Bill
S 2484
Expands anti-discrimination protections to include veterans and veteran status in key provisions of chapter 272, making discrimination against veterans actionable.
Note on conflicting metadata
- The materials supplied include inconsistent metadata (an alternative title about energy planning, different sponsors, and varied committee referrals). This summary focuses on the actual bill text submitted as Senate Docket No. 520 (filed 1/13/2025), presented by Senator Michael F. Rush (petition also lists Representative Paul McMurtry), which is captioned in the text as “An Act relative to protecting veterans.” Where legislative-action dates or sponsors conflict in the source material, those conflicts are noted below.
Purpose and intent
- The bill’s stated purpose is to expand existing anti‑discrimination protections under Massachusetts law to include veterans and “veteran status” as protected categories. It seeks to amend several provisions in chapter 272 (Massachusetts civil rights/anti‑discrimination statutes) to explicitly prohibit discrimination against veterans.
Key provisions
- The bill amends three places in chapter 272 of the General Laws:
1. Section 98A (as in the 2022 Official Edition) — inserts the words “or veteran” after each instance of the phrase “physically handicapped persons” (specified in three places in the section).
2. Section 92A (first paragraph, as appearing in section 1, chapter 134 of the acts of 2016) — inserts “or veteran status” after the word “disability.”
3. Section 98 (as appearing in section 3, chapter 134 of the acts of 2016) — inserts “or veteran status” after the word “ancestry.”
Who would be affected
- Veterans and persons whose status as veterans could be the basis for differential treatment would be newly (or more clearly) protected under the amended statutory provisions.
- Entities and individuals subject to chapter 272’s prohibitions — including employers, housing providers, places of public accommodation, and other actors governed by the amended sections — would be required to comply with the expanded protections.
- State enforcement bodies, courts, and administrative agencies applying chapter 272 would interpret these sections to include veterans/veteran status in their analyses of prohibited discrimination.
Legal and practical impact
- By adding “veteran” or “veteran status” into these statutory provisions, the bill clarifies that discriminatory acts or policies targeting veterans are actionable under the named sections of chapter 272. This may affect claims and enforcement in contexts already covered by the amended sections (e.g., housing, public accommodations, employment‑adjacent civil rights depending on the specific scope of each section).
- The bill does not specify new remedies or enforcement mechanisms beyond those already available under chapter 272; it operates by expanding protected classes within existing statutory frameworks.
Procedure / timeline (from provided actions — note inconsistencies)
- Bill text filed: Senate Docket No. 520, filed 01/13/2025; presented by Michael F. Rush.
- Committee references shown in materials include Veterans and Federal Affairs; other entries show referrals to Energy, Energy and Telecommunications, and Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs — these appear inconsistent across records.
- Provided action history (selected): Passed Senate 04/29/2025 and delivered to the House/Assembly (per the supplied list). A later entry lists “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs” (07/28/2025). Because the provided log contains duplicated and conflicting entries, verify current status with the official legislative clerk or online bill tracking for the authoritative procedural posture.
Sponsors / petitioners (conflicting entries)
- Bill text/petition: Presented by Michael F. Rush; petition lists Michael F. Rush and Paul McMurtry.
- Other provided sponsor fields list Bill Hagerty, Lea Webb, and Kevin S. Parker — these appear inconsistent with the text filing and likely reflect mixed metadata.
Related legislation
- Related items listed in the materials: SD 520 (replaces) and S 8617 (prior session). Confirm relationships through the official bill history.
If you want
- I can: (a) pull and compare the current official bill status from the Massachusetts Legislature website, (b) map each amended statutory section to its substantive coverage (e.g., confirm whether the section governs housing, public accommodations, etc.), or (c) draft plain‑language examples of how the change may affect common scenarios (employment, housing, services). Which would you prefer?
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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