On November 5, the Senate passed legislation to create a commission to study ways to prevent bullying of tenants in public and subsidized multi-family housing. I partnered with a Peabody constituent to sponsor the resolve, which establishes a 19-member commission tasked with submitting policy recommendations to prevent instances of tenant bullying.

With a focus on elderly and disabled tenants, the commission will identify the conditions that cause bullying and research successful prevention methods. To reach its findings, the commission will consult with tenants who have been victimized by bullying, managers who coordinate resident services, and individuals who have direct experience with bullying prevention. To meet the needs of tenants in all areas, the commission will hold public meetings at various locations across the Commonwealth.

The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.

This November, the Senate passed legislation to address the unregulated practice of exchanging an adopted child, also called “re-homing.” Re-homing occurs when an adoptive parent, who feels they can no longer care for the child, posts an advertisement on the internet to pass the child on to another without any oversight. Child safety is a top priority and the Senate reaffirmed that message by taking steps to end this unsafe practice. To address this issue, the bill creates an oversight process to ensure children are safely moved to families under government regulation and through legal avenues. Additionally, the bill requires post-adoption services to prevent the disruption of a child placement and includes penalties for parents who permanently place a child in a new home unlawfully.

Recently my office has heard from North Shore commuters about the newly proposed North Side Commuter Rail schedule changes. On November 24, MassDOT and the MBTA announced that the revised North Side Commuter Rail schedule will not be implemented until spring 2016. Later this month, the MBTA will release new draft schedules for both North Side and South Side services, receive feedback from the public, and then make any necessary changes before implementing a final schedule in the spring of 2016. Throughout this process, my office will remain engaged and monitor any changes that will impact North Shore commuter rail riders. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to reach out to my office and speak with me or my staff.