HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4936        FILED ON: 3/13/2020

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4730

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Mindy Domb

_________________

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 a COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Public Higher Education Institutions.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Mindy Domb

3rd Hampshire

3/13/2020


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4936        FILED ON: 3/13/2020

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4730

By Ms. Domb of Amherst, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Mindy Domb for legislation to establish a COVID-19 emergency fund to provide financial assistance to certain public institutions of higher education affected by COVID-19.  Higher Education.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

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

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An Act establishing a COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Public Higher Education Institutions.

 

Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to  provide forthwith for the distribution of necessaries during the COVID-19 outbreak in the Commonwealth, 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. (a) There shall be established and set upon the books of the commonwealth a separated fund to be known as the COVID-19 Public Institutions of Higher Education Emergency Fund to be administered by the board of higher education.

(b) The purpose of the Fund shall be for financial assistance in the form of grants to public institutions of higher education, which consists of those segments set forth in section 5 of chapter 15A of the General Laws and are in high impact areas affected by the 2019 novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, outbreak. Such financial assistance shall include, but not be limited to, grants for: (i) loss of revenue; (ii) unexpected expenses, such as including providing increased safety and security measures, implementation of online or virtual classes, loss of dormitory, housing, meal, events revenue; or (iii) loss of contributions, grants or other financial assistance as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

(c)The purpose of the Fund will assist the public institutions of higher education to cover employees for lost wages, expanded sick time costs and other costs associated with their employment status as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

(d) There shall be credited to the Fund all amounts that are, by law, transferred or authorized to be transferred thereto or directed to be deposited therein, and all amounts received as gifts, grants or contributions for the purposes of the Fund. Amounts credited to the Fund shall not be subject to further appropriation and any money remaining in the Fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund.

SECTION 2. On the effective date of this act, the comptroller shall transfer $125,000,000 from the General Fund to the COVID-19 Public Institutions of Higher Education Emergency Fund established in section 1 for the purposes of carrying out this act.