Sections 4-102 All Outside Sections

          Clause Twenty-sixth of section 7 of chapter 4 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following subclause:-

          (x) photographs and other personal identifying information collected under chapter 90L.

This section, together with related sections, authorizes the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to establish a speed camera enforcement program to allow DOT and municipalities to enforce posted speed limits through speed cameras in construction zones and school zones, respectively.

          Section 18 of chapter 7A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following subsection:-

          (d) The department of revenue shall assist the comptroller in collecting, under this section's procedures, overdue motor vehicle excise assessed under chapter 60A, overdue liabilities for parking violations under sections 20A, 20A1/2 and 20E of chapter 90, and overdue abandoned vehicle fines under section 22B of chapter 90. To be collectible under this section's procedures, a taxpayer's overdue motor vehicle excise assessed under chapter 60A, overdue liabilities for parking violations under sections 20A, 20A1/2 and 20E of chapter 90 and overdue abandoned vehicle fines under section 22B of chapter 90 shall exceed a minimum amount and shall have been incurred within a maximum lookback period as established by regulations issued by the commissioner of revenue.

This section, together with related sections, eliminates the practice of imposing driver's license non-renewals and motor vehicle registration non-renewals for certain unpaid debts and provides for an alternative enforcement mechanism.

          Subsection (a) of section 25 of chapter 10 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word "appropriation", in line 13, the first time it appears, the following words:- ; notwithstanding the foregoing, the commission may enter into contracts or group agreements for lottery games not currently or previously authorized by the commission, resulting in a contractor or licensor to be paid a specified percentage of net or gross revenues of such game and such payments shall not be subject to appropriation.

This section clarifies that the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission may enter into contracts for lottery games not currently or previously authorized by the Commission.

          Section 12 of chapter 11 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 18, the figure "3" and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- 5.

This section requires that the State Auditor conduct audits of all entities required to be audited every 5 years rather than every 3 years.

          Subsection (b) of section 3 of chapter 23M of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the first sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- The agency, working in conjunction with the department, shall develop program guidelines governing the terms and conditions under which financing for commercial PACE projects may be made available to the commercial sustainable energy program.

This section removes a requirement that energy cost savings over the useful life of Property Assessed Clean Energy improvements exceed the costs of the improvements.

          Chapter 23N of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 17, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

          Section 17. There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a Sports Wagering Fund which shall receive revenues collected pursuant to sections 6 and 14. The fund shall not be subject to appropriation. The commission shall be the trustee of the fund and shall transfer monies from the fund as follows:

          (1) 45 per cent to the General Fund;
          (2) 10 per cent to the Workforce Investment Trust Fund established in section 18;
          (3) 7.5 per cent to the Economic Development Trust Fund established in Section 16I of chapter 6A;
          (4) 27.5 per cent to the Gaming Local Aid Fund established in section 63 of chapter 23K;
          (5) 1 per cent to the Youth Development and Achievement Fund established in section 19; and
          (6) 9 per cent to the Public Health Trust Fund established in section 58 of chapter 23K.

This section, together with related sections, authorizes the Secretary of Economic Development, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, to transfer funds from the Workforce Investment Trust Fund to the Economic Development Trust Fund and allows for more flexible use of the Workforce Investment Trust Fund.

          Subsection (a) of section 18 of said chapter 23N, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 5, the figure "16" and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- 17.

This section, together with related sections, authorizes the Secretary of Economic Development, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, to transfer funds from the Workforce Investment Trust Fund to the Economic Development Trust Fund and allows for more flexible use of the Workforce Investment Trust Fund.

          Said section 18 of said chapter 23N, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out subsection (b) and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:-

          (b) The fund shall be administered by the secretary of economic development in consultation with the secretary of labor and workforce development. Money in the fund may be (i) expended to support existing workforce development programs administered by state agencies or quasi-public agencies that develop and strengthen workforce opportunities for low-income communities or unemployed or underemployed individuals or vulnerable youth and young adults in the commonwealth; (ii) expended to support internships, apprenticeships or other work-based learning programs, or programs that provide vocational or professional training to address workforce skills gaps or workforce readiness in priority economic sectors or (iii) competitively granted to eligible recipients described in subsection (c).

This section, together with related sections, authorizes the Secretary of Economic Development, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, to transfer funds from the Workforce Investment Trust Fund to the Economic Development Trust Fund and allows for more flexible use of the Workforce Investment Trust Fund.

          Subsection (c) of said section 18 of said chapter 23N, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 25, the word "and" and inserting in place thereof the following word:- or.

This section, together with related sections, authorizes the Secretary of Economic Development, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, to transfer funds from the Workforce Investment Trust Fund to the Economic Development Trust Fund and allows for more flexible use of the Workforce Investment Trust Fund.

          Said subsection (c) of said section 18 of said chapter 23N, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 31, the word "permits" and inserting in place thereof the following words:- permits, apprenticeships.

This section, together with related sections, authorizes the Secretary of Economic Development, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, to transfer funds from the Workforce Investment Trust Fund to the Economic Development Trust Fund and allows for more flexible use of the Workforce Investment Trust Fund.

          Subsection (d) of said section 18 of said chapter 23N, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 50, the words "housing and".

This section, together with related sections, authorizes the Secretary of Economic Development, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, to transfer funds from the Workforce Investment Trust Fund to the Economic Development Trust Fund and allows for more flexible use of the Workforce Investment Trust Fund.

          Section 5 of chapter 25B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out clause (20) and inserting in place thereof the following clause:-

          (20) Level 1 and Level 2 electric vehicle supply equipment included in the scope of the ENERGY STAR Program Requirements Product Specification for Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment, Version 1.2 (Rev. June 2023), shall meet the qualification criteria of that specification.

This section exempts Level 3 electric vehicle chargers from regulation by the Department of Energy Resources.

          Subsection (a) of section 2BBBBBB of chapter 29 of the General Laws, as most recently amended by section 18 of chapter 9 of the acts of 2025, is hereby amended by striking out the figure "$550,000,000" and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $975,000,000.

This section amends the dedicated transportation income surtax revenue amount committed to the Commonwealth Transportation Fund from the Education and Transportation Fund.

          Section 5G of chapter 29 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 6, 8 and 14, the figure "$1,000,000,000", each time it appears, and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following figure:- $2,250,000,000.

This section, together with its related section, updates the excess capital gains threshold.

          Said section 5G of said chapter 29, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 16 to 19, inclusive, the words "average annual rate of growth in United States gross domestic product over the preceding 5 years based on the most recently available data published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis in the United States Department of Commerce" and inserting in place thereof the following words:- 95 per cent of the average of final certified capital gains tax revenues for the prior 10 fiscal years, including the most recently ended fiscal year, adjusted for inflation based on the most recently available national gross domestic product price index data published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis in the federal Department of Commerce.

This section updates the methodology to calculate the annual excess capital gains threshold adjustment.

          Chapter 29 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 5G the following 2 sections:-

          Section 5G1/4. There shall be a standing stabilization fund and long-term liability financing task force to review and make recommendations relative to: (i) the appropriate long-term level of funding for the Commonwealth Stabilization Fund established pursuant to section 2H; (ii) the appropriate level and means of funding for long-term financial liabilities of the commonwealth and (iii) amendments to the mechanisms that provide funding for the Commonwealth Stabilization Fund and other long-term financial liabilities, including the provisions of section 5G.

          The task force shall review: (i) the statutory threshold for excess capital gains collections established in said section 5G in consideration of historical and estimated future capital gains collections; (ii) the disbursement percentages required under said section 5G; (iii) best practices related to the funding of long-term financial liabilities among states; (iv) best practices related to the funding and size of stabilization and disaster relief funds among states; (v) the impacts of relevant fiscal policies on the commonwealth's credit ratings; (vi) an assessment of potential fiscal impacts to the commonwealth resulting from natural disasters, with consideration for historical experience and trends and (vii) any other relevant fiscal factors to ensure the most prudent use of state revenues. The task force shall consider said disbursement percentages in consideration of the relative size or funding level of the Commonwealth Stabilization Fund, the State Retiree Benefits Trust Fund established pursuant to section 24 of chapter 32A, the Commonwealth's Pension Liability Fund established pursuant to subsection (e) of subdivision 8 of section 22 of chapter 32 and other long-term financial liabilities of the commonwealth.

          The task force shall consist of the secretary of administration and finance, who shall serve as chair; the state treasurer or a designee; the comptroller or a designee; the commissioner of revenue or a designee; 1 individual appointed by the governor who shall be an expert in public finance and who shall be a resident of the commonwealth and 1 individual appointed by the state treasurer who shall be an expert in state public finance.

          The task force shall report on its analysis and issue recommendations to the clerks of the senate and house of representatives beginning June 1, 2030, and every 5 years thereafter.

