Rep. David Biele

Maddy summaryHD 1371 creates a new six-member "Board of Hoisting Machinery Regulations" within Massachusetts' Department of Labor. The board, appointed by the governor, includes a safety inspector (chair), a public utility worker, a construction contractor, a safety trainer, an OSHA expert, and a union representative with five years' experience. This board will establish licensing rules for hoisting machinery operators, including training requirements, supervision protocols for apprentices, and procedures for license issuance, renewal, denial, or revocation based on safety violations. The bill directly affects apprentice and operator license holders and the safety training industry.

By Representative Biele of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 326) of David Biele and others relative to pipefitting licensure. Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the governor to annually designate the last week in April as "Building Trades Recovery Week." The Buildings Trades Employers Association will use this period to organize events promoting awareness about opioid risks and mental health support for construction workers, directly targeting the building trades industry.

Maddy summaryThis 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.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires that any Massachusetts state or local government contract receiving state funds must employ up to 2% of workers with disabilities, provided the contractor employs at least 75 full-time equivalent workers. It specifically applies to service contracts for janitorial, landscaping, food services, facility management, and other similar work. The law defines "individuals with disabilities" broadly to include various physical and mental conditions, and mandates that agencies like the Massachusetts Office on Disability will implement the rule within one year of contract award. Contractors must also use nonprofit employment providers to support workers with disabilities, while minimizing displacement of current workers.

Maddy summaryThis proposed Massachusetts bill (H 4620) requires state-funded service contracts (such as janitorial, food services, or facility management) to employ up to 10% of workers with disabilities. Contracts must employ at least 75 full-time equivalent workers, with the 10% requirement met within one year of award. The law defines "individuals with disabilities" broadly to include physical, mental, or neurological conditions affecting work, and directs specific state agencies to oversee implementation and provide employment support. It applies to all state or local government contracts receiving legislative appropriations.

Maddy summaryHD 4039 amends Chapter 32 Section 94B(2) of Massachusetts General Laws to change the minimum service requirement for firefighter retirement benefits from five to ten years. It also adds that firefighters retiring under these terms will have secondary cancer covered under Section 9 of the same chapter. This bill directly affects firefighters meeting the revised service requirement, modifying their eligibility for retirement benefits and expanding cancer coverage. The changes apply to current and future firefighters under the specified retirement provisions.

Maddy summaryHD 4051 amends the definition of "Employee" in Massachusetts law to protect collective bargaining rights for certain administrative staff. It directly affects Commonwealth employees in Management Classification Series below M-VI, preventing their automatic exclusion from bargaining coverage. The key provision states these employees cannot be excluded unless the Department of Labor Relations determines their duties meet managerial standards *or* an existing agreement with their bargaining unit covers similar work. This ensures these employees retain the right to collectively bargain unless specific, defined conditions are met.

Maddy summaryHD 4070 allows the state police colonel to appoint retired uniformed state police officers as "special state police officers" under specific conditions. To qualify, retired officers must have an honorable discharge, meet the colonel’s suitability standards, and obtain certification from the police training commission. These appointed officers serve as at-will employees for one-year terms (renewable at the colonel’s discretion), without civil service protections or benefits, but are treated as department members for certain purposes like liability coverage under Chapter 258. The bill directly affects retired state police personnel seeking temporary reemployment in active duty roles.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Massachusetts teacher retirement system rules to ensure continuity for educators. It requires that teachers moving to roles in the Executive Office of Education or Department of Elementary and Secondary Education retain their teacher retirement status without service interruption, with provisions for making up any contribution differences. It also creates a one-time 180-day window for certain teachers (who joined before July 2001 and didn't opt into an alternative retirement plan) to switch to that program. Additionally, the bill allows school districts to temporarily hire retired teachers during staff shortages, though this service doesn't count toward retirement credits. These changes primarily affect current and retired teachers employed in Massachusetts public schools or education agencies.