This legislation legalizes the sale and use of ground based sparkling devices and novelties, while maintaining the restrictions on explosive and aerial fireworks.
An Act relative to oversight of the sex offender registry board
This legislation:
Mandates that Sex Offender Registry Board and the State Police establish a memorandum of understanding to identify and locate offenders who failed to comply or could not be notified
Expands reporting requirements when an offender is released to include the state police and departments where the offender previously lived and worked
Requires the state police to file an arrest warrant for any offender who violates the reporting requirements
Creates a new category, to be known as ‘Level Zero’ that will be used to identify offenders who are appealing their classification.
An Act relative to transparency in private utility construction contracts
This legislation would require that, after winning a public bid, a company must disclose the bid and notify other responsible bidders of the terms.
An Act to promote safety, efficiency, and accountability in transportation projects through public inspections
This legislation requires that public employees perform construction inspections on all surface transportation projects receiving state or federal funding. This will save the Commonwealth money as private sector engineers are paid at a much higher rate than public construction inspectors. This bill also provides much-needed checks and balances on private construction projects.
An Act to enhance courthouse security
This legislation seeks to amend the General Laws to formally bar members of the public from bringing firearms into state courthouses. While this common-sense policy is in place statewide as a security provision, courthouses are not included in the many places where firearms are formally barred by statute.
An Act relative to source plasma donation centers
The legislation creates a regulated definition for source plasma donation centers and authorizes the Department of Public Health to oversee the registration process.
Under current law, plasma donation centers have to qualify for a broader license that goes well beyond the purposes of a plasma donation.
An Act relative to Chief Probation Officers
This legislation removes Chief Probation Officers from the statute restricting certain public employee groups from unionizing.
An Act relative to the timely and consistent payment of law enforcement personnel
This legislation ensures that awarding authorities are responsible for the payment of police details and the associated recordkeeping. This proposal would guarantee payment for law enforcement personnel, improve bid pricing, and allow for greater cost control and prevent certain project delays.
An Act establishing local emergency management agencies
This bill allows municipalities to establish Local Emergency Management Agencies. These agencies would be organized and run by a director, who would report directly to the municipality’s appointing authority (Mayor or City manager for a city, or the Town Manager or Town Administrator in towns). The agency would have the authority to utilize and coordinate the services, equipment, supplies, and facilities of the town in response. This legislation would only take effect in the case of a declaration of a state of emergency by the appointing authority and would be superseded by any declaration made by the Governor.
An Act to add law enforcement councils to the Massachusetts TORT Claims Act
This legislation would add law enforcement councils to the definition of public employer in GL 258:1, the statute governing claims and indemnity procedures for public employees.
An Act relative to the definition of fraud in public construction bid laws
This legislation clarifies what constitutes fraud in the public bidding process. Passage of this bill would improve the Office of the Attorney General’s ability to root out fraud and misrepresentation in the public bidding arena and ensure transparency and integrity. Our public construction bid laws do not define fraud. The Supreme Judicial Court ruling in Fordyce v Town of Hanover narrowed the definition of fraud in the public bidding context so much that the only false statements that constitute fraud are those that cause actual harm to the awarding authority. This bill addresses this by making it clear that contractors who intentionally attempt to deceive awarding authorities cannot be awarded contracts.
An Act relative to the taxation of small business in the Commonwealth
This legislation would increase the range of the entry-level tax imposed on S corporations from $6 million - $9 million to $12 million - $18 million, and ties future increases to the CPI.
An Act relative to sheriffs
This legislation includes recommendations approved by the Sheriff’s Commission (final report filed as S.1865 during the 2013-2014 legislative session). This bill:
Exempts the Sheriffs from the prohibition on providing meals to employees by allowing collective bargaining on this issue
Establishes a Corrections Advisory Board with the aim of improving coordination across the criminal justice system and establishing best practices in all aspects of corrections operations
Provides for an HRD assessment of current Sheriffs’ Office’s human resources policies and practices
Places deputy sheriffs in Group 4 and provides injured in the line of duty benefits
Updates the civil process operations.
An Act relative to dental hygienists
This legislation allows dental hygienists who have obtained a special permit to administer nitrous oxide to patients under the direct supervision of a dentist. The Board of Registration of Dentistry will determine the education requirements needed to obtain certification to administer nitrous oxide.
32 states have passed similar legislation.
An Act to clarify the net-worth measure of the corporate excise
To clarify the current law regarding the calculation used to determine the net-worth measure of the corporate excise, this legislation seeks to clarify how the Department of Revenue calculates debt vs. equity calculation during the audit process, which has been inconsistent and seeks to affirm existing state and federal law regarding foreign owned companies.
An Act relative to the retirement of MassPort officers
MassPort police officers provide high level public safety services for the Commonwealth on essential properties that are controlled by the agency. These officers share jurisdiction with the Massachusetts State Police in essential public areas like Logan Airport and the Seaport. Despite their duties and qualifications matching any police department in the state, they have been incorrectly relegated to group 2 for the purposes of the retirement system.
This legislation brings MassPort officers into group 4, which is reflective of their work.
An Act relative to pensions for children of public safety officers killed in the line of duty
This legislation outlines how pensions should be distributed in situations where there are surviving children, but no surviving spouse at the time of such firefighter, police officer, or corrections officer’s death.
An Act relative to the Massachusetts State College Building Authority
This legislation permits state universities with projects authorized in the Higher Education Bond Bill (Chapter 258 of the Acts of 2008) to be able to utilize supplemental funding accessed through the Massachusetts State College Building Authority.
An Act relative to single sales factor
This bill provides as an election (an opt-in and not mandatory) single sales factor apportionment to all Massachusetts industries in the Commonwealth. The Single Sales Factor apportionment is the ratio of Massachusetts sales to overall sales. Under current law, it applies to manufacturing companies, qualifying defense contractors, and qualifying financial service providers.
An Act relative to rest home rate adjustments
This legislation would require the Executive Office of Health and Human Services create regulations to allow for individual rate adjustment when facilities hire additional staff or comply with improvements mandated by certification or licensure.