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HD 5089

An Act establishing a sick leave bank for Candy J. Pike, an employee of the Department of Developmental Services (DDS)

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Ryan Fattman and 2 co-sponsors

Massachusetts bill creates special sick leave bank exception for one DDS employee, bypassing standard state personnel leave policies through legislative action.

Reported, referred to the committee on Joint Rules, reported, rules suspended and referred to the committee on Public Service
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HD 5089

Legislative bill overview

HD 5089 is a special legislation bill that establishes a sick leave bank specifically for Candy J. Pike, an employee of the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services. The bill allows Pike to accumulate and use sick leave beyond normal departmental limits, effectively creating an exception to standard state personnel policies for this individual employee.

Why is this important

Sick leave bank legislation typically addresses employees facing serious medical conditions or extraordinary circumstances where standard leave accrual is insufficient. This bill demonstrates how legislatures use special acts to provide relief when existing employee benefit structures don't accommodate specific hardship situations, though it raises questions about equitable treatment across the public workforce.

Potential points of contention

  • Precedent and equity concerns: Creating individual sick leave banks may establish expectations that other employees in similar hardship situations will receive comparable legislative relief, potentially creating inconsistent treatment across the state workforce
  • Public resource allocation: Special legislation for individual employees uses legislative time and creates exceptions to uniform personnel policies, raising questions about whether systemic policy changes might be more appropriate
  • Transparency and selection criteria: The bill doesn't publicly explain Pike's specific circumstances, making it unclear what criteria justify this exception or whether similar cases exist without legislative remedy

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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