HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2793        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 801

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Kate Hogan

_________________

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 facilitate and simplify grant application procedures for family farms.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Kate Hogan

3rd Middlesex

1/17/2019

Carolyn C. Dykema

8th Middlesex

1/24/2019

Danielle W. Gregoire

4th Middlesex

1/25/2019

Kimberly N. Ferguson

1st Worcester

1/29/2019

Susan Williams Gifford

2nd Plymouth

1/29/2019

Steven S. Howitt

4th Bristol

1/29/2019

Brian M. Ashe

2nd Hampden

1/29/2019

Anne M. Gobi

Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire and Middlesex

1/29/2019

Angelo M. Scaccia

14th Suffolk

1/29/2019

Paul A. Schmid, III

8th Bristol

1/30/2019

Norman J. Orrall

12th Bristol

1/30/2019

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

1/30/2019

Thomas A. Golden, Jr.

16th Middlesex

1/30/2019

Colleen M. Garry

36th Middlesex

2/1/2019

Dean A. Tran

Worcester and Middlesex

2/1/2019

Hannah Kane

11th Worcester

2/1/2019

Michael D. Brady

Second Plymouth and Bristol

2/1/2019

Paul W. Mark

2nd Berkshire

2/1/2019

Harold P. Naughton, Jr.

12th Worcester

2/1/2019

James K. Hawkins

2nd Bristol

2/1/2019

Julian Cyr

Cape and Islands

2/1/2019


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2793        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 801

By Ms. Hogan of Stow, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 801) of Kate Hogan and others for legislation to facilitate and simplify grant application procedures for family farms.  Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

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

_______________

 

An Act to facilitate and simplify grant application procedures for family farms.

 

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.  Chapter 20 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding after section 32 the following section:—

Section 33.  (a) The commissioner, in consultation with the board, shall develop a single uniform application for use by owners of farms in the commonwealth for application to any and all grant and other assistance programs administered by the department, including, without limitation, the Massachusetts farm energy program, the agricultural energy grant program, the agricultural environmental enhancement program and the agricultural climate resiliency and efficiencies program; provided, however, that this section shall not apply to the agricultural preservation restriction program.  The uniform application shall be consistent with federal grant and program application criteria in order to facilitate applications to federal programs including the Rural Energy for America Program.

(b)  The department shall designate an administrator or separate office within department to provide advice, technical assistance and other guidance to owners of farms who apply for grants and other programs through the department.  The administrator or office shall provide applicants with information and resources regarding any and all grants and programs available through the department and any other state or federal programs.

(c)  As used in this section, “farm” shall not include any farm used to grow marijuana