HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 731        FILED ON: 1/13/2009

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 199

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Nine

_______________

Resolve [Title].

Resolved, That a special commission is hereby established for the purpose of investigating, devising and recommending statewide strategies to create and expand opportunity in low-opportunity communities.  The commission shall consist of 3 members of the senate, two of whom shall be appointed by the senate president and one to be appointed by the senate minority leader; 3 members of the house of representatives, two of whom shall be appointed by the speaker and one of whom to be appointed by the house minority leader; the assistant secretary for access and opportunity; the secretary for health and human services or her designee; the undersecretary of the department of housing and community development or her designee; the commissioner of the department of transitional assistance or her designee; the secretary of labor and workforce development or her designee; the secretary of education or his designee; 2 mayors, town managers or chairs of boards of selectmen or their designees nominated by the Massachusetts Municipal Association; 2 directors of community action agencies or their designees as nominated by the Massachusetts Association for Community Action; 2 directors of community development corporations or their designees as nominated by the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations; and 4 persons to be appointed by the governor, three of whom shall be representatives from academic institutions, and a member whom shall be from an organization providing legal services to low-income people.  The governor shall designate a member of the commission to serve as one co-chairperson and the members of the commission shall elect a member of the commission to serve as one co-chairperson.

The commission shall develop a comprehensive strategy to create, foster and expand opportunity in low-opportunity communities, including a consensus budget proposal, capable of being implemented over a 5 year period, with a focus on the collaboration of the department of housing and community development, the executive office of health and human services, the executive office of education and other state agencies, departments, and quasi-public entities in the planning and distribution of resources that will create coordinated efforts to expand opportunity, reduce the incidence of poverty, develop jobs and economic opportunities, transportation, and provide other appropriate services.

The commission shall file its strategic plan, including a timeline for implementation, cost estimates and finance mechanisms and its recommendations, and its budget proposals together with drafts of legislation and regulations, if any, necessary to carry out its recommendations with the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives, the joint committee on children and families, the joint committee on housing, the joint committee on education, the joint committee on community development and small business, and the senate and house committees on ways and means not later than June 30, 2009.