HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 488        FILED ON: 1/13/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1110

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Elizabeth A. Poirier

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act establishing regional commissions on the status of women and girls.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 488        FILED ON: 1/13/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1110

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 4767 OF 2015-2016.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

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An Act establishing regional commissions on the status of women and girls.

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.  (a)  There shall be an Eastern Regional commission on the status of women which shall consist of 9 persons to be appointed by the commission on the status of women established in section 66 of chapter 3 of the General Laws.  The Eastern Regional commission shall conduct an ongoing study of all matters concerning women in Eastern Regional communities.  The Eastern Regional commission shall report its findings to the commission on the status of women annually, not later than June 2, and shall recommend solutions to the problems facing women in Eastern Regional communities.  The commission on the status of women shall make appointments to the Eastern Regional commission from a pool of applicants who reside in Eastern Regional communities.  For the purpose of this act, “Eastern Regional communities” shall include:  the towns of Avon, Brookline, Canton, Cohasset, Dedham, Foxborough, Holbrook, Hull, Milton, Plainville, Sharon, Stoughton, and Westwood, and the cities of Boston, Braintree, Chelsea, Quincy, Randolph, Revere, Weymouth, and Winthrop.

(b)  Members shall serve for 3-year terms and shall continue in office until their successors are appointed.  Members shall not be reappointed for more than 2 consecutive terms; provided, however, that former members may reapply to serve on the commission after 1 year has passed since their last term.  Of the initial members appointed to the Eastern Regional commission on the status of women, 3 members shall be appointed for a term of 1 year, 3 members shall be appointed for a term of 2 years, and 3 members shall be appointed for a term of 3 years.

(c)  Vacancies in the membership of the Eastern Regional commission on the status of women shall be filled by the commission on the status of women for the balance of the unexpired term.

(d)  In making appointments to the Eastern Regional commission on the status of women, the commission on the status of women shall consult with women's organizations.  Nominations shall be solicited between August 1 and September 16 annually through an open application that is widely distributed throughout the Eastern Regional communities.  Members of the commission shall be diverse and represent different Eastern Regional communities.

(e)  Members shall serve on the Eastern Regional commission on the status of women as volunteers and shall not be compensated.

(f)  The Eastern Regional commission on the status of women shall elect from among its members a chair, a vice chair, a treasurer, and any other officers as it deems necessary.

(g)  The Eastern Regional commission on the status of women shall meet at least 4 times a year, at the members' discretion.  Members of the commission on the status of women may attend the meetings of the Eastern Regional commission on the status of women.

(h)  The Eastern Regional commission on the status of women may accept and solicit funds, including any gifts, donations, grants or bequests and federal funds for any of the purposes of this act.  The funds shall be deposited in a separate account to be expended at the discretion of the commission.

(i)  The Eastern Regional commission on the status of women may:  (i) use voluntary and uncompensated services of private individuals, agencies and organizations as may, from time to time, be offered or required; (ii) recommend policies and make recommendations to state and local agencies and officers to effectuate the purposes of the commission; (iii) enact by-laws for its own governance; (iv) hold regular public meetings, conduct fact-finding hearings and hold other public forums as it deems necessary; and (v) take other actions as it deems necessary to effectuate its purposes.

SECTION 2.  (a)  There shall be an Upper Middlesex commission on the status of women which shall consist of 9 persons to be appointed by the commission on the status of women established in section 66 of chapter 3 of the General Laws.  The Upper Middlesex commission shall conduct an ongoing study of all matters concerning women in Upper Middlesex communities.  The Upper Middlesex commission shall report its findings to the commission on the status of women annually, not later than June 2, and shall recommend solutions to the problems facing women in Upper Middlesex communities.  The commission on the status of women shall make appointments to the Upper Middlesex commission from a pool of applicants who reside in Upper Middlesex communities.  For the purpose of this act, “Upper Middlesex communities” shall include:  the towns of Acton, Arlington, Ashby, Ayer, Bedford, Belmont, Billerica, Boxborough, Burlington, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord, Dracut, Dunstable, Groton, Lexington, Lincoln, Littleton, North Reading, Pepperell, Reading, Shirley, Stoneham, Tewksbury, Townsend, Tyngsborough, Wakefield, Westford, Wilmington, Winchester, and the cities of Cambridge, Everett, Lowell, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Newton, Somerville, Waltham, Watertown, and Woburn.

(b)  Members shall serve for 3-year terms and shall continue in office until their successors are appointed.  Members shall not be reappointed for more than 2 consecutive terms; provided, however, that former members may reapply to serve on the commission after 1 year has passed since their last term.  Of the initial members appointed to the Upper Middlesex commission on the status of women, 3 members shall be appointed for a term of 1 year, 3 members shall be appointed for a term of 2 years, and 3 members shall be appointed for a term of 3 years.

