Justice Professional Licensing Tags Licensing

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 220: An Act relative to workers' compensation disfigurement benefits concerning scarring

HD 220 amends Massachusetts workers' compensation law to adjust which body areas qualify for disfigurement benefits. It removes "or hands" from the coverage criteria and adds "distally to the elbows, or distally to the knees" to specify that scarring on limbs beyond the elbows or knees now qualifies. This change directly affects workers who suffer workplace injuries resulting in visible scarring on these specific limb areas. The bill modifies the existing benefit eligibility without creating new financial obligations or altering other compensation aspects. The amendment focuses solely on refining the scope of covered disfigurement injuries under current law.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Unemployment Workers' Compensation

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 3899: An Act relative to fire safety

This bill updates Massachusetts fire safety laws regarding sprinkler system apprenticeships. It clarifies that "direct supervision" requires a journeyman or contractor to be physically present on-site with an apprentice, and changes the apprentice-to-journeyman ratio to one apprentice per licensed journeyman or contractor at each jobsite. The bill also replaces gendered pronouns (like "his" and "he") with gender-neutral terms ("their" and "they") throughout the relevant sections. These changes directly affect fire protection sprinkler contractors, journeyman fitters, and apprentices working on sprinkler systems. The bill focuses on clarifying existing requirements and updating language for inclusivity, not creating new safety standards.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Apprenticeships

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 3955: An Act relative to retirement systems and pensions for correctional officers

HD 3955 amends a state law to adjust eligibility for retirement pensions for correctional officers. It changes the qualifying language from "the care, supervision or custody of" to "contact with" in the definition of service. This means correctional officers who have had any contact with inmates - rather than only those with direct care, supervision, or custody - will now qualify for pension benefits. The change directly affects correctional officers seeking retirement benefits under the state's pension system.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

All labor & employment bills