SENATE DOCKET, NO. 466        FILED ON: 1/13/2009

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 730

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act to establish a self sufficiency standard in the Commonwealth..

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. Whereas, In today’s economy, employers face a shortage of skilled labor;

Whereas, Lower-wage workers do not earn enough to support their families;

Whereas, Lack of an adequately prepared workforce can cause employers to turn to workers outside of the Commonwealth;

Whereas, A skilled labor shortage can have an impact on the economic strength of the Commonwealth; and

Whereas, The poverty guidelines as measured by the federal government do not adequately reflect the costs of living in Massachusetts;

Therefore, It shall be the responsibility of the Commonwealth to define a self-sufficiency standard in order to provide a measure of the extent to which the incomes of households in Massachusetts are sufficient to support the costs of living, working, raising a family, and paying taxes in Massachusetts.