Massachusetts lawmakers are planning a public hearing on nearly 100 bills related to the state's judicial system.Among the bills scheduled for the Judiciary Committee hearing are proposals to make it easier to file slander lawsuits against anonymous parties on the Internet and to allow merchants at public farmers' markets and farm stands to give taste samples to customers without fear of liability.
Another bill would increase the penalty assessed to parents or guardians for excessive school truancy of a child from not more than $20 to not more than $50 for each day the child doesn't attend school.
The hearing takes place Tuesday at the Statehouse.
Other bills would toughen littering fines, allow restaurants to donate edible leftovers to food pantries and shelters, and prevent doctors from performing abortions without obtaining written consent first.
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