HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2808 FILED ON: 1/17/2019
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1762
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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Antonio F. D. Cabral and Andres X. Vargas
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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 to reform the distribution of unrestricted local aid.
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PETITION OF:
Name: | District/Address: | Date Added: |
Antonio F. D. Cabral | 13th Bristol | 1/14/2019 |
Andres X. Vargas | 3rd Essex | 1/18/2019 |
Brian M. Ashe | 2nd Hampden | 2/1/2019 |
Marjorie C. Decker | 25th Middlesex | 1/31/2019 |
Mindy Domb | 3rd Hampshire | 2/1/2019 |
Michelle M. DuBois | 10th Plymouth | 1/20/2019 |
James B. Eldridge | Middlesex and Worcester | 2/1/2019 |
Nika C. Elugardo | 15th Suffolk | 2/2/2019 |
Tricia Farley-Bouvier | 3rd Berkshire | 1/23/2019 |
Carlos González | 10th Hampden | 1/30/2019 |
James K. Hawkins | 2nd Bristol | 2/1/2019 |
Stephan Hay | 3rd Worcester | 1/24/2019 |
Russell E. Holmes | 6th Suffolk | 2/1/2019 |
Mary S. Keefe | 15th Worcester | 2/1/2019 |
David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf | 17th Worcester | 1/31/2019 |
Eric P. Lesser | First Hampden and Hampshire | 2/1/2019 |
Liz Miranda | 5th Suffolk | 1/30/2019 |
James J. O'Day | 14th Worcester | 1/30/2019 |
Denise Provost | 27th Middlesex | 1/31/2019 |
Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr. | 12th Hampden | 1/23/2019 |
Jon Santiago | 9th Suffolk | 1/31/2019 |
Paul A. Schmid, III | 8th Bristol | 1/31/2019 |
Alan Silvia | 7th Bristol | 1/19/2019 |
José F. Tosado | 9th Hampden | 1/25/2019 |
Aaron Vega | 5th Hampden | 1/31/2019 |
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2808 FILED ON: 1/17/2019
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1762
By Messrs. Cabral of New Bedford and Vargas of Haverhill, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1762) of Antonio F. D. Cabral, Andres X. Vargas and others for legislation to establish a commission (including members of the General Court) to study the distribution of unrestricted local aid in the Commonwealth. Municipalities and Regional Government. |
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)
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An Act to reform the distribution of unrestricted local aid.
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. There shall be a commission to study the distribution of general local aid in the commonwealth, including unrestricted general government aid, lottery aid as promulgated 394 in section 18C of chapter 58 of the General Laws and additional assistance aid to municipalities. The study shall not include foundation aid as defined in section 2 of chapter 70 of the General Laws.
SECTION 2. The commission shall examine the current formula used to distribute unrestricted general government aid to municipalities, evaluate the effectiveness and equity of said formula and make recommendations to establish a more equitable distribution of unrestricted general government aid to municipalities in the commonwealth. The commission shall review all aspects of general local aid including, but not limited to (a) the current allocation of local aid to municipalities; (b) the reflectiveness of municipalities’ needs in the proportional distribution of the unrestricted general government aid formula; (c) any equity disparities that exist between municipalities across the commonwealth related to local aid distribution; (d) the ability to account for a municipality’s change in population or tax base in a general local aid funding formula; (e) the potential to calculate municipal costs based on a municipality’s need for municipal services and a municipality’s ability to raise local revenue, less a municipality’s local revenues; and (f) any alternative formulas that may create a more equitable distribution of general local aid.
SECTION 3. The commission shall consist of: the secretary of administration and finance, or a designee; the commissioner of the department of revenue, or a designee; 1 member appointed by the state treasurer; 2 members of the senate, 1 of whom shall represent a gateway municipality as defined in section 3A of chapter 23A of the General Laws and shall serve as co-chair; 2 members of the house of representatives, 1 of whom shall represent a gateway municipality as defined in said section 3A of said chapter 23A and shall serve as co-chair; 5 members appointed by the governor, 1 of whom shall be nominated by the Massachusetts Municipal Association, Inc., 1 of whom shall be nominated by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, 1 of whom shall be nominated by the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, Inc., 1 of whom shall be nominated by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, Inc., and 1 of whom shall be nominated by the Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management at the University of Massachusetts at Boston.
SECTION 4. The commission shall file a report of its findings and recommendations, including any new or revised local aid formulas, with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives, the chairs of the senate and house committees on ways and means, and the senate and house chairs of the joint committee on municipalities and regional government not later than March 1, 2020.