Helping employees after a relative's tragedy

LegiScan Massachusetts

Published March 26th, 2026

Detected March 30th, 2026

Summary

Massachusetts House Bill 5302, sponsored by the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, proposes new workplace protections for employees dealing with a relative's tragedy. The bill, which replaces H2064 and related legislation, was reported favorably by the Labor and Workforce Development Committee on March 26, 2026, and has been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee for further consideration.

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What changed

Massachusetts House Bill 5302 proposes new workplace requirements related to employee support following a relative's tragedy. The bill, sponsored by the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, passed the Labor and Workforce Development Committee on March 26, 2026, and was referred to the House Ways and Means Committee. This legislation consolidates and replaces prior bills H2064, H2106, H2188, and H2189, suggesting a refined approach to addressing employee rights during family emergencies.

Employers in Massachusetts should monitor this legislation closely as it progresses through the House Ways and Means Committee and subsequent floors. Human resources and legal teams should begin reviewing current policies on bereavement leave, family emergency leave, and related employee benefits to identify potential gaps. While this is still draft legislation, companies operating in Massachusetts should prepare for potential new compliance requirements regarding employee leave and support obligations following a relative's tragedy.

What to do next

Monitor H5302 progress through the Massachusetts House Ways and Means Committee
Review current bereavement and emergency leave policies for potential compliance gaps
Consult with employment counsel regarding potential obligations if bill becomes law

Source document (simplified)

MA H5302 | 2025-2026 | 194th General Court

Massachusetts House Bill 5302

MA State Legislature page for H5302
- Summary
- Sponsors
- Texts
- Votes
- Research
- Comments
- Track
Note: Replaces legislation H2064

Status

Sponsorship: Committee Bill
Status: Introduced on March 26 2026 - 25% progression
Action: 2026-03-26 - Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means
Pending: House Ways and Means Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [PDF]

Summary

Helping employees after a relative’s tragedy
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Title

Helping employees after a relative’s tragedy

History

| Date | Chamber | Action |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-26 | House | Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means |
| 2026-03-26 | House | New draft of H2064, H2106, H2188 and H2189 |
| 2026-03-26 | House | Reported from the committee on Labor and Workforce Development |

Same As/Similar To

H2064 (Replaces) 2026-03-26 - Accompanied a new draft, see H5302

Massachusetts State Sources

| Type | Source |
| --- | --- |
| Summary | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H5302 |
| Text | https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H5302.pdf |

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