          Section 5G1/2. The executive office for administration and finance, in consultation with the department of revenue, shall annually conduct a multi-year budget forecast and evaluate the potential prospective stress impacts of economic scenarios, to be determined by the secretary of administration and finance, for at least the next 3 fiscal years including, but not limited to: (i) notable causes of potential deficiencies and key risk factors impacting the state budget; (ii) potential effects of economic changes on tax revenue collections and spending pressures and (iii) sufficiency of the Commonwealth Stabilization Fund established pursuant to section 2H and other reserve balances, as identified by the secretary, in offsetting potential revenue declines and spending pressures. The executive office shall submit a report to the house and senate committees on ways and means not later than October 31 of each year with the results of the multi-year forecast and stress impact evaluation.

This section codifies the Stabilization Fund and Long-term Liability Financing Task Force and requires the Executive Office for Administration and Finance to annually review potential prospective stress impacts of economic scenarios for future fiscal years.

          Section 39M½ of chapter 30 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 16, the figure "$50,000,000" and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $100,000,000.

This section, together with related sections, increases the threshold for contracts requiring an owner's representative in transportation projects from $50,000,000 to $100,000,000 and removes the requirement that an owner's representative be a professional engineer.

          Said section 39M½ of said chapter 30, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out the definitions of "Oversight cost estimate" and "Owner's representative" inserting in place thereof the following 2 definitions:-

          "Oversight cost estimate", an estimate developed by the commonwealth or any agency thereof, prior to the engagement of an owner's representative, of the anticipated total cost of the services of that representative.

          "Owner's representative", an individual who has not less than 5 years of experience in the construction and supervision of construction of the type which is the subject of the pertinent major contract in nature, scope and complexity.

This section, together with related sections, increases the threshold for contracts requiring an owner's representative in transportation projects from $50,000,000 to $100,000,000 and removes the requirement that an owner's representative be a professional engineer.

          Subsection (1) of section 22C of chapter 32 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the third paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-

          Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, appropriations or transfers made to the Commonwealth's Pension Liability Fund in fiscal years 2027 to 2029, inclusive, shall be made in accordance with the following funding schedule: (i) $5,130,518,640 in fiscal year 2027; (ii) $5,335,739,386 in fiscal year 2028 and (iii) $5,549,168,961 in fiscal year 2029. Notwithstanding any provision of this subdivision to the contrary, any adjustments to these amounts shall be limited to increases in the schedule amounts for each of the specified years.

This section provides for the Commonwealth's payments into the Pension Liability Fund for Fiscal Years 2027, 2028 and 2029.

          Section 5 of chapter 40A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word "sent", in lines 31 and 44, each time it appears, the following words:- electronically or.

This section, together with related sections, amends Chapter 40A to allow for notice to be sent via email.

          Said section 5 of said chapter 40A, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting, after the word "notice", in line 37, the following words:- electronically or.

This section, together with related sections, amends Chapter 40A to allow for notice to be sent via email.

          Section 11 of said chapter 40A, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting, after the word "sent", in line 8, the following words:- electronically or.

This section, together with related sections, amends Chapter 40A to allow for notice to be sent via email.

          Said section 11 of said chapter 40A, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting, after the word "notice", in line 23, the following words:- electronically or.

This section, together with related sections, amends Chapter 40A to allow for notice to be sent via email.

          Chapter 41 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 97B½, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

          Section 97B1/2. (a) A hospital licensed pursuant to chapter 111 and all other medical facilities that conduct medical forensic examinations shall notify a local law enforcement agency at the time the evidence of a sexual assault is obtained and no later than 24 hours after using a new kit for the collection of sexual assault evidence.

          (b) Local law enforcement agencies shall:

          (1) Take possession of the sexual assault evidence kit from hospitals and other medical facilities that conduct medical forensic examinations within 3 business days of notification.

          (2) Submit new sexual assault evidence kits to the crime laboratory within the department of the state police or the police department of a municipality that operates a crime laboratory and has a population of more than 150,000, in the case of a sexual assault alleged to have taken place in that municipality, within 7 business days of taking possession, except that non-investigatory sexual assault evidence kits associated with a victim who has not yet filed a report with law enforcement shall not be subject to the 7 day requirement. Non-investigatory kits shall be safely stored by law enforcement in a manner that preserves evidence for the duration of the statute of limitations for all sexual assault and rape cases; provided, however, that all kits shall be retained for not less than 15 years.

          (c) The crime laboratory within the department of the state police or the police department of a municipality that operates a crime laboratory and has a population of more than 150,000, in the case of a sexual assault alleged to have taken place in that municipality, shall test all sexual assault evidence kits within 30 days of receipt from local law enforcement, notwithstanding the statute of limitations of the underlying offense.

          (d) In cases where testing results in a DNA profile, the crime laboratory shall enter the full profile into CODIS and the state DNA database.

          (e) Each sexual assault evidence kit shall be entered into the statewide sexual assault evidence kit tracking system pursuant to section 18X of chapter 6A.

This section, together with its related section, requires that all sexual assault rape kits be stored for a minimum of 15 years and provides an exception to the 15-year statute of limitations in instances in which DNA technology has identified a match.

          Chapter 60A of the General Laws, is hereby amended by striking out section 2A, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

          Section 2A. If an excise assessed under this chapter remains unpaid for 14 days after a demand therefor made more than 1 day after such excise becomes due and payable, and if the local tax collector or commissioner of revenue elects to utilize the services of a deputy collector, then said deputy collector or the local tax collector or commissioner of revenue, as the case may be, shall send a notice of warrant to the delinquent taxpayer. If the delinquent taxpayer does not respond within 30 days to said notice of warrant then a service warrant shall be made. If the tax remains unpaid after the service of warrant then the deputy collector may, at the discretion of the local collector, return the uncollected warrants of those delinquent taxpayers to the local tax collector or commissioner of revenue.

This section, together with related sections, eliminates the practice of imposing driver's license non-renewals and motor vehicle registration non-renewals for certain unpaid debts and provides for an alternative enforcement mechanism.

          Section 17 of chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 9 and 11, each time they appear, the words "for a distance of a quarter of a mile".

This section, together with related sections, authorizes the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to establish a speed camera enforcement program to allow DOT and municipalities to enforce posted speed limits through speed cameras in construction zones and school zones, respectively.

          Said section 17 of said chapter 90 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 13, the words "for a distance of one-eighth of a mile".

This section, together with related sections, authorizes the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to establish a speed camera enforcement program to allow DOT and municipalities to enforce posted speed limits through speed cameras in construction zones and school zones, respectively.

          The third paragraph of section 20A of said chapter 90 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the last sentence.

This section, together with related sections, eliminates the practice of imposing driver's license non-renewals and motor vehicle registration non-renewals for certain unpaid debts and provides for an alternative enforcement mechanism.

          Said section 20A of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out the seventh paragraph.

This section, together with related sections, eliminates the practice of imposing driver's license non-renewals and motor vehicle registration non-renewals for certain unpaid debts and provides for an alternative enforcement mechanism.

          Said section 20A of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 144, the words "notwithstanding any notification to the registrar".

This section, together with related sections, eliminates the practice of imposing driver's license non-renewals and motor vehicle registration non-renewals for certain unpaid debts and provides for an alternative enforcement mechanism.

          Section 20A½ of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 42 to 44, inclusive, the words "Failure to obey this notice within twenty-one days after the date of violation may result in the non-renewal of the license to drive and the registration of the registered owner.".

This section, together with related sections, eliminates the practice of imposing driver's license non-renewals and motor vehicle registration non-renewals for certain unpaid debts and provides for an alternative enforcement mechanism.

          Said section 20A½ of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in lines 82 and 83, the words "but before the parking clerk reports to the registrar".

This section, together with related sections, eliminates the practice of imposing driver's license non-renewals and motor vehicle registration non-renewals for certain unpaid debts and provides for an alternative enforcement mechanism.

          Said section 20A½ of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out the eighth paragraph.

This section, together with related sections, eliminates the practice of imposing driver's license non-renewals and motor vehicle registration non-renewals for certain unpaid debts and provides for an alternative enforcement mechanism.

          Said section 20A½ of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 120, the words "notwithstanding any notification to the registrar".

This section, together with related sections, eliminates the practice of imposing driver's license non-renewals and motor vehicle registration non-renewals for certain unpaid debts and provides for an alternative enforcement mechanism.

          Section 20E of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out subsection (d) and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:-

          (d) If such lessee or rentee does not appear in person or by writing as otherwise provided in sections 20A or 20A½ or any other general or special law concerning parking violations, or make payment within 21 days from the date on which such notice is issued, the parking clerk shall notify the clerk of the division of the district court department or Boston municipal court department of the trial court having jurisdiction. Upon notification by the parking clerk, the clerk of the district court of the trial court having jurisdiction shall forthwith issue a criminal complaint against the lessee or rentee and thereafter proceed against such lessee or rentee following the procedures established for criminal cases.

This section, together with related sections, eliminates the practice of imposing driver's license non-renewals and motor vehicle registration non-renewals for certain unpaid debts and provides for an alternative enforcement mechanism.

