HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2972        FILED ON: 1/14/2009

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3685

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act relative to housing authority operations..

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. Chapter 121B of the General Laws,  as most recently appearing in the 2004 Official Edition,  is hereby amended by inserting after section 32A the following new section:---

Section 32AA.   A housing authority may assess its tenants a reasonable utility surcharge fee for air conditioner use or other specialty appliances.

Section Two:  There shall be a special commission to study potential measures to further protect employees of local housing authorities in the furtherance of their duties from criminal acts, including, but not limited to, assault and battery, harassment, stalking and intimidation.  The commission shall have eleven members including the secretary of public housing safety or his designee, the president of the Massachusetts district attorney’s association, the president of the Massachusetts association of chiefs of police, three members of the house of representatives, one of whom shall be appointed by the minority leader; three member of the senate, one of whom shall be appointed by the minority leader, and five directors of local housing authorities to be appointed by the governor.  The commission shall study the effectiveness and appropriateness of the existing criminal statutes in protecting public housing authority employees and officials while engaged and or related in the performance of their duties.  The commission shall submit its final report, including legislative and administrative recommendation, if any, to the clerk of the house of representatives who shall forward the same to the joint committees on public safety and housing not later than the third Wednesday in November 2009.