Bill
S 1296
The bill guarantees paid time off for employees to vote in state or municipal elections, with notice, posted rights, and a full-day penalty for noncompliance.
Status (as provided)
- Filed: 01/16/2025 (Senate Docket No. 1347)
- Introduced in Senate: 04/03/2025
- Referred to: Finance (and records indicate referrals to Labor & Workforce Development and Health, Education, Labor & Pensions; see note below)
- Hearing listed: 06/10/2025, 11:00 AM–1:00 PM (B‑1)
- Reported favorably and referred to Senate Ways & Means: 10/02/2025
Note: the supplied legislative-action chronology includes some inconsistent / duplicated dates and committee referrals; consult the Massachusetts Legislature’s official docket for authoritative status.
Purpose and intent
- To protect the right of employees to take paid time off from work to vote in Massachusetts state and municipal elections (including designated early voting periods) by codifying employer obligations, notice requirements, penalties for noncompliance, and enforcement authority.
Key provisions
1. Replaces Section 178 of Chapter 149 of the Massachusetts General Laws with a new voting‑time rule:
- Employers must allow sufficient time for employees to vote in state or municipal elections (including designated early voting periods).
- If an employee lacks sufficient nonwork time to vote, the employee may take paid working time as needed to enable voting, provided the employee gives at least 3 days’ notice to the employer.
- Time off must be taken at the beginning or end of the regular shift (whichever minimizes time away from work), unless the employer and employee mutually agree to another arrangement.
New Section 178(a):
New Section 178(b):
Who is affected
- Employers subject to Massachusetts Chapter 149 (private and public sector employers covered by these labor statutes) and employees working in the Commonwealth who are eligible to vote in state or municipal elections. The bill as drafted specifically references "state or municipal elections" and designated early voting periods; federal‑only election references are not explicitly included.
Potential impacts
- Employees: Provides an explicit, paid right to take time off to vote when needed, increases awareness via required postings, and creates a monetary remedy for violations.
- Employers: Must accommodate paid time off for voting (with minimal disruption by requiring time off at shift start or end), provide required postings or electronic notices, and face payment liability (a full day’s pay) for noncompliance. No employer‑size exemptions or specific maximums for paid time off are stated.
- Enforcement: Complaints and remedies would be handled by the Fair Labor Division, aligning this protection with other wage/hour enforcement mechanisms.
Other notes and anomalies
- The bill text identifies the act title as "An Act protecting the right to time off for voting." An alternate short title ("DETERRENT Act") and other metadata in the package appear to be inconsistent with the voting‑time content; these inconsistencies may reflect clerical or data aggregation errors in the materials supplied.
- For current official status, committee reports, and any amendments, consult the Massachusetts Legislature’s website or the Senate docket for S.1296 (Docket No. 1347).
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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