Rep. Nick Boldyga

Maddy summaryThis bill seeks to legalize the possession, use, and cultivation of small amounts of specific natural plants and fungi by adults aged 21 and older in Massachusetts. It removes criminal and civil penalties for individuals holding up to 2 grams of these substances without selling them, ensuring that such activities do not result in fines, jail time, or the loss of public benefits like housing or student aid. Additionally, the legislation prevents local towns from creating their own rules that contradict these state protections and mandates that records of these activities be kept separate from criminal offender databases.

Maddy summaryThis bill would make psilocybin legal in Massachusetts for therapeutic, spiritual, and medicinal use under strict supervision. It creates a new licensing system where the Department of Public Health would oversee the training and certification of facilitators, requiring applicants to be at least 21, have a high school diploma, and complete 20 to 300 hours of training at a licensed school. Licensed facilitators would be allowed to possess up to 5 grams of psilocybin and could lead sessions for adults 18 and older, while the law would take effect on July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a special commission to study and recommend ways to increase voter turnout in Massachusetts. The commission will investigate the effectiveness of various election laws, such as voting holidays, financial incentives for voting, and ballot access for incarcerated individuals, using statistical models to measure their impact. The panel will also analyze policy preferences between voters and non-voters and compare Massachusetts' options with laws in other states. The commission is composed of elected officials, association leaders, and appointees from public interest groups, and it must hold public hearings before submitting its final report and recommendations within 12 months.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands domestic violence protections in Massachusetts to include contract workers employed by staffing agencies and other third-party labor providers. It achieves this by legally defining these workers and their employers, ensuring they have the same right as traditional employees to take time off for safety reasons related to domestic violence. The change removes the previous restriction that limited these protections only to direct employees, thereby covering a broader range of workers in the Commonwealth.

Senate, October 19, 2023 -- The committee on Labor and Workforce Development, to whom was referred the petitions (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1166) of Ryan C. Fattman, Joseph D. McKenna, Brian M. Ashe, Alyson M. Sullivan-Almeida and other members of the General Court for legislation to ensure domestic violence victims' protections for all employees in the Commonwealth; and (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1919) of Joseph D. McKenna, Ryan C. Fattman and others relative to employment protections for domestic violence victims, reports the accompanying bill (Senate, No. 2479).

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all Massachusetts health insurance plans to cover epinephrine injectors, such as EpiPens and pre-filled syringes, for active and retired state employees, Medicaid recipients, and individuals with private insurance. The law mandates that these devices be treated as standard prescription drugs, meaning they cannot have higher deductibles, copayments, or out-of-pocket limits than other covered medications. By defining epinephrine injectors as FDA-approved auto-injectors or equivalent pre-measured syringes, the legislation ensures consistent access to life-saving allergy treatment across different insurance programs within the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts state law to include ocean acidification projects in the list of eligible activities for coastal landscape funding. The change specifically allows projects aimed at reducing the harmful effects of acidity on shelled organisms to receive financial support. By updating the legal text, the legislation expands the scope of environmental initiatives that can be funded under the existing coastal landscape program.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to streamline the regulatory process for approving subsurface sewage disposal systems, commonly known as septic systems. It specifically allows registered sanitarians to design plans for smaller systems serving up to 2,000 gallons per day, whereas larger systems must be designed by a professional engineer. Additionally, the legislation exempts certain residential property transfers, such as those between spouses or parents and children, from mandatory inspections of existing underground sewage systems. The law also directs the state environmental protection commissioner to minimize paperwork burdens for individuals and businesses while ensuring public safety.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Massachusetts campaign finance laws to adjust contribution limits for individuals and political agents based on inflation. It establishes specific dollar caps for donations to candidates, political party committees, and other political groups, while allowing unlimited contributions to ballot question committees. The legislation also mandates that these limits be automatically recalculated every two years using the federal consumer price index for the Boston area to maintain their real value. Additionally, it clarifies that money sent through designated contribution committees counts as a direct donation from the original giver to the final recipient. These changes directly affect voters, donors, and political organizations by defining how much money can be contributed during election cycles.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes changes to how Massachusetts selects presidential electors by clarifying that one elector is chosen from each congressional district while two are chosen at-large. It updates the state election laws to specify that district electors must vote for the candidates who won the most votes within their specific district, whereas at-large electors vote for the statewide winners. The legislation also outlines the meeting procedures for these electors, requiring them to gather at the state house to organize and cast their ballots according to these new rules. Directly affecting the state's electoral process, the bill aims to formalize the voting instructions for presidential electors during the Electoral College selection.