Relates to medical assistance coverage for medically tailored meals

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Samra Brouk and 3 co-sponsors

Requires that time off due to the medical condition for accidental disability retirement of police/firefighters be treated as leave, with retroactive grant and payroll adjustments

REFERRED TO HEALTH

Summary — S.1912 (2025): "An Act relative to accidental disability retirement for police officers and firefighters"

Note on source materials
- The official text included with the submission amends Massachusetts General Laws and is presented as Senate Docket No. 786, sponsored in the Massachusetts Senate by John C. Velis. Some accompanying metadata in the packet (title, sponsor lists, and committee referrals) appears inconsistent or contains duplicate/conflicting entries; this summary focuses on the bill text itself.

Purpose

To ensure that time away from work caused by the medical condition that leads to an accidental disability retirement is treated as leave under Section 111F of Chapter 41 of the Massachusetts General Laws, and to require retroactive grant of such leave (and related pay/personnel adjustments) where it was not previously granted.

Key provisions

Amends Section 111F of Chapter 41 by adding a new paragraph.

For any police officer or firefighter covered by Section 111F who is granted an accidental disability retirement under Section 7 of Chapter 32:

If the retirement is not based on statutory presumptions under Sections 94, 94A, or 94B of Chapter 32, then any absence from duty caused by the condition that resulted in the accidental disability retirement must be regarded as leave under Section 111F.
If the officer or firefighter was not previously granted leave under Section 111F for that absence, the absence shall be retroactively granted as such.
The employer must take any pay or other personnel actions required by the retroactive granting of leave (e.g., correction of payroll, benefits, seniority or related personnel records).

Who is affected

Directly affects Massachusetts municipal employers and police officers and firefighters who:

Are granted an accidental disability retirement under Section 7 of Chapter 32, and
Whose retirement is not based on the presumptions in Sections 94, 94A, or 94B of Chapter 32.

Indirect effects: municipal payroll/HR departments (required to make retroactive adjustments), pension/retirement administrators, and potentially municipal budgets if retroactive pay adjustments are required.

Procedural status / timeline (as provided)

Filed / Docketed: 1/14/2025 (Senate Docket No. 786); presented by Sen. John C. Velis.

Amended (version 1912A): 3/05/2025.

Advanced to third reading: 3/10/2025.

Passed Senate and delivered to House: 3/27/2025.

Referred in the House to the Committee on Health (and also listed as referred to Veterans’ Affairs in later entries).

Hearing scheduled (as reported): 5/28/2025.

Note: the packet contains duplicated and sometimes conflicting action dates and sponsor lists; consult the official legislative clerk or the Legislature’s website for the authoritative current status.

Additional notes

The amendment is narrowly targeted — it does not change the standards for accidental disability retirement itself, only the treatment of preceding absences for leave/compensation and recordkeeping purposes.

Fiscal impact: The bill can create retroactive pay/benefit obligations for employers; the magnitude depends on individual cases and employer practices. Municipal finance review may be required.