Bill > H1045

This bill proposes several changes to Chapter 151B of the Massachusetts General Laws, which relates to the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD). The key provisions are: 1. Requiring MCAD policies to be subject to a 90-day public review period before final adoption. 2. Allowing parties in certain employment discrimination cases that were heard prior to May 6, 2004 to elect judicial determination of the complaint, rather than continuing the MCAD process. 3. Establishing a new procedure for filing and investigating employment discrimination complaints, including a $250 filing fee (which can be waived or refunded), a 90-day investigative conference, and the ability for the MCAD to grant limited discovery and consider summary judgment motions before certifying a case for a public hearing. 4. Allowing either party to a complaint to appeal the MCAD's final decision by electing judicial determination and having the case removed to state or federal court. 5. Authorizing the MCAD to award reasonable attorney's fees and costs to a prevailing complainant. The overall goal of the bill appears to be increasing transparency and efficiency in the MCAD's handling of employment discrimination cases.

Labor and Employment

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/190/H1045