Sen. Mike Barrett

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a formal training program for supporters and decision-makers involved in supported decision-making agreements for adults with disabilities in Massachusetts. It requires state agencies to educate these individuals on their rights and obligations while ensuring the training is accessible and developed with input from those who use the system. Additionally, the legislation mandates that schools inform students and families about supported decision-making as an alternative to guardianship during transition planning and Individualized Education Program meetings. Finally, the bill updates legal procedures to require courts to consider alternatives to guardianship and to review any existing supported decision-making agreements when evaluating a request for guardianship.

Maddy summaryThis bill aims to address shortages in Massachusetts' direct care and dementia workforce by creating new training and career advancement opportunities. It establishes a pilot program to provide free Certified Nursing Assistant training and testing to up to 1,000 individuals in areas with high workforce needs, offering a $1,000 bonus to graduates who remain employed for at least one year. Additionally, the legislation creates a career pathway that allows home health aides to advance to Certified Nursing Assistant and Licensed Practical Nurse roles within the state. The bill also expands the list of medical fields considered for certain health services to include geriatrics, geriatric psychiatry, neurology, and neuropsychology.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits employers from including contract clauses that require employees to waive their legal rights regarding discrimination, wage theft, harassment, or violations of public policy. It declares such waivers invalid and void, ensuring that employees cannot be forced to give up these protections as a condition of employment. The legislation also makes it illegal for employers to retaliate against workers who refuse to sign these agreements and allows aggrieved individuals to sue for damages and legal fees. Additionally, the bill ensures that courts, rather than arbitrators, decide whether a waiver is invalid, preventing companies from using arbitration clauses to block these challenges.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Massachusetts state law to ensure that children under three years old who were exposed to opioids in the womb receive early intervention services. It achieves this by adding specific legal definitions for "Substance-Exposed Newborn" and "Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome" and requiring the state department to revise its operational standards. Under the new rules, these children would be automatically considered eligible for support services until their third birthday, regardless of whether withdrawal symptoms are immediately detected at birth. The legislation directly impacts families with infants who have prenatal opioid exposure and the agencies responsible for providing early childhood development support.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires MassHealth to ensure that all Senior Care Options plans provide a specific dementia care coordination service to members diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. The legislation defines this service as a proactive care consultation designed to help individuals receive cost-effective and quality care within the existing senior care framework. By adding this requirement to state law, the measure directly affects seniors enrolled in MassHealth's Senior Care Options programs who have been diagnosed with these conditions.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts laws to improve access to addiction treatment by clarifying how facilities are defined and managed. It requires the Department of Public Health to ensure enough treatment beds are available across the state and mandates that secure treatment facilities be distributed geographically to serve all regions. The legislation also allows individuals to be committed to correctional facilities for addiction treatment only if they are already there for a criminal case, while requiring monthly reports on these placements. Additionally, the bill ensures that jails and prisons must continue to offer voluntary, evidence-based addiction treatment to incarcerated individuals.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a statewide housing goal to build 427,000 new units in Massachusetts by 2040, with specific targets for affordable housing for low- and middle-income families. It requires the state housing secretary to report annually on progress toward these goals, including details on unit types, accessibility, and foreign property purchases. Additionally, the bill mandates that zoning laws allow high-density, mixed-use housing near transit hubs without minimum parking requirements, provided that at least 10% to 15% of the units are set aside for lower-income households.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts corporate tax laws to increase the state excise tax rate from 9.0% to 10.5% for tax years starting on or after January 1, 2023. The legislation directly affects corporations subject to the state excise tax by raising the rate on their taxable net income. Additionally, the bill adjusts the corresponding income tax rate for corporations from 8.0% to 9.5% effective the same date. These changes reverse previous reductions in tax rates that were in place since 2012.

Maddy summaryThis Massachusetts bill establishes a tiered corporate minimum tax that requires businesses to pay a set fee based on their annual sales within the state. Companies with less than one million dollars in sales pay $456, while those with over one billion dollars in sales pay $150,000, with specific amounts set for every sales bracket in between. The tax applies to corporations operating in Massachusetts starting with tax years that begin on or after January 1, 2023.

Maddy summaryThis Massachusetts bill aims to increase transparency and accountability within the state's correctional facilities by granting incarcerated individuals the right to communicate freely with news media representatives. It establishes that journalists, including freelancers, may visit, video conference, and call inmates without restrictions related to housing or disciplinary sanctions, ensuring these communications are confidential and unmonitored. Additionally, the legislation requires facilities to collect and publicly report detailed data on the use of force, including incidents involving specific demographics and those resulting in injuries or hospitalizations. The law also mandates that attorneys be allowed to bring a journalist to legal visits and prohibits retaliation against inmates for engaging with the press.