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H159 • 2025

An Act prohibiting employment discrimination based on legal use of cannabis

An Act prohibiting employment discrimination based on legal use of cannabis

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Michael P. Kushmerek
Last action
2025-10-08
Official status
Referred to House Committee on Bills in the Third Reading
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act prohibiting employment discrimination based on legal use of cannabis

An Act prohibiting employment discrimination based on legal use of cannabis By Representative Kushmerek of Fitchburg, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act prohibiting employment discrimination based on legal use of cannabis By Representative Kushmerek of Fitchburg, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 159) of Michael P.
  • Kushmerek and Jacob R.
  • Oliveira for legislation to prohibit employment discrimination based on legal use of cannabis.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-08 House

    Rules suspended

  2. 2025-10-08 House

    Read second and ordered to a third reading

  3. 2025-10-06 House

    Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting for a second reading

  4. 2025-09-02 House

    Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling

  5. 2025-06-13 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 06/17/2025 from 10:00 AM-01:00 PM in B-1

  6. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on Cannabis Policy

  7. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act prohibiting employment discrimination based on legal use of cannabis
By Representative Kushmerek of Fitchburg, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 159) of Michael P. Kushmerek and Jacob R. Oliveira for legislation to prohibit employment discrimination based on legal use of cannabis. Cannabis Policy.
Status:
Referred to House Committee on Bills in the Third Reading

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
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Bill H.159

SECTION 1. Section 1 of chapter 151B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following subsection: --

24. The term “safety sensitive position” shall mean a position with duties that, if performed while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, could lead to a lapse of attention that could cause actual, immediate, and permanent physical injury or loss of life to self or others.

SECTION 2. Section 4 of Chapter 151B of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding after subsection 19, the following subsections: --

20. For an employer or his agent, because of the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol or marijuana metabolite in the blood, urine or other body sample provided by the individual, to refuse to hire or employ or to bar or to discharge from employment such person or to discriminate against such person in compensation or in terms, conditions or privileges of employment, unless reasonable suspicion exists that the employee was impaired by marijuana at the employee’s place of employment or during the hours of employment.

It shall be a defense to such employment action if the employee, due to the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol or marijuana metabolite in the blood, urine or other body sample provided by the individual, is unable to maintain licenses, credentials, or other qualifications that are reasonably necessary for the performance of the employee’s position, regardless of whether such licensing, credentialing, or other qualifications prohibit the employee from using marijuana. This section shall not apply to safety sensitive positions or if compliance would cause the employer to commit a violation of a federal law, regulation, contract, or funding agreement.

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