SENATE DOCKET, NO. 591 FILED ON: 1/18/2017
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1773
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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Bruce E. Tarr
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to employee settlements.
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PETITION OF:
Name: | District/Address: |
Bruce E. Tarr | First Essex and Middlesex |
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 591 FILED ON: 1/18/2017
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1773
By Mr. Tarr, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1773) of Bruce E. Tarr for legislation relative to the confidentiality of employee settlements. State Administration and Regulatory Oversight. |
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 1734 OF 2015-2016.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)
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An Act relative to employee settlements.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1. Except as required by law, a state agency, executive office, department, board, commission, bureau, division or authority of the commonwealth, or of any political subdivision thereof, acting in its capacity as an employer, may not enter into a contract, severance or settlement agreement with an employee or former employee directing that employee or former employee to agree to keep confidential the nature and terms of an agreement portending to keep disclosed benefits received by the employee or preventing the employee from freely expressing an opinion about the employer or an agent of the employer, unless the employer shall create and make publicly available, as specified by section 10 of chapter 66 of the General Laws, a detailed statement declaring why it is in the public’s best interest that the employer and employee or former employee include such language into the contract, severance or settlement agreement. The detailed statement shall be made available within 24 hours of the contract, severance or settlement agreement becoming enforceable.