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Page 18 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, ApRil 24, 2026 BEACON | FROM PAGE 17 Massachusetts looks to both lead and regulate the AI revolution, join leading legislators and thought leaders for a timely forum on AI’s challenges and opportunities, hosted by the State House News Service and MASSterList. The timely policy forum is on Thursday, May 7, from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the MCLE Conference Center (Downtown Crossing), 10 Winter Place, Boston. Register at: https://events. humanitix.com/massai PROPERTY TAX RELIEF FOR GRANDPARENTS WHO ARE RAISING THEIR GRANDCHILD (H 3204) - The House gave initial approval, on a voice vote without a roll call, to legislation that would allow cities and towns to establish a personal property tax exemption or abatement program, of up to $1,000 per child, for grandparent over the age of 55 who are raising their grandchild. Supporters, noting this tax reduction would be in addition to any current property tax reduction the grandparent is already receiving. They said this would help the grandparents financially by making up for the thousands of dollars in additional costs they are incurring as a result of raising a grandchild. Rep. James Murphy (D-Weymouth), the sponsor of the bill, did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking him to comment on his proposal and its passage. INJURED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS (S 1851) - The House gave initial approval, on a voice vote without a roll call, to a measure that would allow public safety personnel with impaired health, presumed to have been suffered in the line of duty, to submit an affidavit attesting that the member underwent a physical exam upon beginning his or her service as a law enforcement official, if their employer failed to maintain these records. “Public safety personnel such as police officers and firefighters who are injured in the line of duty or develop illnesses related to their service shouldn’t be forced to navigate unnecessary red tape if their employer fails to maintain proper medical records,” said sponsor Sen. Paul Feeney (D-Foxborough). “This legislation will help relieve public safety officials of the undue burden of proving an occupational presumption when through no fault of their own, their medical records have been lost or damaged by their employing department.” ENERGY ASSISTANCE FOR LOW INCOME PEOPLE (H 3509) - The House gave initial approval, on a voice vote without a roll call, to legislation that would require automatic re-enrollment of eligible residents into the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) each year rather than forcing recipients to annually re-apply for benefits, as long as they continue to meet the program’s eligibility requirements. “In 2022, the Legislature authorized the creation of an online common application portal to streamline the process and allow residents in need to simultaneously apply for state benefits and services overseen by multiple state agencies,” said sponsor Rep. Brad Jones (R-North Reading). “The LIHEAP program assists residents with basic heating needs during the cold winter months, and it only makes sense to allow residents to apply once and be able to continue to automatically receive fuel assistance for as long as they meet the program’s federal and state eligibility requirements.” BAZAARS (H 4238) – The House gave initial approval, on a voice vote without a roll call, to ~ LEGAL NOTICE ~ CITY OF EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS INVITATION FOR BIDS RFS No.: PLD-26-86B Project Name: Connolly Center Upgrades The City of Everett (“Owner”) is seeking design services from a qualified firm (“Designer”) to develop conceptual plans, analyze alternatives, and prepare a schematic design for improvements to the Edward Connolly Center, located at 90 Chelsea Street in Everett. This procurement falls under Designer Procurement M.G.L. C.7C and prepare plans and specifications and monitor construction for the selected improvements to the facility. The Edward Connolly Center is a valued community facility used for public meetings, Council on Aging, Veterans Affairs, Adult Learning Center, and as a heating and cooling center. The building needs significant upgrades. The RFS will be available April 22, 2026, through the Chief Procurement Officer, Kiara Freeman, Kiara.freeman@ci.everett. ma.us, and the Owner’s Project Manager, Eileena Long, Elong@LeftField.com. It is the sole responsibility of the bidder to register as a plan holder. Please note all addendum will be posted to the City’s website. Questions pertaining to the RFS shall be directed to the Chief Procurement Officer, Kiara Freeman, via email Kiara.freeman@ ci.everett.ma.us, the Owner’s Project Manager, Leftfield, LLC, c/o Ms. Leena Long via email Elong@LeftField.com, via download at https://cityofeverett.com/bids/. Phone calls will not be accepted. A briefing session will take place on April 28, 2026 at 11:00AM at the Edward Connolly Center 90 Chelsea Street, Everett, MA 02149. Sealed Proposals will be received until May 11, 2026 at 12:00 PM at the Procurement Department City Hall, Room 14, 484 Broadway, Everett, MA 02149. The City reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive informalities when deemed in the best interest of the City. Kiara M. Freeman Chief Procurement Officer City of Everett April 24, 2026 a proposal that would repeal the current law that prohibits fraternal organizations from conducting more than three bazaars in a single calendar year. The bill does not alter another existing law which limits the organizations to only one event per day for no more than five consecutive hours. “I filed this legislation to support fraternal organizations that play a vital role in our communities through veterans’ services, youth athletic sponsorships, emergency assistance for families in need and many other charitable efforts,” said sponsor Rep. Bruce Ayers (D-Quincy). “By removing the outdated restriction limiting fundraising events to three per year, while maintaining existing oversight and accountability, this bill provides the flexibility.” ROUNDING PENNIES UP AND DOWN (H 5138) – The Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee held a hearing on legislation that would require that all commercial cash transaction in the Bay State be rounded to the nearest 5 or 10 cent intervals in order to remove the need for the penny. Amounts ending in 1, 2, 6 or 7 would be rounded down to the nearest 5 or 10-cent interval while amounts ending in 3, 4, 8 or 9 would be rounded up to the nearest 5 or 10-cent interval. Rounding rules would not apply to payments made electronically, with credit cards, checks, gift cards or other noncash methods. The bill was filed in response to the U.S. Treasury’s announcement in November 2025 that it has stopped producing new pennies, after 252 years of doing so, in part due to production costs exceeding 3 cents per coin. While existing pennies will remain legal tender, the Treasury is phasing them out, leading to increased business use of rounding to the nearest 5 cents in cash transactions. “This legislation addresses a foreseeable circumstance that the federal government has failed to recognize,” said co-sponsor Rep. Tackey Chan (D-Quincy). “The shortage of pennies negatively impacts consumers who pay in cash and hampers retailers from providing consistent and uniform change to customers.” “The quickening scarcity of the amount of pennies in circulation have caused an issue for retailers across the country,” said co-sponsor Sen. Paul Feeney (D-Foxborough). “As pennies go the way of the blacksmith and end up in short supply, we need to craft a consistent solution that ensures cash-paying consumers are fairly charged and businesses are able to balance these transactions over time.” DISCLOSE TARIFFS ON CARS (H 5036) - Another bill heard by the Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee would require new vehicle manufacturers and retail vehicle establishments doing business in the state to clearly and conspicuously disclose the estimated tariff costs on their retail prices on websites and new vehicle labels. Supporters said that the attorney general would promulgate and enforce regulations that establish the standardized method to calculate tariff cost estimates, the formatting requirements for the disclosure labels and recordkeeping requirements to substantiate tariff cost estimates. They argued that consumers have a right to know by how much the costs for a new vehicle have risen by the tariffs. Rep. Mindy Domb (D-Amherst), the sponsor of the bill, did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking her to comment on her proposal. UNCOVERING STAGED SUICIDES (S 2743) – The Public BEACON | SEE PAGE 19

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