SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1946        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 337

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Barry R. Finegold

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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 establishing a special commission to study the effectiveness of the Massachusetts School Building Authority.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1946        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 337

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

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An Act establishing a special commission to study the effectiveness of the Massachusetts School Building Authority.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

(a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be a special commission established to study the effectiveness of the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). 

(b) The commission shall consist of 16  members, as follows: the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Education or a designee; the House Chair of the Joint Committee on Education or a designee; 2 people appointed by the President of the Senate; 2 people appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; 1 person appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; 1 person appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives; 1 person appointed by the Governor; 1 person from the Massachusetts School Building Authority; 1 person from the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents; 1 person from the Massachusetts Association of School Committees; 1 person from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; 1 person from Massachusetts Municipalities Association; 1 person from the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators; and 1 minority representative, appointed by the chair of the commission, from a gateway municipality, as defined by Section 3A of Chapter 23A of the General Laws. One of the Senate President’s appointees and one of the Speaker of the House of Representatives’ appointees shall serve as co-chairs of the commission.

(c) The commission shall investigate and make recommendations about: (i) Whether the rate of reimbursement from the MSBA aligns with the current construction threshold; (ii)Whether MSBA can reimburse communities that build or rebuild schools on their own and provide them with technical assistance; (iii) how MSBA is utilizing their annual grant cap increase from $500M to $800M; (iv) whether there needs to be reform to the structure of and an increase in staffing to the MSBA to enable it to support more schools across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; and (v) any other pertinent issues that relate to school building assistance.

(d) Not later than one year after the effective date of this act, the commission shall file a report of its findings and recommendations for a potential bill to the Governor and the Clerks of the House of Representatives and Senate.