          Section 20G of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 6 and 7, the words "the license to operate a motor vehicle or".

This section, together with related sections, eliminates the practice of imposing driver's license non-renewals and motor vehicle registration non-renewals for certain unpaid debts and provides for an alternative enforcement mechanism.

          Section 20H of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 3, the words "Port Authority" and inserting in place thereof the following words:- Department of Transportation.

This section, together with related sections, eliminates the practice of imposing driver's license non-renewals and motor vehicle registration non-renewals for certain unpaid debts and provides for an alternative enforcement mechanism.

          Said section 20H of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in lines 5, 6 and 14, each time it appears, the word "authority" and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following word:- department.

This section, together with related sections, eliminates the practice of imposing driver's license non-renewals and motor vehicle registration non-renewals for certain unpaid debts and provides for an alternative enforcement mechanism.

          Said section 20H of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 7, the words "a license to operate a motor vehicle or".

This section, together with related sections, eliminates the practice of imposing driver's license non-renewals and motor vehicle registration non-renewals for certain unpaid debts and provides for an alternative enforcement mechanism.

          Said chapter 90 of the General Laws is hereby further amended by striking out section 22B, as so appearing, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

          Section 22B. (a) Whoever abandons a motor vehicle registered or unregistered, upon any public or private way or upon any property other than his own, without the permission of the owner or lessee of said property shall be fined $250 for the first such abandonment and $500 for each such abandonment thereafter.

          This subsection shall not apply in a city or town which accepts the provisions of subsections (b) to (k), inclusive.

          Subsections (b) to (k), inclusive, shall apply in any city or town which accepts the provisions of said subsections in accordance with the provisions of section 4 of chapter 4.

          (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), or any other general or special law to the contrary, proceedings under the provisions of subsections (b) to (k), inclusive, shall be deemed non-criminal.

          As used in subsections (b) to (k), inclusive, the word "owner" shall mean the person or entity registered as the owner of a motor vehicle in the records of the registry of motor vehicles or the person or entity who last had custody or possession of a motor vehicle, legally or otherwise, including, but not limited to, operators and owners of automobile graveyards or junkyards as defined in section 1 of chapter 140B; provided, however, that the owner of a motor vehicle which has been stolen from said owner and subsequently abandoned shall not be subject to the penalties provided for in this section.

          (c) There shall be in any city or town which accepts the provisions of subsections (b) to (k), inclusive, a parking clerk designated or appointed in the same manner as provided in section 20A1/2. Said parking clerk, in addition to other duties provided by law, shall supervise and coordinate the processing of abandoned motor vehicles.

          Said parking clerk may hire personnel or contract by competitive bid for services necessary to implement the provisions of this section.

          (d) A person who abandons a motor vehicle, registered or unregistered, upon any public or private way, or upon the property of another, without the permission of the owner or lessee of said property, shall pay a civil penalty of $250 for the first such abandonment and $500 for each such abandonment thereafter and, in addition thereto shall be liable for costs incurred by a city or town in removing or disposing of such motor vehicle, including, but not limited to, towing, storage, processing and disposal charges.

          (e) A police officer, or a person assigned responsibility for abandoned motor vehicles by the parking clerk, who determines that a motor vehicle has been abandoned shall attach a tag to said vehicle containing, but not limited to, the following information: (i) the current date; (ii) the location of said vehicle; (iii) the vehicle's make, color, registration number, if any, and vehicle identification number; (iv) a telephone number or address at which the owner may obtain information regarding the status of the motor vehicle; (v) the hearing procedure regarding abandoned motor vehicles, as provided herein and (vi) a statement that after a specified period of time, the vehicle may be towed and disposed of.

          (f) After said tag has been affixed to such vehicle, if the owner's identity is ascertained and the motor vehicle is still deemed to be abandoned pursuant to section 22C, the parking clerk or their designee shall send a written notice in a form approved by the registrar of motor vehicles by first class mail to the owner's last known address as contained in records of said registrar of motor vehicles. Such notice shall be deemed sufficient, whether or not actually received by the addressee, if mailed to the address furnished by said registrar. Such notice shall contain, but not be limited to, the following information regarding the abandoned vehicle: (i) the current date; (ii) the location of said vehicle, (iii) the vehicle's make, color, registration number, if any, and vehicle identification number; (iv) the amount of the fine and costs assessed for the offense and (v) the scheduled date, time and place of the hearing before a hearing officer. Notwithstanding the hearing scheduled by the parking clerk, the owner shall be granted a hearing prior to the scheduled hearing date by appearing at the office of the parking clerk during its regular business hours and requesting an immediate hearing regarding the apparently abandoned motor vehicle. Notwithstanding the hearing scheduled by the parking clerk, the owner may elect to have the matter adjudicated in accordance with the provisions of subsection (h).

          (g) All such hearings shall be held before a person hereinafter referred to as a hearing officer who shall be either the parking clerk or a designee of said parking clerk. Such hearings shall be informal, the rules of evidence shall not apply and decisions of the hearing officer shall be subject to judicial review as provided by section 14 of chapter 30A. No appeal or exception shall operate to stay the imposition of the fine and costs as provided for herein.

          (h) A person so notified to appear before the hearing officer may appear and contest or confess the alleged violation, either personally or through an agent duly authorized in writing or in the alternative, may confess the alleged violation by mailing to the parking clerk the notice accompanied by the fine and any costs assessed; provided, however, that such payment shall be made only by postal note, money order or registered check made payable to the city or town in which the violation occurred.

          (i) If the owner fails to appear at a hearing, or fails to pay the fine and costs, the parking clerk shall, in the case of an entity, notify the appropriate person to revoke or not renew the owner's license or permit to operate a business pertaining to the towing, storing, servicing or dismantling of motor vehicles including, without limitation, automobile graveyards and junkyards.

          (j) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, whenever the clerk or a person designated or appointed by said clerk, shall deem that an abandoned motor vehicle is worth less than the cost of its removal, transportation and 3 days storage and expenses incidental to its disposal, said clerk or designee shall direct a carrier to take possession of such motor vehicle and dispose of it as refuse. A record of such disposal shall be made and kept in the office of said clerk for a period of 2 years from the date of disposal. Neither said clerk, carrier nor the city or town shall be liable for such disposal. The owner of such vehicle shall be notified as hereinbefore provided and shall pay to said carrier all charges for removal, transportation, storage and disposal of such vehicle within 14 days after the mailing of said notice or said owner shall be subject to the fine herein.

This section, together with related sections, eliminates the practice of imposing driver's license non-renewals and motor vehicle registration non-renewals for certain unpaid debts and provides for an alternative enforcement mechanism.

          Section 23 of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the last paragraph.

This section, together with related sections, eliminates the practice of imposing driver's license non-renewals and motor vehicle registration non-renewals for certain unpaid debts and provides for an alternative enforcement mechanism.

          Subsection (a) of section 26A of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the second sentence.

This section, together with related sections, eliminates the practice of imposing driver's license non-renewals and motor vehicle registration non-renewals for certain unpaid debts and provides for an alternative enforcement mechanism.

          The General Laws are hereby amended by inserting after chapter 90K the following chapter:-

This section, together with related sections, authorizes the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to establish a speed camera enforcement program to allow DOT and municipalities to enforce posted speed limits through speed cameras in construction zones and school zones, respectively.

          Chapter 93 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

          Section 115. (a) For the purposes of this section, the following words shall have the following meanings unless the context otherwise requires or specifically prescribes a different meaning:

          "Negative option feature", a provision of a contract under which the consumer's silence or failure to take affirmative action to reject a good or service or to cancel or non-renew an agreement is interpreted by the seller as acceptance or continuing acceptance of the offer including, but not limited to, an automatic renewal, a continuity plan, a free-to-pay conversion or fee-to-pay conversion and a pre-notification negative option plan.

          "Product", a good, whether tangible or intangible, or service available for sale or included as part of a sale for personal, family or household use, including memberships, subscriptions and dwelling units available for rent or lease.

          (b) For any product with a negative option feature, failure to provide a simple mechanism for the consumer to cancel the negative option feature and avoid being charged for the product and immediately stop any recurring charges shall be unlawful. The simple cancellation mechanism shall be at least as easy to access and use as the method the consumer used to initiate the negative option feature.

          (c) For any product with a negative option feature, it shall be unlawful to charge the consumer a price higher than the amount previously disclosed to the consumer unless the contract containing the negative option feature discloses that price increases may occur and, without either: (i) first obtaining the consumer's affirmative consent to such increased price; or (ii) clearly and conspicuously disclosing the price increase in a written notice, and providing any consumer who cancels the negative option feature within 30 days of receiving said written notice a refund on a pro rata basis of any amounts charged at the increased price the remaining term of the service.

          (d) The provisions of this section shall apply to the conduct specified herein unless preempted by federal law.

