Bill S.2146 187th (2011 - 2012)

Pursuant to Section 5 of Article 63 of the Amendments to the Constitution, I am today signing Senate Bill 2112, “An Act Making Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2012 to Provide for Supplementing Certain Existing Appropriations and for Certain Other Activities and Projects”, while disapproving several items and sections and returning other sections for amendment.

I am pleased to approve the majority of this legislation, which totals $127.1 million in FY 2012 spending, or $100.6 million after accounting for offsetting federal revenues. This funding will ensure that adult day health services provided by MassHealth to low-income seniors and persons with disabilities can continue for the remainder of the year. This bill also provides critical home energy assistance to low-income seniors and families who have seen federal aid for this purpose reduced substantially this year. Finally, additional assistance is made available for legal services provided to low-income or vulnerable Massachusetts residents in need of legal representation in a wide range of matters.

In Section 2, I disapprove items 1599-1705 and 1599-1709 because they authorize unaffordable or unnecessary additional funding that exceeds my budget recommendations. I disapprove item Section 28 because of the manner in which it directs funds intended for a municipal grant program.

Because they authorize unaffordable spending by Sheriffs in excess of my budget recommendations, I am also disapproving Sections 36 and 37 and reducing the following items in Section 2 by and to the following amounts:



Reduce By Reduce To



8910-0105 200,000 493,920

8910-8200 1,000,109 1,000,109

8910-8300 952,095 952,094

8910-8700 871,879 871,878



I disapprove Section 10, because it exempts retirement board contingency fee agreements from the heightened procurement process regulation that became law under last year’s pension reform act. This regulation encourages transparency and promotes an open and fair process to ensure that retirement boards enter into contracts that serve their best interests.

Finally, pursuant to Article LVI, as amended by Article XC, Section 3 of the Amendments to the Constitution, I am also returning for amendment Sections 17, 18, 19, 20, 46 and 55, for reasons set forth in my accompanying letter today.

I approve the remainder of this Act.