THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, November 14, 2025 Page 15 Bread of Life First Annual Craft Fair, Sunday, Nov. 30th B read of Life is hosting a First Annual Craft Fair, Sunday, November 30th. The Fair will be located at Bread of Life, 54 Eastern Avenue, Malden from 10am2pm. Over 20 vendors will be selling gifts for the holidays; jewelry, hand crafted items, baked goods and more. All are welcome and admission is free. For more information, contact Patty Kelly patty.kelly@breadoflifemalden.org Beacon Hill Roll Call By Bob Katzen THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives' and senators' votes on roll calls from the week of November 3-7. CHANGE ARCHAIC LANGUAGE REFERRING TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (H 4704) House 152-0, approved and sent to the Senate a bill that would modernize and remove archaic language in state laws to reflect the evolution of terminology relating to persons with disabilities. The Senate has already approved a different version of the measure, and the House version now goes to the Senate for consideration. Changes include replacing “handicapped persons” with “persons with disabilities;” replacing “the mentally retarded” with “persons with an intellectual disability;” replacing “retarded children” with “children with an intellectual disability;” and replacing “disabled American veterans” with “American veterans with disabilities.” “As lawmakers, we know that words matter,” said Speaker of the House Ron Mariano (D-Quincy). “This legislation is our latest effort to ensure that our state laws do not use antiquated words that carry negative connotations, words that also serve as a reminder of past injustices.” “Removing out-of-date and offensive language from the Massachusetts General Laws to describe people with disabilities is an important step in ensuring that our values are also reflected in our statutes,” said Rep. Jay Livingstone (D-Boston), House Chair of the Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities. “As legislators, it is our job to help make sure that people with intellectual or developmental disabilities feel included, accepted and embraced for who they are, and this is an important step in doing so.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Rep. Paul Donato Yes Rep. Steven Ultrino Yes HOME CARE (H 4706) House 153-1, approved and sent to the THE BENNETTS | FROM PAGE 4 ership role in the Firefighters Union, strengthening that union and mentoring many of Malden’s firefighters along the way.” Rita Bennett, also a lifelong Malden resident, married Mac a few years after the end of World War II and made a home for her large family on High Street in the heart of the Bell Rock neighborhood. She graduated from the former Cheverus High School in Malden and worked at the Cuticura Soap Company of Malden, Seiler’s Caterers of Braintree and Bon Saison of Everett, along with raising her six children, alongside Mac. She and her family were longtime members of Sacred Hearts Parish down the street in Malden Square. Kevin Bennett also spoke briefly and thanked Mayor Christenson, Councillor Crowe and all in the city who took part in bringing the memorial bench to Bell Rock Park. Speaking after Jarvis, Bennett drew some more light laughter from the Bennett brood when he said of his parents, with a smile, “I am not sure about all this good guy stuff all the time about [Mac], but I do know she was a great woman and mother!” Yes, there it was, another ray of sunshine peeking out for the Bennetts of Bell Rock — just as Mac and Rita brightened this community for all of their years. Senate a bill that would establish a licensure process for home care agencies that supporters say will ensure that consumers receive quality non-medical services, and that home care workers are protected. The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) would implement the licensure process and have the authority to approve licenses, survey and investigate home care agencies and impose fines. The measure also would require EOHHS to conduct a suitability review for all licensure applicants, including for all individuals with at least a 5 percent ownership interest in the agency; review applicants to ensure that they have sufficient financial capacity to provide a minimum standard of care; and require EOHHS to publish a list of all licensed home care agencies on its website. Other provisions require minimum standards for home care workers by mandating several background screening checks on them; training and competency requirements for home care workers including confidentiality and privacy rights of home care consumers; infection control and communicable diseases; handling of emergencies, including safety and falls prevention; identifying and reporting suspected abuse, neglect or theft; and understanding Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, including person-centered care, activities of daily living, safety and dementia-related behaviors and communication. The legislation implements workforce protections for employees including establishing procedures to ensure home care workers have safe working conditions, adequate training and a process for submitting complaints; requiring licensed home care agencies to have coverage for worker’s compensation and liability insurance; creation of the Home Care Worker and Consumer Abuse Stakeholder Advisory Committee to study and make recommendations on standards and procedures for addressing abusive treatment, including physical, verbal, mental abuse and bullying of home care workers, personal care assistants, home care consumers and family members; and informing home care workers of potentially unsafe working environments. "This legislation could not have been passed at a more critical time," said Rep. Tom Stanley (D-Waltham), House Chair of the Committee on Aging and Independence. "With our aging population expected to grow exponentially in the coming years and the number of family caregivers shrinking, the demand for home care will subsequently increase. It is critical for the commonwealth to have the proper standards and protections in place for home care agencies to ensure consumers receive quality care and our dedicated home care workers are properly trained and supported in the field.” “With persistent staffing shortages and projections of growing need, urgent legislative action is needed to establish improved oversight over home care agency employers, better prepare to meet future care demands and to reduce the far-toocommon abuse and workplace bullying of home care workers and/or their consumer clients,” said Cari Medina, Executive Vice President of 1199SEIU, the union which represents more than 60,000 home care worker members. “[We] strongly support this bill to establish a new state process for the licensure of Massachusetts home care agencies, to implement improved operational standards for these agencies and to direct the adoption of new minimum standards and operational procedures for addressing abusive treatment and bullying of home care workers and/ or their consumers." Betsey Crimmins, Executive Director of Mass Aging Access, said that Mass Aging Access and its statewide network of 24 Aging Services Access Points strongly support the bill. “Massachusetts does not license non-medical home care services, even though these services are essential to BHRC| SEE PAGE 16 ~ HELP WANTED ~ Type of Person Needed: * Are you an experienced/willing to learn, motivated person looking for a shop where your skills can be valued? A local company with a fleet shop is a busy, family-owned business dedicated to providing high-quality transportation services and public State inspection services. We are seeking a talented Automotive Technician or mechanical knowledge to join our close-knit crew. If you are dependable and proficient in automotive technical work with a passion for excellent customer service, we want to talk to you. Location: Malden, MA Job Description: * Be able to acquire and maintain a certification for the State Inspection License. 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