          (e) The attorney general may promulgate regulations interpreting the provisions of subsections (b) and (c), including disclosure and notice requirements applicable to products with a negative option feature. Such rules and regulations shall not be inconsistent with the rules, regulations and decisions of the Federal Trade Commission and the federal courts interpreting the provisions of 15 U.S.C. 45(a)(1), also known as the Federal Trade Commission Act, as from time to time amended.

          (f) A violation of this section shall constitute an unfair or deceptive act or practice pursuant to chapter 93A.

This section requires that the method for cancelling subscription agreements is as simple as signing-up.

          Chapter 111E of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 17, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

          Section 17. Subject to appropriation, the division may pay for the cost of medically necessary substance use disorder treatment services for a patient receiving such services in a facility operating pursuant to an agreement between the facility and the division; provided that the patient is not entitled to the payment of such cost from any other source; provided that the payment shall not exceed rates established pursuant to chapter 6A.

          The division may promulgate rules, regulations and guidance to implement this section.

This section permits the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services to cover medically necessary substance use disorder treatment services.

          Chapter 117A of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 3, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

          Section 3. A person shall not be eligible for assistance under the provisions of this chapter if said person is eligible to receive assistance under chapters 115 or 118 or is eligible to receive unemployment compensation under chapter 151A.

          The department shall not consider ex-offenders, persons over the age of 45 with no recent work history or persons in residential treatment facilities as eligible solely by virtue of such status.

          The department may base eligibility for assistance under this section, wholly or in part, on the amount of the applicant's or recipient's countable assets; provided that the department shall not determine an applicant or recipient to be ineligible for assistance under this chapter solely because such applicant or recipient has countable assets of less than $2,000.

This section establishes a minimum $2,000 countable asset limit for the Emergency Aid to the Elderly Disabled and Children program administered by the Department of Transitional Assistance.

          Chapter 118E of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 12A the following section:-

          Section 12B. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the secretary of health and human services may directly negotiate rebate agreements with manufacturers of non-drug products dispensed by pharmacies and drugs that are not covered outpatient drugs under 42 U.S.C. § 1396r-8 if such agreements maximize value to the commonwealth; provided, however, that the secretary shall not be subject to any otherwise applicable requirements set forth in 801 CMR 21.00 or any successor regulation. Such agreements may be based on the value, efficacy or outcomes of the non-drug product or drug.

This section allows MassHealth to directly negotiate rebate agreements for drugs not subject to the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program and for certain non-drug products dispensed by pharmacies.

          The fourth paragraph of section 38 of said chapter 118E, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following sentence:- Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the division and its contracted managed care entities shall issue notice of overpayment to a provider only within 6 years after the conclusion of any internal or third-party audit, investigation or finding related to the overpayment, and the division and its contracted managed care entities shall be entitled to assert a right to recover any such overpayment.

This section establishes a 6-year statute of limitations for MassHealth overpayment recoveries following the conclusion of an internal or external investigation, audit or finding related to the overpayment.

          The second paragraph of section 24 of chapter 119 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the last sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- If the identity or whereabouts of a parent is unknown, the petitioner shall, upon motion and with leave of the court, cause notice to be served upon such parent by: (i) publication once in each of 3 successive weeks in any newspaper as the court may order; (ii) publication on a website designed for such purpose for 3 successive weeks or (iii) through electronic means reasonably calculated to reach the parent as found by the court.

This section provides additional service options, such as publication on a state operated website, to provide notice related to care and protection actions to serve an unknown or missing parent of a child subject to a care and protection matter.

          Subsection (p) of section 26 of chapter 121B, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 276 and 277, the words "for not less than 2 years".

This section removes the required 2-year waiting period for the disposition of public housing.

          The first paragraph of section 12 of chapter 138, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 41, 42, 44, 45 and 53, each time they appear, the words "and contiguous".

This section, together with related sections, makes several modernizing amendments to the state's alcohol licensing process.

          The fourth paragraph of said section 12 of said chapter 138, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the fourth sentence.

This section, together with other related sections, makes several modernizing amendments to the state's alcohol licensing process.

          The first paragraph of section 15 of said chapter 138, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the seventh sentence.

This section, together with related sections, makes several modernizing amendments to the state's alcohol licensing process.

          Subsection (n) of section 19B of said chapter 138, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 176, the words "and contiguous".

This section, together with related sections, makes several modernizing amendments to the state's alcohol licensing process.

          Subsection (n) of section 19C of said chapter 138, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 168, the words "and contiguous".

This section, together with related sections, makes several modernizing amendments to the state's alcohol licensing process.

          Subsection (o) of section 19E of said chapter 138, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 171, the words "and contiguous".

This section, together with related sections, makes several modernizing amendments to the state's alcohol licensing process.

          Section 19H of said chapter 138, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 11 and 13, each time they appear, the words "and contiguous".

This section, together with related sections, makes several modernizing amendments to the state's alcohol licensing process.

          Section 23 of said chapter 138, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the second paragraph the following paragraph:-

          No applicant shall be issued a license under this chapter unless such applicant is, with respect to their character, satisfactory to the licensing authorities.

This section, together with related sections, makes several modernizing amendments to the state's alcohol licensing process.

          Section 67 of said chapter 138, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 7, the word "five" and inserting in place thereof the following words:- 10 business.

This section, together with related sections, makes several modernizing amendments to the state's alcohol licensing process.

          Chapter 149 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out sections 86 to 89, inclusive, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following 4 sections:-

          Section 86. A person shall not employ a child, other than a child over the age of 14 granted an employment permit pursuant to section 87 when it is determined that the welfare of the child will be better served through the granting of the permit, in any place of employment, other than street trades described in section 69; but a child 14 years of age or older in co-operative courses in a public school may be employed by a co-operating establishment upon securing from the superintendent of schools a permit covering the co-operating employment. Children between 14 and 16 years of age who possess the educational qualifications set forth in section 1 of chapter 76 and are employed in private domestic service or service on farms shall be required to secure a permit issued by the superintendent of schools covering such employment. A person employing a minor 14 years of age or older shall procure and keep on file, accessible to the minor, to supervisors of attendance of the town, to agents of the department of elementary and secondary education, to agents of the department of labor standards and to the attorney general or their authorized agents or inspectors, the permit for employment issued to the minor and shall keep a complete list of the names and ages of all minors so employed.

          The department of labor standards shall provide for a process that allows for youth employees to submit complaints of workplace rights violations.

          All documents related to this section may be provided, generated, approved and signed in an electronic format approved by the department of labor standards.

          Section 87. Each superintendent of schools, or where there is no superintendent of schools, the school committee, shall designate a youth work permit coordinator.

          An employment permit shall be issued only by the superintendent, or their designee, or youth work permit coordinator of the town where the child to whom it is issued resides during their employment or the town where the child attends school, or, if the child resides outside the commonwealth, of the town where the child is to be employed; provided, that no person authorized as aforesaid shall have authority to issue a permit for a child then in or about to enter that person's own employment or the employment of a firm or corporation of which that person is a member, officer or employee, except in the case that the child is employed by the school or school district in which they are enrolled. Minors 17 years of age or older who can show documented proof of a high school diploma or the equivalent thereof to the youth work permit coordinator may be employed without the signature of the youth work permit coordinator or by a person so authorized.

          A minor seeking an employment permit shall submit an application to the applicable youth work permit coordinator. The youth work permit coordinator, either prior to or subsequent to the minor receiving an offer of employment, shall receive, examine, approve and file the following documents, duly executed:

          (1) The school record of a minor under 16 years of age, filled out and signed as provided in section 88, except when such record may be waived thereunder, and evidence that a minor 16 years of age or older meets the requirements for the completion of the sixth grade of the public schools of the town in which the minor resides.

          (2) For a minor under 16 years of age, a certificate, signed within the previous 12 months, by a school or family healthcare provider, or by a healthcare provider appointed by the applicable school committee, stating that the minor has been examined by the healthcare provider and, in the provider's opinion, is in sound health.

          (3) Evidence of age, showing that the child is of the age required for the issuance of the permit, which shall consist of at least 1 of the following proofs of age:

          (a) A birth certificate, or a duly attested transcript thereof, made by a registrar of vital statistics or other officer charged with the duty of recording births.

          (b) A religious record, or a duly attested transcript thereof, showing the age of the child.

          (c) If none of the aforesaid proofs of age is obtainable, and only in such case, the person issuing employment permits may accept, in lieu thereof, a passport or a duly attested immigration record, or transcript thereof, showing the age of the child, or other official record of the child's age; provided, that it shall appear to the satisfaction of said person that the same is good and sufficient evidence of the child's age.

          (d) If none of the aforesaid proofs of age is obtainable, and only in such case, the person issuing employment permits may accept, in lieu thereof, a record of age as given on the register of the school which the child first attended in the commonwealth; provided, that such record was kept for at least 2 years during the time when such child attended school.

