SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1449        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 67

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Joan B. Lovely

_________________

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 providing immediate childcare assistance to homeless families.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Joan B. Lovely

Second Essex

 

Diana DiZoglio

First Essex

1/23/2019

William N. Brownsberger

Second Suffolk and Middlesex

1/23/2019

Patrick M. O'Connor

Plymouth and Norfolk

1/23/2019

James T. Welch

Hampden

1/24/2019

Steven Ultrino

33rd Middlesex

1/25/2019

Joanne M. Comerford

Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester

1/25/2019

Barry R. Finegold

Second Essex and Middlesex

1/25/2019

Nicholas A. Boldyga

3rd Hampden

1/28/2019

Mike Connolly

26th Middlesex

1/29/2019

Thomas M. Stanley

9th Middlesex

1/29/2019

Bruce E. Tarr

First Essex and Middlesex

1/30/2019

Michael O. Moore

Second Worcester

1/30/2019

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

1/30/2019

Marcos A. Devers

16th Essex

1/30/2019

Daniel M. Donahue

16th Worcester

1/30/2019

Sal N. DiDomenico

Middlesex and Suffolk

1/31/2019

Joseph D. McKenna

18th Worcester

1/31/2019

Dean A. Tran

Worcester and Middlesex

1/31/2019

Sean Garballey

23rd Middlesex

1/31/2019

Brendan P. Crighton

Third Essex

1/31/2019

David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf

17th Worcester

2/1/2019

Bradford Hill

4th Essex

2/1/2019

Jon Santiago

9th Suffolk

2/1/2019

Julian Cyr

Cape and Islands

2/1/2019

Rebecca L. Rausch

Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex

2/1/2019

James K. Hawkins

2nd Bristol

2/4/2019

Michael J. Barrett

Third Middlesex

2/4/2019

Jason M. Lewis

Fifth Middlesex

2/7/2019

Maria Duaime Robinson

6th Middlesex

2/7/2019

Natalie M. Blais

1st Franklin

10/21/2019


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1449        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 67

By Ms. Lovely, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 67) of Joan B. Lovely, Diana DiZoglio, William N. Brownsberger, Patrick M. O'Connor and other members of the General Court for legislation to provide immediate childcare assistance to homeless families.  Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 4293 OF 2017-2018.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

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

_______________

 

An Act providing immediate childcare assistance to homeless families.

 

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 15D of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following section:- 

Section 19. (a) A family placed in temporary emergency assistance shelter and receiving TAFDC assistance from the department of transitional assistance shall be eligible for the department of early education and care’s homeless childcare assistance vouchers when the family first arrives at the shelter and at any time the family chooses while residing in the shelter.

(b) A family receiving TAFDC assistance and living in any type of shelter shall be eligible for a full-time childcare referral from the department of transitional assistance. 

(c) A letter verifying shelter residency will qualify a family receiving TAFDC assistance for a full-time childcare referral from the department of transitional assistance.

SECTION 2. Upon entry to a temporary emergency assistance shelter, domestic violence shelter, substance abuse and recovery shelter or non-emergency assistance shelter, children ages zero to three years old will be screened for development risk factors or delays. Screening standards shall be established in coordination with the department of public health.

SECTION 3. The department shall adopt regulations or policies for the administration of this act within 90 days of the effective date of this act.