BOSTON — Westford’s state representative James Arciero, who is a chair of the House Joint Committee on Transportation, recently joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, to approve legislation to strengthen protections for public transit workers, by expanding laws on assault and battery against public employees.
The bill was approved unanimously in both the House and Senate on Nov. 24, following a 160-0 and 38-0 vote, respectively.
According to the Legislature, the bill, H.4645, ensures that all public transit employees receive the same heightened legal protections as other public employees while performing their jobs, whether they are employed directly by public transit agencies or are employed by private contractors, such as commuter rail operator Keolis.
Additionally, the Legislature said the bill adds public transit workers to the list of public employees, which includes police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel, who are protected from assault and battery, with heightened penalties for anyone who commits that type of crime.
The bill also clarifies the definition of assault by recognizing that projecting bodily fluids, including spitting or throwing substances like urine, constitutes assault against a public worker.
If signed into law, offenders would face a sentence ranging from a minimum of 90 days to two and a half years in a house of correction, a fine between $500 and $5,000, or both.
As the bill has been approved by both the House and Senate, it is now up to Gov. Maura Healey to sign it into law or veto it.
