HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4328        FILED ON: 6/25/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3934

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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June 25, 2019

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives,

I am filing for your consideration a bill entitled “An Act Making Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2019 to Provide for Accelerating Infrastructure Improvements at the MBTA.”

The need to expedite the delivery of the significant investments that are set out in the MBTA Capital Investment Plan is clear.  This bill provides the MBTA with $50 million to support additional staff, contractors, and other resources necessary to expedite the completion of critical capital projects, enable proactive inspections to detect and address issues before they impact service, and implement enhanced maintenance procedures to ensure the reliable operation of MBTA vehicles and infrastructure.  The one-time funds in this bill will provide essential short-term flexibility to redress critical operational and infrastructure needs of the MBTA. 

Because of the urgency of the need for these funds, and because sufficient revenues are estimated to be available to finance these appropriations, I urge you to enact this legislation promptly.

Respectfully submitted,

Charles D. Baker,

Governor

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3934

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

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An Act making appropriations for fiscal year 2019 to provide for accelerating infrastructure improvements at the MBTA.

Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to make supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2019 and to make certain changes in law, each of which is immediately necessary to carry out those appropriations or to accomplish other important public purposes, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.
 

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.  To provide for certain unanticipated obligations of the commonwealth, to provide for an alteration of purpose for current appropriations, and to meet certain requirements of law, the sum set forth in section 2E is hereby appropriated from the fund as designated, for the several purposes and subject to the conditions specified in this section, and subject to the laws regulating the disbursement of public funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019.  This sum shall be in addition to any amounts previously appropriated and made available for the purposes of those items.  This sum shall be made available until June 30, 2020, except as otherwise stated.

SECTION 2E.  The sum set forth in section 2E is hereby appropriated for transfer from the designated fund to the trust fund identified within the item, for the purposes and subject to the conditions specified in this section and subject to the laws regulating the disbursement of public funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019.  Notwithstanding section 19A of said chapter 29, any transfer under this section shall be made by the comptroller, effective June 30, 2019.

MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

One-time MBTA Resource Assistance

1595-6389 For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, or any fund controlled by the authority, for additional staffing and contract costs to support capital project delivery, inspection and maintenance activities, and service diversions necessary to accelerate capital projects              $50,000,000

Commonwealth Transportation Fund……100%