(c)  Vacancies in the membership of the Upper Middlesex commission on the status of women shall be filled by the commission on the status of women for the balance of the unexpired term.

(d)  In making appointments to the Upper Middlesex commission on the status of women, the commission on the status of women shall consult with women's organizations.  Nominations shall be solicited between August 1 and September 16 annually through an open application that is widely distributed throughout the Upper Middlesex communities.  Members of the commission shall be diverse and represent different Upper Middlesex communities.

(e)  Members shall serve on the Upper Middlesex commission on the status of women as volunteers and shall not be compensated.

(f)  The Upper Middlesex commission on the status of women shall elect from among its members a chair, a vice chair, a treasurer, and any other officers as it deems necessary.

(g)  The Upper Middlesex commission on the status of women shall meet at least 4 times a year, at the members' discretion.  Members of the commission on the status of women may attend the meetings of the Eastern Regional commission on the status of women.

(h)  The Upper Middlesex commission on the status of women may accept and solicit funds, including any gifts, donations, grants or bequests and federal funds for any of the purposes of this act.  The funds shall be deposited in a separate account to be expended at the discretion of the commission.

(i)  The Upper Middlesex commission on the status of women may:  (i) use voluntary and uncompensated services of private individuals, agencies and organizations as may, from time to time, be offered or required; (ii) recommend policies and make recommendations to state and local agencies and officers to effectuate the purposes of the commission; (iii) enact by-laws for its own governance; (iv) hold regular public meetings, conduct fact-finding hearings and hold other public forums as it deems necessary; and (v) take other actions as it deems necessary to effectuate its purposes.

SECTION 3.  (a)  There shall be a Plymouth County commission on the status of women which shall consist of 9 persons to be appointed by the commission on the status of women established in section 66 of chapter 3 of the General Laws.  The Plymouth County commission shall conduct an ongoing study of all matters concerning women in Plymouth County communities.  The Plymouth County commission shall report its findings to the commission on the status of women annually, not later than June 2, and shall recommend solutions to the problems facing women in Plymouth County communities.  The commission on the status of women shall make appointments to the Plymouth County commission from a pool of applicants who reside in Plymouth County communities.  For the purpose of this act, “Plymouth County communities” shall include all municipalities located in Plymouth County.

(b)  Members shall serve for 3-year terms and shall continue in office until their successors are appointed.  Members shall not be reappointed for more than 2 consecutive terms; provided, however, that former members may reapply to serve on the commission after 1 year has passed since their last term.  Of the initial members appointed to the Plymouth County commission on the status of women, 3 members shall be appointed for a term of 1 year, 3 members shall be appointed for a term of 2 years, and 3 members shall be appointed for a term of 3 years.

(c)  Vacancies in the membership of the Plymouth County commission on the status of women shall be filled by the commission on the status of women for the balance of the unexpired term.

(d)  In making appointments to the Plymouth County commission on the status of women, the commission on the status of women shall consult with women's organizations.  Nominations shall be solicited between August 1 and September 16 annually through an open application that is widely distributed throughout the Plymouth County communities.  Members of the commission shall be diverse and represent different Plymouth County communities.

(e)  Members shall serve on the Plymouth County commission on the status of women as volunteers and shall not be compensated.

(f)  The Plymouth County commission on the status of women shall elect from among its members a chair, a vice chair, a treasurer, and any other officers as it deems necessary.

(g)  The Plymouth County commission on the status of women shall meet at least 4 times a year, at the members' discretion.  Members of the commission on the status of women may attend the meetings of the Plymouth County commission on the status of women.

(h)  The Plymouth County commission on the status of women may accept and solicit funds, including any gifts, donations, grants or bequests and federal funds for any of the purposes of this act.  The funds shall be deposited in a separate account to be expended at the discretion of the commission.

(i)  The Plymouth County commission on the status of women may:  (i) use voluntary and uncompensated services of private individuals, agencies and organizations as may, from time to time, be offered or required; (ii) recommend policies and make recommendations to state and local agencies and officers to effectuate the purposes of the commission; (iii) enact by-laws for its own governance; (iv) hold regular public meetings, conduct fact-finding hearings and hold other public forums as it deems necessary; and (v) take other actions as it deems necessary to effectuate its purposes.

SECTION 4.  Section 2 shall go into effect January 1, 2018.

SECTION 5.  Section 3 shall go into effect January 1, 2018.