          (e) If none of the aforesaid proofs of age is obtainable, and only in such case, the person issuing employment permits may receive the signed statement of the school healthcare provider, or of the healthcare provider appointed by the school committee, stating that after examination it is the opinion of such healthcare provider that the child is at least of the age required for the issuance of the permit. Such healthcare provider statement shall be accompanied by a statement signed by the child's parent, guardian or custodian, or, if such child has no parent, guardian or custodian, by the signed statement of the next adult friend. Such signed statement shall contain the name, date and place of birth and residence of the child, and shall certify that the parent, guardian, custodian or next adult friend signing it is unable to produce any of the proofs of age specified in this section. The person issuing employment permits may, before issuing such a permit, require the parent, guardian, custodian or next adult friend of the child to appear and approve in writing the issuance of such permit.

          No superintendent of schools, school committee or other person authorized to receive, examine, approve and file evidence of age, shall retain, against the will of such child or the child's parent or guardian, such evidence of age, for a longer time than is reasonably necessary for making a copy, photostat or reasonable facsimile thereof, which shall be filed in place of the original and the original shall be returned to such child, and the child's parent or guardian. A certificate relating to the age or place of birth of any child or to any other fact sought to be established in relation to school attendance shall be issued, upon request, by a town clerk, and no fee shall be charged therefor by a town clerk or other official.

          After an employer makes an offer of employment, the following shall be documented: a pledge or promise, signed by the prospective employee and the child's parent or guardian, and, signed by the employer or by an authorized manager or superintendent, setting forth the character of the specific employment, the number of hours per day during which the child is to be regularly employed and the name and address of the employer, in which pledge or promise the employer agrees to employ the child in accordance with this chapter which is summarized on the pledge or promise form.

          After an employer has made an offer of employment and completed the pledge or promise required in this section, the employment permit will be issued. This permit shall be accessible electronically by the child, the child's parent or guardian, the child's school, the department of elementary and secondary education, the department of labor standards and the office of the attorney general.

          The superintendent of schools, the youth work permit coordinator or a person authorized by them in writing may revoke for cause the permit for employment of any child, except those employed in private domestic service by a member of the child's immediate family, or service as a farm laborer in the employ of the child's parent or legal guardian. Whenever such a permit authorizing employment of a child elsewhere than in their place of residence is held by them, the superintendent of schools or youth work permit coordinator of the town of their employment shall forthwith notify the superintendent of schools or youth work permit coordinator issuing the permit of the child's failure to comply with any pertinent provision of law.

          All documents related to this section may be provided, generated, approved and signed in an electronic format approved by the department of labor standards.

          Section 88. The school record required by section 87 shall be provided by the principal or teacher in charge of the school which the child last attended, and shall be furnished only to a child who, after due examination and investigation, is found to be entitled thereto. Said school record shall state: (i) the grade last completed by such child; (ii) the number of days during which such child has attended school during the 12 months next preceding the time of application for said school record and (iii) the name, date of birth and the residence of the child as shown on the records of the school and the name of the parent, guardian or custodian. If the school record is not obtainable from the school which such child last attended, this school record requirement may be waived by the youth work permit coordinator.

          No such school record shall be issued or accepted and no employment permit granted unless the child possesses the educational qualifications described in section 1 of chapter 76; provided, that a child over 14 years of age who does not possess such qualifications may be granted a limited employment permit good only during hours when school is not in session.

          No such school record shall be issued or accepted unless the child has attended the public or other lawfully approved schools for not less than 130 days after reaching the age of 13; provided, that the school record may be accepted in the case of a person who has been an attendant at a public day or other lawfully approved school for a period of not less than 7 years, if in the opinion of the superintendent of schools such person is mentally incapable of acquiring the educational qualifications herein prescribed; and provided, further, that the superintendent may suspend this requirement in any case when in their opinion the interests of the child will best be served thereby.

          All documents related to this section may be provided, generated, approved and signed in an electronic format approved by the department of labor standards.

          Section 89. The employment permit required under this chapter shall be in a manner prescribed by the department of labor standards, and shall contain the information deemed necessary by the department of labor standards, in coordination with the attorney general's office. It shall certify that the child named in such permit has been found to possess the educational qualifications described in section 1 of chapter 76, except in the case of a limited permit, and that all the papers required by section 87 have been duly examined, approved and filed and that all the conditions and requirements for issuing an employment permit have been fulfilled. It shall state the grade last completed by said child. Every such permit shall be signed by the child in whose name the permit is issued. The permit shall state the name of the employer for whom, and the nature of the employment in which, the permit authorizes the child to be employed. The permits shall bear a number, show the date of its issue and be signed by the person issuing it. No fee shall be exacted by a town clerk or other official for an employment permit or for any paper required by sections 87 to 95, inclusive. No duplicate employment permit shall be issued until it shall appear to the satisfaction of the person authorized to issue permits that the original has been lost. A record giving all the facts contained on every employment permit issued shall be maintained together with the documents required under section 87. A record shall also be kept of the names and addresses of all children to whom permits have been refused, together with the names of the schools which said children should attend and the reasons for refusal. Each of the aforesaid records and papers shall be preserved until such children, if living, have reached the age of 18. Such records and statistics concerning the issuance of employment permits as may be prescribed by the department of elementary and secondary education shall be kept and shall be open to the inspection of said department, its officers or agents. The blank permits and other papers required in connection with the issuing of employment permits and educational certificates under this chapter shall be furnished to the local school committees by the department of labor standards, by which they shall be prepared after conference with the department of elementary and secondary education and the approval of the forms thereof by the attorney general. Said permits, certificates and documents may bear explanatory matter necessary to facilitate the enforcement of this chapter or to comply with future legislative requirements.

          All documents related to this section may be provided, generated, approved and signed in an electronic format approved by the department of labor standards.

This section updates and streamlines the statutory requirements for issuing youth employment permits.

          Section 15½ of chapter 149A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 15, the figure "$50,000,000" and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $100,000,000.

This section, together with related sections, increases the threshold for contracts requiring an owner's representative in transportation projects from $50,000,000 to $100,000,000 and removes the requirement that an owner's representative be a professional engineer.

          Said section 15½ of said chapter 149A, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out the definitions of "Oversight cost estimate" and "Owner's representative" and inserting in place thereof the following 2 definitions:-

          "Oversight cost estimate", an estimate developed by the commonwealth or any agency thereof, prior to the engagement of an owner's representative, of the anticipated total cost of the services of that representative.

          "Owner's representative", an individual who has not less than 5 years of experience in the construction and supervision of construction of the type which is the subject of the pertinent major contract in nature, scope and complexity.

This section, together with related sections, increases the threshold for contracts requiring an owner's representative in transportation projects from $50,000,000 to $100,000,000 and removes the requirement that an owner's representative be a professional engineer.

          Subsection (a) of section 7 of chapter 175M of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 6, the words "and for the administration of the department", and inserting in place thereof the following words:- for the administration of the department and for expenditure by the Workforce Productivity Sub-Fund under section 12.

This section, together with related sections, establishes the Workforce Productivity Sub-Fund within the Family and Employment Security Trust Fund to provide grants to assist small businesses manage workforce needs related to employees taking paid family or medical leave.

          Said chapter 175M of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

          Section 12. (a) For the purposes of this section, the term "eligible applicant" shall mean an employer employing 50 or fewer employers in the commonwealth; provided that "eligible applicant" shall not include an employer with a plan approved pursuant to section 11.

          There shall be a sub-fund within the Family and Employment Security Trust Fund called the Workforce Productivity Sub-Fund, which shall be expended by the director for purposes of administration of this section.

          (b) There shall be a grant program to support eligible applicants with: (i) costs associated with covering a temporary vacancy due to an employee being on an approved continuous leave or (ii) other purposes as determined by the director. Eligible applicants may apply for a grant pursuant to this section in a form and manner prescribed by the department. Determinations related to grants issued pursuant to this section shall be at the sole discretion of the department.

          (c) The director may promulgate regulations or other guidance necessary for the implementation of this section, including, but not limited to, grant eligibility criteria.

This section, together with related sections, establishes the Workforce Productivity Sub-Fund within the Family and Employment Security Trust Fund to provide grants to assist small businesses manage workforce needs related to employees taking paid family or medical leave.

          Subsection (h) of section 2A of chapter 211D, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the last sentence.

This section, together with related sections, eliminates the practice of imposing driver's license non-renewals and motor vehicle registration non-renewals for certain unpaid debts and provides for an alternative enforcement mechanism.

          Section 63 of chapter 277 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the first paragraph the following paragraph:-

          Notwithstanding the above, an indictment or complaint for an offense set forth in sections 22, 22A, 22B, 22C, 22D, 23, 23A or 23B of chapter 265 may be found and filed at any time after the date of the commission of such offense if the identity of the person who allegedly committed the offense: (1) was identified after the limitation period set forth in this section; and (2) the identity has been established through a DNA analysis, as defined in section 1 of chapter 22E, using evidence collected at the time of the commission of the offense.

This section, together with its related section, requires that all sexual assault rape kits shall be stored for a minimum of 15 years and provides an exception to the 15-year statute of limitations in instances where DNA technology has identified a match.

