An Act establishing a Cybersecurity Control and Review Commission

Our world looks a lot different than it did last century – our lives are now built around software and computers rather than the analog methods of communication and control of days gone by. While this technological revolution has improved our quality of life and created entire new industries around the world, it has also created vulnerabilities that pose structural risks to the basic way of life in our communities. From the computers that keep clean water flowing to our homes to the software that makes sure paychecks reliably deposit in our bank accounts, our societal systems are not prepared for the disruption and chaos that a major cyberattack could cause.

This legislation would take steps toward making sure we are better prepared for the uncertainties of the future by creating a statewide standing commission of cybersecurity experts to do four primary things:

  • Develop a comprehensive recommended cybersecurity standard for governments and businesses operating in the Bay State

  • Create a process of accreditation for private businesses that meet the commission’s standards

  • Require any private businesses who contract with state or local governments to comply with the commission’s standards

  • Require the commission to write an annual report to be shared with the state legislature and the public on the status of the Commonwealth’s critical infrastructure and recommendations on how to maintain the resiliency of our protections

An Act relative to silencers

This legislation will strengthen current state law prohibiting the purchase, possession, and use of silencers by amending the definition of “silencer” to mirror the definition in federal law. At a time when law enforcement officials are seeing an increase in the purchase and possession of illegal firearms, including ghost guns and firearm accessories, this bill will strengthen enforcement capabilities and protect public safety by helping to keep these devices out of the hands of dangerous individuals.

An Act protecting consumer rights in purchasing safe and habitable homes

In the hot housing market of the past few years, many buyers are pressured to waive their right to a home inspection to make their offers more attractive to sellers — risking financial disaster with no recourse if a critical flaw is found after the purchase.

This legislation will establish the basic right of the consumer to have a home inspection done of the home they are about to purchase by removing the home inspection contingency clause from the Offer to Purchase form.

Once the offer is accepted, the buyer can state whether they want an inspection or not and agree on a timeframe with the seller.

An Act relative to equalizing the Department of Revenue interest rates

Under current law, a taxpayer that fails to make a timely payment is required to pay interest after the statutory due date. The interest for such delinquent tax liability is the federal short-term rate, plus 4%, compounded daily. In contrast, when the Department of Revenue owes a taxpayer a refund, the rate of interest is the federal short-term rate, plus two percentage points, computed as simple interest. Moreover, the Department of Revenue gets 120 days from the last date for filing the tax return before interest applies. If the refund is mailed within 120 days, the Department of Revenue pays no interest.

This legislation would restore equity to our tax code by subjecting the taxpayer and the Commonwealth to the same interest rate at the federal short-term rate, plus two percentage points, computed as simple interest.      

An Act to protect individuals with disabilities in MassHealth day habilitation programs

In 2020, the legislature passed Senator Moore’s Nicky’s Law, a law that established a registry to track caretakers found to have abused individuals with disabilities and prevent them from working with vulnerable populations. This legislation would build on Nicky’s Law by extending its protection — based on substantiated findings of abuse by the Disabled Persons Protection Commission (DPPC) — to day habilitation programs contracted by MassHealth.

An Act granting property tax exemptions to disabled Veterans

This legislation provides a property tax exemption to veterans 65 or older who are partially or totally permanently disabled. The exemption is equal to the percentage of the veteran’s permanent, service-connected disability as determined by the United States Department of Veteran’s Affairs. The costs of the exemption will be paid by the Commonwealth, not individual towns and cities.

An Act establishing a standing commission on operating under the influence and impaired driving

This legislation was filed in conjunction with the Cannabis Control Commission, to help the Commonwealth better address the effects of impaired driving. While the mission of the Commission would extend to all impaired driving, it includes specific directives regarding the challenges of legalized marijuana. The Commission is directed to study the emerging scientific and medical tests, as well as consider the civil liberties of the driver, the socio-economic impacts of the testing, and the admissibility of evidence in court proceedings.

An Act relative to small business health insurance incentives

This legislation will help lower premium costs for small businesses in pooled markets through two incentives:

  • Allowing carriers to award participants who seek more efficient administration of coverage and influence member utilization through education and use of transparency tool

  • Authorizing insurers to offer year-end incentives for small employers and their employees based on the number of subscribers in the group

An Act improving the tax administrative laws of the Commonwealth

This legislation changes the administrative provisions of our tax laws and improves the tax code by:

  • Encouraging settlement of cases instead of litigation

  • Allowing for an expeditious collection of revenues by providing a one month extension for combined filers

  • Making the sham transaction doctrine equitable and more aligned with the Internal Revenue Code

  • Restoring equal estimated quarterly payments of taxes

  • Establishing a broad tax amnesty program

An Act protecting public higher education student information

Recently, public college and university campuses have been inundated with public records requests for the personal information of students. These requests seek information such as student names, home and school addresses, dates of birth, telephone and cellphone numbers, email addresses, areas of study, graduation dates, parents’ names, and their home addresses. Frequently, campuses feel compelled to provide this information as it has been designated as a "public record" for the purposes of complying with the state's public records laws.

This legislation amends Chapter 66 so that campuses would not be required to comply with public records requests for student data that is defined as an "education record" in the federal Family Education and Privacy Act (FERPA), including records that have been designated by campuses as "directory information."  

An Act to prohibit inappropriate use of the health care cost growth benchmark

The Health Care Cost Growth Benchmark was established in 2012 to help control the growth of total health care expenditures across all payers, but was not intended to act as a spending cap. However, insurance carriers have used the benchmark as a defacto cap on reimbursement across providers.

This legislation inserts a new limitation on the health insurance statute prohibiting the use of the benchmark in health insurance contracts with providers.