Sen. Lydia Edwards

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new Board of Registration of Recovery Coaches within the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to oversee the licensure of recovery coaches. The board will consist of twelve appointed members representing diverse backgrounds, including individuals with lived experience of substance use disorder, healthcare professionals, and family members. Key provisions include defining a licensed recovery coach as someone who uses mutual empowerment to help others recover, setting up a three-year term structure for board members, and granting the board authority to create regulations and process licensure applications. Ultimately, the legislation creates a formal regulatory framework to ensure that recovery coaches meet specific standards and operate under a recognized title.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new Board of Registration in Midwifery within the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to oversee and regulate the practice of midwifery. The eight-member board will be appointed by the governor and must include licensed midwives, a physician experienced with midwives, a certified nurse-midwife, and members of the public, with specific requirements to ensure diversity and address racial disparities in maternal health. Board members will serve three-year terms without pay but with expense reimbursement, and the board will meet at least four times each year to carry out its duties.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires public colleges in Massachusetts to create housing programs specifically designed for students recovering from substance use disorders. These programs must offer an alcohol and drug-free environment along with services such as trauma-informed counseling, mentoring, and peer support. Additionally, the legislation mandates that all students, faculty, and staff receive overdose training and ensures that naloxone is available on campus to treat overdoses. The law directly impacts public higher education institutions and aims to provide a safer, supportive living situation for students in recovery.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts laws to redefine individuals involved in the sex trade as "prostituted persons" rather than "prostitutes," emphasizing their status as potential victims. It expands legal protections by including various forms of sex work, such as exchanging sexual conduct for food or shelter, within the definitions of related crimes. The legislation also redirects fines collected from violations of these laws to a state trust fund dedicated to assisting victims of human trafficking. By updating terminology and broadening the scope of covered activities, the bill aims to strengthen justice and support systems for those affected by the sex trade.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows Massachusetts cities and towns to choose ranked choice voting for their municipal elections, giving local communities the option to replace traditional voting methods. Under this system, voters rank candidates in order of preference rather than selecting just one, and votes are counted in rounds where ballots for eliminated candidates transfer to the voter's next choice until a winner is decided. Municipalities can adopt this method through a ballot measure, local ordinance, or charter amendment, and they must create specific rules for how votes are counted and conduct voter education campaigns to help residents understand the process. The law also ensures that voters can still use write-in candidates and allows communities to return to their previous voting system after four years if they choose to do so.

Maddy summaryThis Massachusetts bill aims to protect the presumption of innocence and reduce negative long-term impacts for individuals charged with crimes but not convicted. It requires courts and agencies to immediately seal records for offenses that did not result in a conviction or a guilty plea, removing the need for individuals to file separate requests to do so. The law also mandates that anyone receiving criminal records must be informed that a presumption of innocence applies to pending or non-convicted cases, and it grants individuals direct access to their own sealed records without needing a court order. Additionally, the bill clarifies that juvenile records for offenses not transferred to adult court will be sealed immediately if no adjudication occurs, unless the juvenile objects.

Maddy summaryThis bill aims to reduce the number of people serving life sentences in Massachusetts by changing how long they must wait before becoming eligible for parole. It specifically allows prisoners serving multiple life sentences for separate crimes to apply for parole after 25 years from the start of their most recent sentence, rather than remaining incarcerated indefinitely. Additionally, the law sets new minimum time requirements for first-degree murder convictions, requiring at least 25 years in prison for adult offenders, while setting lower minimums for juvenile offenders depending on their age at the time of the crime. These changes apply to both current and future cases, meaning they affect individuals already serving these sentences as well as those convicted after the bill takes effect.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires publicly traded corporations in Massachusetts to make their tax reports available to the public in a searchable online database. It affects large companies that currently file tax information with the state secretary, mandating that these records be accessible on the internet starting from the third year after the tax year ends. The legislation also ensures that the state secretary provides a list of corporations that failed to file their reports and allows the public to purchase copies of the database or individual reports. By removing previous restrictions, the bill aims to increase transparency regarding the tax activities of major corporate entities without changing the underlying tax laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new technical advisory committee to identify communities with high exposure to traffic-related air pollution and establish specific definitions for pollutants like black carbon and ultrafine particles. The Department of Environmental Protection is required to install at least eight new air monitors in these identified hotspots by June 2026 and make the data publicly available. Additionally, the law mandates that the department establish baseline air quality measurements for these areas by June 2027 to better track pollution levels. These changes directly affect residents living near major highways and aim to improve air quality monitoring in areas burdened by pollution.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows individuals in Massachusetts to petition the court to seal their eviction records if the eviction was not caused by nonpayment of rent or a breach of the lease agreement. The law defines specific terms such as "no-fault eviction" to clarify which cases are eligible for sealing and requires that all appeals be exhausted before a petition can be filed. By removing these records from public view, the legislation aims to help tenants with clean rental histories improve their chances of securing future housing. The changes apply to anyone with a relevant court record in the state's trial court system.