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The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  1. Session Laws
  2. Acts (2014)
  3. Chapter 188

Chapter 188

AN ACT TO FOSTER ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE

     Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to provide forthwith for improvements to the department of transitional assistance in the commonwealth, therefore, it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.

     Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same as follows:
     SECTION 1.  To provide for supplementing certain items in the general appropriation act and other appropriation acts for fiscal year 2015 for the purpose of funding improvements to the department of transitional assistance in the commonwealth, the sums set forth in section 2 are hereby appropriated from the General Fund unless specifically designated otherwise in this act or in those other appropriation acts, for the several purposes and subject to the conditions specified in this act or in those other appropriation acts and subject to laws regulating the disbursement of public funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015. The sums appropriated in this act shall be in addition to any amounts previously appropriated and made available for these purposes.

     SECTION 2.

OFFICE OF CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICES.

Department of Transitional Assistance.

4403-2119
$500,000

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF EDUCATION

Department of Higher Education.

7070-0066
$1,000,000

     SECTION 2A.  To provide for certain unanticipated obligations of the commonwealth, to provide for an alteration of purpose for current appropriations, and to meet certain requirements of law, the sums set forth in this section are hereby appropriated from the General Fund unless specifically designated otherwise, for the several purposes and subject to the conditions specified in this section, and subject to laws regulating the disbursement of public funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015. The sums shall be in addition to any amounts previously appropriated and made available for the purposes of these items.

EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.

Department of Transitional Assistance.

4400-1100
For the specialists positions required under section 5 of chapter 18 of the General Laws
$2,910,000
4400-1979
For the department of transitional assistance to administer, in consultation with the Commonwealth Corporation, an employment counseling and job training program established under section 3B and the pathways to self-sufficiency program established under section 3C of chapter 118 of the General Laws and for the full employment program established under subsection (1) of section 110 of chapter 5 of the acts of 1995
$11,000,000
4401-1000
For an independent consultant to review the effectiveness of the commonwealth’s specific employment and training service programs, which are provided for under this item, in providing a pathway to financial independence; provided, that not less than $200,000 shall be used; provided, further, that this review shall include, but not be limited to, an analysis of the employment outcomes for clients in the commonwealth, an analysis of each program according to a common set of metrics, interviews with staff from the department and programs, interviews with program clients, interviews with employers and recommendations for specific changes and improvements to the employment and training services provided by the commonwealth; and provided further, that a copy of the consultant’s report shall be filed with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives
$300,000

     SECTION 3.  Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, in fiscal year 2015, the department of higher education shall expend not less than $1,500,000 for the high demand scholarship program for students from the commonwealth who are enrolled in and pursuing a program of higher education in the University of Massachusetts, state universities and community colleges designated by the board of higher education to be a training program for an in-demand profession as defined by the executive office of labor and workforce development’s study on labor market conditions pursuant to item 7070-0066 of section 2 of chapter 38 of the acts of 2013.
     SECTION 4.  Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, funds from the MassHealth premium assistance and insurance partnership in line item 4000-0890 shall be used in fiscal year 2015 to provide insurance reimbursement to employers participating in full employment program established under section 110 of chapter 5 of the acts of 1995.

Approved, July 25, 2014.