State and union witnesses told the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security that House Bill 2736, known informally as "Matt's Law," should be reported favorably to prevent future attacks inside correctional facilities. Committee chairs and sponsors presented the bill as a response to the brutal assault on corrections officer Matthew Tidman, who suffered catastrophic injuries after an inmate used a metal free weight as a weapon.

A sponsor said the bill would codify a permanent ban on free weights in medium- and maximum-security facilities and require that exercise equipment be properly secured to prevent misuse. The speaker framed the measure as both a practical safety step and a moral obligation to correctional staff.

Kevin Flanagan, legislative representative for the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union, testified in support and called H2736 “a common sense bill that would ensure that free weights in our correctional system do not exist ever again.” He added that the bill does not seek to remove opportunities for physical activity but aims to ensure such activity occurs safely.

The parents of Matthew Tidman, who were present, also addressed the committee. One parent said, “As parents of Matthew, we purely support this. We can never go backwards, but we can all go forward, and I think it's necessary.” Committee members thanked the family for testifying and opened the panel for questions. A committee member asked why the Department of Correction had not made the change administratively; a union representative replied that free weights were removed from prisons immediately after the incident but that statutory change is needed to lock the policy into law and prevent future reversals.

No formal vote or committee direction on H2736 was recorded in the hearing transcript. Testifiers requested that the committee issue a favorable report so the bill can proceed to further legislative action.

The testimony combined personal accounts of the 2019 assault, union statements about staff safety, and a sponsor's presentation of the bill's provisions. Supporters said the bill returns with broad bipartisan backing. The committee did not take a formal vote during the recorded hearing.

The committee hearing continued with other items after the H2736 testimony concluded.