SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1242        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 752

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Edward J. Kennedy

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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 ensure higher education student and campus safety.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1242        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 752

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 ensure higher education student and campus safety.

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 a program of capital improvements to public institutions of higher education to ensure the well-being and safety of students, faculty, staff and the college community at large, support their educational missions, and enhance regional economic development through their educational initiatives, the sums set forth in section 2, for the several purposes and subject to the conditions specified in this act, are hereby made available, subject to the laws regulating the disbursement of public funds, which sums shall be in addition to any other amounts previously appropriated for these purposes.

SECTION 2.

EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE

Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance

7066-XXXX For costs associated with public safety upgrades to public higher education institutions, which include but are not limited to security cameras, door locks, active shooter detection systems, emergency communication systems, campus lighting, emergency call boxes……..$100,000,000

7066-XXXX For costs associated with upgrades to public higher education institutions in the area of cybersecurity, which include but are not limited to software, security analytics, firewall upgrades, network infrastructure upgrades……. $15,000,000

SECTION 3.  To meet the expenditures necessary in carrying out section 2, the state treasurer shall, upon request of the governor, issue and sell bonds of the Commonwealth in an amount to be specified by the governor from time to time but not exceeding, in the aggregate, $115,000,000. All bonds issued by the Commonwealth as aforesaid shall be designated on their face, Public Higher Education Campus Safety Expenditure Act of 2019, and shall be issued for a maximum term of years, not exceeding 30 years, as the governor may recommend to the general court under section 3 of Article LXII of the Amendments to the Constitution. The bonds shall be payable not later than June 30, 2059. All interest and payments on account of principal on these obligations shall be payable from the General Fund. Bonds and interest on bonds issued under this section shall, notwithstanding any other provision of this act, be general obligations of the commonwealth.

SECTION 4. Section 2 of Chapter 154 of the Acts of 2018, is hereby amended by adding the following item:

“7066-XXXX Public Higher Education Campus Cybersecurity Personnel …. $5,000,000”

SECTION 5. The secretary of administration and finance shall submit a report on the progress and all expenditures related to any projects funded through the authorizations in Section 2 of this act to the secretary of education, the board of higher education, the chairs of the senate and house committees on ways and means, the senate and house chairs of the joint committee on higher education, and the chairs of the committees on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets. The report shall include, but not be limited to: the total amount appropriated for each project; the total estimated cost of each project; the amount expended on each project up to the time the report is filed; the total amount currently expended on each project. The report shall be submitted on December 31 of each year for a period of 10 years from the effective date of this act.