Peabody officials urge committee to allow affidavits when preemployment medical records are missing

At a Public Service Committee hearing, Peabody officials asked lawmakers to approve House Bill 5054 to let affidavits substitute for missing preemployment physical examination records so public safety employees can complete disability or retirement claims.

Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt told the committee the city has been unable to locate a long-serving firefighter’s original preemployment form, which has held up the employee’s retirement. "We just wanted to seek this to support our firefighter and allow him to retire, honorably," Bettencourt said.

Fire Chief Jay Dowling and Chief Thomas Griffin described the firefighter as a 27-year veteran who cleared procedural panels but cannot finalize retirement because his preemployment physical is missing. Dowling said the missing form is "the only thing holding us up for, like, the last 9 months," and asked the committee to provide an administrative remedy so the veteran can proceed.

Representative Thomas Walsh introduced the item and indicated Peabody would submit written materials. Senator Joan Lovely also offered support and urged a positive recommendation.

Committee members did not ask follow-up questions during testimony. The bill, as described by Peabody officials, would allow an affidavit attesting to the existence or contents of a preemployment physical to be used when original records cannot be located, enabling personnel actions such as processing retirement or disability claims. No formal vote on the bill was taken during this hearing; the committee moved on after testimony and invited written materials to be submitted.

Next steps: the committee will consider the bill in its normal review process; city officials were invited to send additional documentation to the committee office.