          Section 110 of chapter 5 of the acts of 1995 is hereby amended by striking out subsection (d), as appearing in section 55 of chapter 154 of the acts of 2018, and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:-

          (d) An earnings disregard of 50 per cent of earned income shall be provided to both exempt and non-exempt families, subject to subsection (g), after work-related expenses but before dependent care deductions.

This section, together with its related section, amends the employment bridge payment to an amount equivalent to benefits subject to a 50% disregard.

          Said section 110 of said chapter 5, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by adding the following subsection:-

          (n) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, when the department closes a family's transitional aid to families with dependent children case because such family earned income that exceeds the payment standard, and such family's income is less than 200 per cent of the federal poverty level for such family's household size, the department shall pay the family, in equal installments over a 4 month period, the equivalent of 6 months of the full payment standard of transitional aid to families with dependent children benefits for such family's household size at the time of case closure. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, and to the maximum extent permitted by federal law, any payment pursuant to this subsection shall not be considered income for the purpose of determining: (i) such recipient's eligibility for any benefit or service offered or administered by the commonwealth, or (ii) the extent of any such benefit or service to be received by such recipient.

This section, together with its related section, amends the employment bridge payment to an amount equivalent to benefits subject to a 50% disregard.

          Chapter 179 of the acts of 1995, as amended by section 64 of chapter 150 of the acts of 2024, is hereby amended by striking out section 16 and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

          Section 16. The executive office of housing and livable communities, hereinafter referred to as EOHLC, shall, subject to appropriation, establish and administer an alternative housing voucher program in the form of either mobile vouchers or project-based vouchers for eligible and qualified low-income persons with a disability as determined pursuant to EOHLC regulations.

          To be eligible for the alternative housing voucher program, an applicant shall: (i) be a low-income person with a disability, as determined by EOHLC and (ii) comply with all applicable EOHLC program eligibility regulations.

          The executive office of housing and livable communities shall promulgate regulations and may issue guidelines or guidance materials, as it deems necessary, to administer the alternative housing voucher program. Such regulations, guidelines or guidance may include, but not be limited to: (i) income and asset requirements for applicant eligibility; (ii) requirements for program participants to pay a percentage of their income toward rent; (iii) methods for calculating payment standards and subsidy amounts and exemptions to payment standards deemed necessary by the executive office; (iv) administering the program through administrative agencies, which may include local and regional housing authorities and non-profit organizations and (v) conditions for program participation and termination.

          Nothing stated herein shall give rise to enforceable legal rights in any party or an enforceable entitlement to any form of housing and further, nothing stated herein shall be construed as giving rise to such enforceable legal rights or such enforceable entitlement.

This section amends the Alternative Housing Voucher Program standards to better align the program with the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program.

          Section 81 of chapter 28 of the acts of 2023, as amended by section 96 of chapter 9 of the acts of 2025, is hereby amended by striking out the word "3-year" each time it appears and inserting in place thereof the following word:- 4-year.

This section, together with related sections, extends the Connector Care Expansion Pilot for 1 additional year.

          Section 114 of said chapter 28, as amended by section 98 of said chapter 9, is hereby amended by striking out the figure "2027" and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- 2028.

This section, together with related sections, extends the Connector Care Expansion Pilot for 1 additional year.

          Chapter 9 of the acts of 2025 is hereby amended by striking out section 129 and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

          Section 129. Notwithstanding section 189 of chapter 149 of the General Laws, the comptroller, at the direction of the secretary of administration and finance, may transfer up to $15,000,000 of employer medical assistance contributions from the Commonwealth Care Trust Fund established in section 2OOO of chapter 29 of the General Laws to the Health Safety Net Trust Fund established in section 66 of chapter 118E of the General Laws; provided, however, that this transfer may be in addition to any other transfers from said Commonwealth Care Trust Fund to said Health Safety Net Trust Fund required in fiscal year 2026.

This section clarifies that in Fiscal Year 2026, a transfer of up to $15 million from the Commonwealth Care Trust Fund to the Health Safety Net Trust Fund may be made in addition to any other transfers from said Commonwealth Care Trust Fund to said Health Safety Net Trust Fund required in Fiscal Year 2026.

          Notwithstanding section 2OOO of chapter 29 of the General Laws, or any other special or general law to the contrary, in fiscal year 2027, the comptroller, at the direction of the secretary of administration and finance, may transfer to the Commonwealth Care Trust Fund, established under said section 2OOO of said chapter 29, an amount not to exceed the amount equal to the cost of the fourth year of the pilot program established by section 81 of chapter 28 of the acts of 2023 from funds attributable to the federal financial participation received by the commonwealth for designated state health program expenditure.

This section, together with related sections, extends the Connector Care Expansion Pilot for 1 additional year.

          (a) For the purposes of this section, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the following words shall have the following meanings:

          "Progressive design build", a construction project delivery system for a public works or building project that provides responsibility for the delivery of design services and construction services within a single contract, but wherein the design build entity is procured using a qualifications based or best value selection process to provide preconstruction services and preliminary design and a fixed price is negotiated for final design and construction services.

          "Request for proposals" or "RFP", the document issued by an awarding authority to solicit proposals from pre-qualified design build entities for the purpose of entering into a progressive design build contract.

          (b) Notwithstanding the requirements of section 39M of chapter 30 of the General Laws, chapter 149 of the General Laws, chapter 149A of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority are hereby authorized to establish and may implement a progressive design build project delivery method for certain public works and certain building projects, that are sufficiently extensive in size, complexity and duration, namely the (i) Allston Multimodal Project; (ii) Beverly-Salem Bridge Replacement Project; (iii) Bourne Bridge Replacement; (iv) Canton-Dedham-Norwood Interchange Improvements; (v) Fairhaven-New Bedford Bridge Replacement; (vi) Interstate Bridge and Highway Rebuild/Rehabilitation; (vii) Longmeadow Bridge Project; (viii) Sagamore Bridge Replacement; (ix) Somerville McGrath Boulevard Project; (x) Storrow Drive Tunnel Project; (xi) Woburn-Reading-Stoneham-Wakefield Interchange Improvements; (xii) MBTA Power and Energy System Upgrade; (xiii) MBTA Rail Modernization and (xiv) MBTA Station Modernization.

          (1) All construction employees employed in the construction of each of the specified programs named in subsection (b) shall be paid not less than the wage rate established for the work pursuant to a project labor agreement with the appropriate labor organization that shall include: (i) a uniform grievance and arbitration procedure for the resolution of work-related disputes on job sites; (ii) mutually agreeable uniform work rules and schedules for the project; (iii) an obligation for any labor organization and its constituent members not to strike with respect to work on the project; (iv) participation goals of minority, veteran and women workers to be employed on each contract and the processes and procedures to ensure compliance with those workforce participation goals, including, but not limited to, a requirement to employ a sufficient number of apprentices to allow for the training and employment of individuals who would not otherwise qualify for employment on the project, the establishment of an access, inclusion and diversity committee and the reporting and enforcement requirements of paragraph (G) of subsection 2 of section 44A of said chapter 149 and (v) an agreement to facilitate the entry of interested veterans into the building and construction trades by designating an entity or organization to serve as a resource for preliminary orientation, apprenticeship programs and other needs, as mutually agreeable, to foster veteran employment opportunities.

          (2) There shall be no precondition to the award of a contract that a bidder has previously entered into a collective bargaining agreement with a labor organization but only that the bidder be willing to execute and comply with said project labor agreement for the designated project if it is awarded a contract for such designated project.

          (3) Progressive design build projects shall be procured in accordance with sections 14 through 21, inclusive, of chapter 149A of the General Laws and shall be advertised within 5 years of the enactment of this section.

          (4) Pursuant to this section, the awarding authority may evaluate and select progressive design build project proposals on either a qualifications based or best-value basis. If the awarding authority evaluates proposals using qualifications based as the basis for making such evaluation, it shall do so using the process outlined in clause (i). If the awarding authority evaluates proposals using best value as the basis for making such evaluation, it shall do so using the process outlined in clause (ii).

          (i) If the basis of the award is qualifications based, then each proposal must be sealed by the proposer and submitted to the awarding authority as 1 complete package.

          The awarding authority shall establish a selection committee that shall open, evaluate and score each proposal from proposers based on the quality criteria contained in the RFP. The evaluation and ranking of proposals shall be in accordance with the quality criteria and relative weights assigned or identified in the RFP. Each proposal shall remain confidential.

          The awarding authority shall enter into good faith negotiations of the design build contract with the responsible proposer that submits the most highly rated proposal.

          (ii) If the basis of the award is best value, then each proposal shall be submitted by the proposer to the awarding authority in 2 separate proposals, which shall include a sealed technical proposal and a sealed price proposal. The sealed technical proposal and sealed price proposal shall be submitted simultaneously.

          The awarding authority shall establish a selection committee that shall first open, evaluate and score each technical proposal from proposers based on the quality criteria contained in the RFP. The evaluation and ranking of proposals shall be in accordance with the quality criteria and relative weights assigned or identified in the RFP. During this evaluation process, the price proposals shall remain sealed. Each technical proposal shall remain confidential.

