SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1653        FILED ON: 1/20/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1722

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Patricia D. Jehlen

_________________

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 relative to revenue, information, and accountability.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Patricia D. Jehlen

Second Middlesex

 

Mike Connolly

26th Middlesex

 

Denise Provost

27th Middlesex

 

Marjorie C. Decker

25th Middlesex

2/2/2017

Barbara A. L'Italien

Second Essex and Middlesex

2/2/2017

Sal N. DiDomenico

Middlesex and Suffolk

2/2/2017

Jason M. Lewis

Fifth Middlesex

2/3/2017

Anne M. Gobi

Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire and Middlesex

2/3/2017


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1653        FILED ON: 1/20/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1722

By Ms. Jehlen, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1722) of Patricia D. Jehlen, Mike Connolly, Denise Provost, Marjorie C. Decker and other members of the General Court for legislation relative to revenue, information, and accountability.  State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

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

_______________

 

An Act relative to revenue, information, and accountability.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

The Secretary for Administration and Finance shall provide a short summary each year to be mailed to Massachusetts resident taxpayers by March 15, which reports the total amount of income tax paid to the federal government in the prior year, together with the per cent of those dollars allocated in the prior year’s Congressional discretionary budget to housing, education, healthcare, public transit, biomedical research, veterans services, food stamps and assistance, environmental protection, and defense spending including nuclear weapons. The report shall also include the estimated increase or decrease in federal funds being returned to Massachusetts in the various categories above, by comparing the current Congressional discretionary budget authorization with the prior year’s budget appropriations. The report shall include easy to read pie chart or bar graph form use the budget numbers reported by the Congressional Budget Office of the federal government. The report shall also remind taxpayers that Medicare and Social Security programs are financed as separate trust funds, not through income taxes.

The secretary may acquire the information required under this section from any nonpartisan, third-party organization that regularly compiles such data; provided further, the secretary may enter into an agreement with such an organization to produce the report on the secretary’s behalf.