Bill S.1974

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2375 FILED ON: 1/20/2023

SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1974

By Mr. Collins, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1974) of Nick Collins for legislation relative to economic development and the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority. State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

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An Act relative to economic development.

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) The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, established in section 33 of chapter 190 of the acts of 1982, shall update and supplement the report entitled “BCEC Expansion 2019 Project Report”, dated January 2020, to account for changes in the convention, venue management and hospitality industry that have developed since January 2020, including, but not limited to, changes resulting from the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19 and subsequent variants; provided, however, that the update and supplement shall include, but not be limited to, an analysis of: (i) the competitiveness of the city of Boston and the commonwealth nationally and globally as a destination for conventions, of gatherings and similar public meetings; (ii) the needs of the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center to accommodate conventions, gatherings and public meetings; (iii) how conventions, gatherings and public meetings will take place going forward, including safety and public health considerations for COVID-19 and possible future public health crises; and (iv) technology, air filtration and any other physical plant enhancements.

(b) The filing by the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority of the update and supplement described in subsection (a) shall constitute authorization by the general court and full compliance with section 38N of chapter 190 of the acts of 1982, as amended, with respect to any capital facility project undertaken by the authority in connection with this study. The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority shall file the update and supplement with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives, the senate and house committees on ways and means, the joint committee on economic development and emerging technologies and the joint committee on state administration and regulatory oversight.

SECTION 2. The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority shall convene a design advisory group that shall consist of: 5 residents of the South Boston section of the city of Boston, 1 of whom shall be appointed by the governor, 1 of whom shall be appointed by the president of the senate, 1 of whom shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, 1 of whom shall be appointed by the mayor of the city of Boston and 1 of whom shall be appointed by the city councilor for district 2 of the city of Boston; the president of St. Vincent-Lower End Neighborhood Association; and the president of the Fort Point Neighborhood Association. The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority's shall hold not less than 3 public meetings in collaboration with the design advisory group within 90 days of the effective date of this act.

The design advisory group shall review the updated and supplemental report required under the first paragraph of this section and if the design advisory group approves the report by a two-thirds vote, the report shall be referred to an appropriate committee of the legislature, to be determined by the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives, with the approval of the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representative. Not more than 30 days after such referral, the committee shall hold a public hearing on the report. Not more than 10 days after such hearing, the committee may report that it approves or disapproves the report. Unless disapproved by a majority vote of the members of either of the 2 branches of the general court present and voting within 60 days of the referral to the committee, the report shall be deemed approved and shall constitute authorization by the general court and full compliance with section 38N of chapter 190 of the acts of 1982, as amended, with respect to any capital facility project undertaken by the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority in connection with the report.

SECTION 3. In undertaking any capital facility project in connection with the report, the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority shall follow the requirements under section 6 of chapter 195 of the acts of 2014 and shall hire a director of diversity, equity and inclusion and director of labor relations who shall jointly oversee such implementation; provided, however, that before establishing the required participation goals, the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority shall consult with the Massachusetts Port Authority on the participation goals utilized by the Massachusetts Port Authority; provided further, that, notwithstanding subsection (c) of said section 6 of said chapter 195, the participation goals shall be greater than the combined participation goals for minority business enterprises, service-disabled veteran-owned small business enterprises and women business enterprises on public building projects as established by the division of capital asset management and maintenance pursuant to section 6 of chapter 7C of the General Laws.

SECTION 4. (a) The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority shall use the Massachusetts Port Authority Model for any sale, or lease of Massachusetts Convention Center Authority land.

(b) The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority shall require area standard wages for labor to support the assembly and breakdown of productions sets for for-profit commercial events at the Lawn on D.

(c) Prior to booking a for-profit commercial event at the Lawn on D, the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority shall mutually agree to a public access and use schedule with the South Boston Community Development Foundation established under section 4 of chapter 152 of the acts of 1997.

SECTION 5. In any future request for proposal for food and beverage operations issued by the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority and in any discretionary extension of or substantive amendment to a current food and beverage concession or lease, each proposer, or current concessionaire or lessee, shall provide an assurance of labor peace in order to protect the authority’s proprietary interest in the uninterrupted receipt of revenues and provision of services from the risk of labor disruptions. Each such responsive proposal, lease or concession extension, and lease or concession amendment, shall be conditioned upon each food and beverage operator that will provide services under the lease or concession providing the authority with evidence that it has entered into a labor peace agreement with any labor organization that provides the operator with notice that it represents or will seek to represent the food and beverage workers providing service under the lease. The labor peace agreement shall be a valid agreement that contains a provision prohibiting the labor organization and its members from engaging in any picketing, work stoppages, boycotts or other economic interference with the business of the operator and shall cover all operations that are conducted by sub-contractors and sub-lessees. This paragraph shall not apply to any hotel lease or any food and beverage operation included in a hotel lease.

Name:	District/Address:
Nick Collins	First Suffolk