          After completion of the evaluation of the technical proposals, the selection committee shall open and evaluate each price proposal from responsible proposers based on the evaluation procedure contained in the RFP. Each price proposal shall remain confidential.

          (5) Upon the completion of successful negotiations with the selected design build entity, the awarding authority shall enter into a design build contract with said entity. After signing a design build contract, the awarding authority shall notify in writing all other design build entities that their proposals were not accepted.

          (6) Except for section 39M of chapter 30 of the General Laws, all other provisions of the public bidding laws, including sections 39F, 39G, 39J, 39N, 39O, 39P and 39R of said chapter 30 and sections 26, 27, 27A, 27B, 27C, 27D, 29, 29C and 34A of said chapter 149, shall apply to all progressive design build public works projects procured pursuant to this section in the same manner as they apply to public works projects generally procured pursuant to said section 39M of said chapter 30, and except for sections 44A to 44H of said chapter 149, all other provisions of the public bidding laws, including said sections 39F, 39K, 39J, 39N, 39O, 39P and 39R of said chapter 30 and said sections 26, 27, 27A, 27B, 27C, 27D, 29, 29C, 34A and 44E of said chapter 149 shall apply to all progressive design build building projects procured pursuant to this section in the same manner as they apply to building projects generally procured pursuant to said sections 44A to 44H of said chapter 149.

          (7) To the extent that the department or authority are required to obtain approvals from the federal government for any requirement contained in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b) in order to secure federal funding for any progressive design build project, the requirements shall be subject to such federal approvals.

This section establishes a progressive design build project delivery method pilot program for 14 projects identified by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

          Notwithstanding section 53 of chapter 118E of the General Laws and any other general or special law to the contrary, beginning in fiscal year 2027, the executive office of health and human services may determine the extent to which to include within its covered services for adults the federally-optional dental services that were included in its state plan or demonstration program in effect on January 1, 2002 and the dental services that were covered for adults in the MassHealth basic program as of January 1, 2002; provided further, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, beginning in fiscal year 2027, the executive office of health and human services may impose coverage caps, changes, exclusions or limitations on its coverage of dental services for adults on a per patient basis or in aggregate; provided further, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, beginning in fiscal year 2027, the health safety net office established pursuant to section 66 of chapter 118E of the General Laws may impose caps, changes, exclusions or limitations on its total payments for dental services for adults on a per patient basis or in aggregate.

This section permits MassHealth to set coverage limits on dental services provided to MassHealth members and Health Safety Net patients.

          For the purposes of this section, "HDAP" shall mean the HIV Drug Assistance Program, established under the department of public health and funded in line item 4512-0106 of section 2 of chapter 9 of the acts of 2025.

          Notwithstanding section 66 of chapter 118E of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, in Health Safety Net fiscal year 2026, the comptroller, at the direction of the secretary of administration and finance, and in consultation with the secretary of health and human services, may transfer to the department of public health or expend an amount not more than the amount required from the Health Safety Net Trust Fund, established in section 66 of chapter 118E of the General Laws, for services rendered to Health Safety Net patients participating in HDAP and any reasonable administrative costs associated with paying for services to such patients.

          Notwithstanding any other general or special law to the contrary, the department of public health shall use any funds transferred or expended for HDAP from said Health Safety Net Trust Fund in Health Safety Net fiscal year 2026 exclusively for services rendered to Health Safety Net patients participating in HDAP and any reasonable administrative costs associated with paying for services to such patients.

This section, together with its related section, allows the transfer of funding from the Health Safety Net Trust Fund to the Department of Public Health in an amount sufficient to cover the cost of the administration of the HIV Drug Assistance Program for Health Safety Net patients in Health Safety Net Fiscal Year 2026.

          For the purposes of this section, "HDAP" shall mean the HIV Drug Assistance Program, established under the department of public health and funded in line item 4512-0106 of section 2 of this act.

          Notwithstanding section 66 of chapter 118E of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, in Health Safety Net fiscal year 2027, the comptroller, at the direction of the secretary of administration and finance, and in consultation with the secretary of health and human services, may transfer to the department of public health or expend an amount not more than the amount required from the Health Safety Net Trust Fund, established in section 66 of chapter 118E of the General Laws, for services rendered to Health Safety Net patients participating in HDAP and any reasonable administrative costs associated with paying for services to such patients.

          Notwithstanding any other general or special law to the contrary, the department of public health shall use all funds transferred or expended from said Health Safety Net Trust Fund in Health Safety Net fiscal year 2027 exclusively for services rendered to Health Safety Net patients participating in HDAP and any reasonable administrative costs associated with paying for services to such patients.

This section, together with its related section, allows the transfer of funding from the Health Safety Net Trust Fund to the Department of Public Health in an amount sufficient to cover the cost of the administration of the HIV Drug Assistance Program for Health Safety Net patients in Health Safety Net Fiscal Year 2027.

          Notwithstanding section 189 of chapter 149 of the General Laws, the comptroller, at the direction of the secretary of administration and finance, may transfer up to $15,000,000 of employer medical assistance contributions from the Commonwealth Care Trust Fund established in section 2OOO of chapter 29 of the General Laws to the Health Safety Net Trust Fund established in section 66 of chapter 118E of the General Laws; provided, however, that this transfer may be in addition to any other transfers from said Commonwealth Care Trust Fund to said Health Safety Net Trust Fund required in fiscal year 2027.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Administration and Finance to transfer up to $15 million from the Commonwealth Care Trust Fund to the Health Safety Net Trust Fund.

          Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the comptroller, at the direction of the secretary of administration and finance, in consultation with the secretary of health and human services, may transfer from the prescription advantage program in item 9110-1455 of section 2 and the Health Safety Net Trust Fund established in section 66 of chapter 118E of the General Laws in fiscal year 2027, the amount necessary to support the Medicare Saving or Medicare Buy-In programs established in section 25A of said chapter 118E; provided, however, that the secretary of health and human services shall certify to the senate and house committees on ways and means, not less than 15 days in advance of the transfer, in writing, the amount to be transferred and an explanation of the amount of expected savings to those programs resulting from the transfer.

This section authorizes the transfer of funds from the Prescription Advantage programs and the Health Safety Net Trust Fund in order to fund the non-federal share of the Medicare Savings Program.

          Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, payments from the Health Safety Net Trust Fund established in section 66 of chapter 118E of the General Laws may be made either as safety net care payments under the commonwealth's waiver pursuant to section 1115 of the federal Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. 1315, or as an adjustment to service rate payments under Title XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act or a combination of both; provided further that other federally permissible funding mechanisms available for certain hospitals, as defined by regulations of the executive office of health and human services, may be used to reimburse up to $70,000,000 of uncompensated care pursuant to sections 66 and 69 of said chapter 118E using sources distinct from the funding made available to the Health Safety Net Trust Fund.

This section allows Health Safety Net payments to be made as an 1115 waiver or state plan payments and authorizes up to $70 million of uncompensated care to be paid from sources other than the Health Safety Net Trust Fund.

          Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, not later than October 1, 2026 and without further appropriation, the comptroller shall transfer from the General Fund to the Health Safety Net Trust Fund established in section 66 of chapter 118E of the General Laws the greater of $45,000,000 or 1/12 of the total expenditures to hospitals and community health centers required pursuant to this act, for the purposes of making initial gross payments to qualifying acute care hospitals for the hospital fiscal year beginning October 1, 2026. These payments shall be made to hospitals before, and in anticipation of, the payment by hospitals of their gross liability to the Health Safety Net Trust Fund. The comptroller shall transfer from the Health Safety Net Trust Fund to the General Fund, not later than June 30, 2027, the amount of the transfer authorized by this section and any allocation of that amount as certified by the director of the health safety net office.

This section requires the Comptroller to transfer sufficient money from the General Fund to the Health Safety Net Trust Fund to make the required initial gross payment to qualifying hospitals. It requires the Health Safety Net Trust Fund to repay the General Fund before the end of Fiscal Year 2027.

          Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, in hospital fiscal year 2027, the office of inspector general may expend a total of $1,000,000 from the Health Safety Net Trust Fund established in section 66 of chapter 118E of the General Laws for costs associated with maintaining a health safety net audit unit within the office. The unit shall continue to oversee and examine the practices in hospitals, including, but not limited to, the care of the uninsured and the resulting free charges. The unit shall also study and review the Medicaid program under said chapter 118E, including, but not limited to, a review of the program's eligibility requirements, utilization, claims administration and compliance with federal mandates. The inspector general shall submit a report to the chairs of the senate and house committees on ways and means on the results of the audits and any other completed analyses not later than March 1, 2027.

This section authorizes the Inspector General's Office to conduct audits of the Health Safety Net and the MassHealth program, at a cost of $1 million for Fiscal Year 2027 which will, as in past years, be borne by the Health Safety Net Trust Fund.

          Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, nursing facility rates to be effective on October 1, 2026, under section 13D of chapter 118E of the General Laws may be developed using the costs of calendar year 2023.

This section allows the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to use Calendar Year 2023 costs to develop nursing facility rates.

          Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, for fiscal year 2027, $123,500,000 shall be considered operating assistance and distributed to regional transit authorities from item 1595-6370 of section 2E and item 1596-2406 of section 2F. For fiscal year 2027, $94,000,000 of the amount transferred in item 1595-6370 shall be distributed based on fiscal year 2026 distributions in accordance with the updated fiscal year 2026 bilateral memorandum of understanding between each regional transit authority and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation; provided, however, that each regional transit authority shall receive operating assistance from said item 1595-6370 of said section 2E of not less than the amount received in fiscal year 2026.

          The department may require each regional transit authority to provide data on ridership, customer service and satisfaction, asset management and financial performance, including farebox recovery, and shall compile any such collected data into a report on the performance of regional transit authorities and detail each authority's progress towards meeting the performance metrics established in each memorandum of understanding.

This section sets forth the Fiscal Year 2027 funding distribution for Regional Transit Authorities.

          Notwithstanding section 59 of chapter 23K of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, 100 per cent of the revenue received from a category 1 licensee, as defined in section 2 of said chapter 23K, pursuant to subsection (a) of section 55 of said chapter 23K, in fiscal year 2027 shall be transferred as follows:

          (i) 35 per cent to the Gaming Local Aid Fund established in section 63 of said chapter 23K;
          (ii) 20 per cent to the Commonwealth Transportation Fund established in section 2ZZZ of chapter 29 of the General Laws;
          (iii) 20 per cent to the Education Fund established in section 64 of said chapter 23K;
          (iv) 13 per cent to the Gaming Economic Development Fund established in section 2DDDD of said chapter 29;
          (v) 5 per cent to the Public Health Trust Fund established in section 58 of said chapter 23K;
          (vi) 3 per cent to the Community Mitigation Fund established in section 61 of said chapter 23K;
          (vii) 2 per cent to the Massachusetts Cultural and Performing Arts Mitigation Trust Fund established in section 2HHHHH of said chapter 29; and
          (viii) 2 per cent to the Massachusetts Tourism Trust Fund to fund tourist promotion agencies under subsection (b) of section 13T of chapter 23A of the General Laws.

This section amends the distribution of gaming funds for Fiscal Year 2027.

          Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, for fiscal year 2027, the comptroller shall transfer capital gains collected in excess of the threshold under section 5G of chapter 29 of the General Laws on a quarterly basis as follows: (i) 53.1 per cent to the State Retiree Benefits Trust Fund established in section 24 of chapter 32A of the General Laws; (ii) 39.1 per cent to the Commonwealth Stabilization Fund established in section 2H of chapter 29 of the General Laws and (iii) 7.8 per cent to the Disaster Relief and Resiliency Fund established in section 2HHHHHH of said chapter 29.

This section amends the distribution of excess capital gains income for Fiscal Year 2027.

          Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, prior to transferring the consolidated net surplus pursuant to section 5C of chapter 29 of the General Laws, the comptroller shall transfer $10,000,000 to the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center established in section 3 of chapter 23I of the General Laws.

This section transfers $10,000,000 of consolidated net surplus to the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center in Fiscal Year 2027.

          Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the amounts transferred pursuant to subdivision (1) of section 22C of chapter 32 of the General Laws shall be made available for the Commonwealth's Pension Liability Fund established in section 22 of said chapter 32. The amounts transferred pursuant to said subdivision (1) of said section 22C of said chapter 32 shall meet the commonwealth's obligations pursuant to said section 22C of said chapter 32, including retirement benefits payable by the state employees' retirement system and the state teachers' retirement system, for the costs associated with a 3 per cent cost-of-living adjustment pursuant to section 102 of said chapter 32, for the reimbursement of local retirement systems for previously authorized cost-of-living adjustments pursuant to said section 102 of said chapter 32 and for the costs of increased survivor benefits pursuant to chapter 389 of the acts of 1984. The state board of retirement and each city, town, county and district shall verify these costs, subject to rules that shall be adopted by the state treasurer. The state treasurer may make payments upon a transfer of funds to reimburse certain cities and towns for pensions of retired teachers, including any other obligation that the commonwealth has assumed on behalf of a retirement system other than the state employees' retirement system or state teachers' retirement system, including the commonwealth's share of the amounts to be transferred pursuant to section 22B of said chapter 32. The payments under this section shall be made only pursuant to distribution of money from the Commonwealth's Pension Liability Fund and any distribution, and the payments for which distributions are required, shall be detailed in a written report prepared quarterly by the secretary of administration and finance and submitted to the senate and house committees on ways and means and the joint committee on public service in advance of the distribution. Distributions shall not be made in advance of the date on which a payment is actually to be made. If the amount transferred pursuant to subdivision (1) of section 22C of said chapter 32 exceeds the amount necessary to adequately fund the annual pension obligations, the excess amount shall be credited to the Pension Reserves Investment Trust Fund established in subdivision (8) of said section 22 of said chapter 32 to reduce the unfunded pension liability of the commonwealth.

This section enables the Commonwealth to fulfill its various obligations to the state retirement system, including the obligation to fund a 3% cost-of-living adjustment on the first $13,000 of a retiree's annual retirement allowance.

          Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, for fiscal year 2027, the secretary of administration and finance shall direct the comptroller to take any measures necessary to retain within the General Fund interest earnings that would otherwise be deposited into or otherwise attributed to a fund, trust fund or other separate account, whether established administratively or by law, including a separate account established under section 6 of chapter 6A of the General Laws. The secretary and comptroller shall report to the house and senate committees on ways and means 45 days before any such transfer. The request shall certify that the secretary, in consultation with the comptroller, has determined that the balance, or a specified part of the balance, is not necessary for the purposes for which it was made available.

This section directs the Comptroller, upon direction from the Secretary of Administration and Finance, to retain or transfer interest in the General Fund which would otherwise be deposited or retained in a different fund, trust fund, or other separate account.

          Notwithstanding section 5G of chapter 29 of the General Laws, as amended by section 17, the excess capital gains threshold for fiscal year 2027 shall be $2,250,000.

This section, together with its related section, updates the excess capital gains threshold.

          Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, for fiscal year 2027, all abandoned property net revenue, as defined by section 5H of chapter 29 of the General Laws, shall remain in the General Fund.

This section provides that all abandoned property net revenue will remain in the General Fund for Fiscal Year 2027.

          Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, not later than December 31, 2026, the comptroller shall transfer $1,000,000 into the Workforce Productivity Sub-Fund from the Family and Employment Security Trust Fund established under section 12 of chapter 175M of the General Laws.

This section, together with related sections, establishes the Workforce Productivity Sub-Fund within the Family and Employment Security Trust Fund to provide grants to assist small businesses manage workforce needs related to employees taking paid family or medical leave.

          Not later than 9 months from the effective date of this act, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall promulgate regulations to establish the requirements, standards and processes for a city or town's participation in the automated road safety enforcement program. The regulations shall include, but not be limited to: (i) establishing standardized forms for notices of violations and written warnings; (ii) developing uniform signage and distance requirements for the purpose of complying with subsection (a) of section 5 of chapter 90L of the General Laws; (iii) establishing guidance for the calibration and verification of automated road safety camera systems under subsection (b) of section 6 of said chapter 90L and (iv) establishing provisions for protecting data collected by an automated road safety camera system from unauthorized access.

This section, together with related sections, authorizes the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to establish a speed camera enforcement program to allow DOT and municipalities to enforce posted speed limits through speed cameras in construction zones and school zones, respectively.

          The commissioner of revenue shall promulgate regulations pursuant to section 5 no later than December 1, 2026.

This section, together with related sections, eliminates the practice of imposing driver's license non-renewals and motor vehicle registration non-renewals for certain unpaid debts and provides for an alternative enforcement mechanism.

          The registrar of motor vehicles shall remove all applicable active non-renewals and suspensions of a license to drive, a certificate of registration of the registered owner, and a right to operate a motor vehicle within the registry of motor vehicles records pursuant to sections 5, 28, 31 to 45, inclusive, and 68 of this act not more than 3 months after the effective date of this act.

This section, together with related sections, eliminates the practice of imposing driver's license non-renewals and motor vehicle registration non-renewals for certain unpaid debts and provides for an alternative enforcement mechanism.

          Sections 5, 28, 31 to 45, inclusive, 63 and 68 of this act shall take effect 3 months after the effective date of this act.

This section sets the effective date for the Driver's License Non-Renewals and Youth Employment Permitting provisions.

          Sections 4, 29, 30 and 46 shall take effect on July 1, 2027.

This section establishes an effective date for the Speed Camera Enforcement provisions.

          Sections 70 and 71 shall take effect on October 1, 2026.

This section establishes an effective date for the Employment Bridge Payment provisions.

          Except as otherwise specified, this act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

This section provides that this act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.