Bill
H 4116
H 4116 assigns job-site safety to the permit-holding supervisor or design professional, enforcing OSHA standards and the state building code on construction sites.
Purpose and intent
- Establishes safety accountability on construction sites by assigning responsibility to the permit-granting authority holder. Specifically, a licensed construction supervisor or a registered design professional who is granted a building permit would be responsible for overall site safety and for ensuring compliance with safety requirements on the job site, including OSHA standards and the Massachusetts state building code.
Key provisions
- New Section 102 added to Chapter 143 of the General Laws.
- Core duty: The licensed construction supervisor or registered design professional with a building permit must oversee and ensure that all safety requirements at the job site are followed and implemented.
- Safety standards referenced: Compliance with 29 C.F.R. 1926 (OSHA construction safety standards) and the Massachusetts state building code, as applicable to the section.
Who is affected
- Licensed construction supervisors who obtain building permits.
- Registered design professionals who obtain building permits.
- Construction project sites subject to permits issued under Chapter 143.
Compliance framework
- The bill ties on-site safety to the permit holder, creating a direct accountability path for safety compliance. The text provided does not specify penalties, enforcement mechanisms, or compliance timelines beyond the safety obligations.
Procedural and timeline details
- Introduced: May 12, 2025.
- Legislative action: Referred to the House Committee on Labor and Workforce Development (May 12, 2025); Senate concurred (May 15, 2025).
- Hearing information: Initial hearing scheduled; as of the latest update, the hearing was rescheduled to October 8, 2025 (10:00 AM–12:15 PM in Room B-1, with a virtual hearing extension noted to a new end time). On September 25, 2025, the hearing was listed as for October 8, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM in Room B-1, indicating an expanded hearing window.
- Related bill: HD 3343 (the accompanying or replacing measure for House Docket No. 3343).
Impact and considerations
- Safety accountability would rest with the permit-granting sponsor (licensed construction supervisor or registered design professional), potentially affecting project management responsibilities, risk allocation, and professional liability on site.
- Specific penalties, enforcement processes, and effective dates are not provided in the text available; those details would be clarified in the final enacted version or accompanying fiscal/legislative analyses.
Related information
- HD 3343 is listed as the related bill and appears to replace or correspond to the same measure.
Bottom line
- H 4116 seeks to strengthen job-site safety by placing primary safety responsibility on the building permit holder (licensed supervisor or registered design professional) and aligning compliance with OSHA standards and the state building code. The bill is under consideration with a scheduled hearing in October 2025 and has an introduced date of May 12, 2025.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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