Consolidated Amendment "D" to H3400

Housing and Social Services

Fiscal Note: $525,000

Amendments from Housing: 72, 82, 127, 130, 146, 270, 287, 301, 309, 323, 353, 384, 394, 411, 477, 505, 519, 555, 579, 609, 626, 641, 656, 666, 669, 671, 674, 701, 717 and 757.

Amendments from Social Services:  37, 51, 129, 132, 155, 169, 182, 207, 212, 219, 249, 317, 319, 359, 375, 396, 447, 448, 458, 485, 490, 525, 538, 541, 569, 593, 608, 621, 646, 649, 662, 677, 705, 706 and 748.

Mr. Dempsey of Haverhill and others move to amend H 3400 in section 2, in item 4401-1000, by inserting after the words “University of Massachusetts;” the following words: “provided further, that funds may be expended for trauma informed employment services, including Project SAFE;”.

And further amend the bill in section 2, in item 4403-2000, by striking out the words: “and pursuant to said act the work-related activity requirement shall conform to the federal standard” and inserting in place thereof the following words: “and pursuant to said act and not withstanding section 218 of chapter 149 of the acts of 2004, or any other special or general law to the contrary, the recipients defined in said section 218 whose youngest child of record is of the age at which full time schooling is mandatory or older shall meet the federal standard of 30 hours per week of work-related activity;”.

And further amend the bill in section 2, in item 4403-2000, by striking out, in line 61, the word “and” and by adding the following words: “; provided further, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, 60 days before promulgating any eligibility or benefit changes, the commissioner shall file with the house and senate committees on ways and means and with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives a detailed and comprehensive report setting forth the text of, basis and reasons for the proposed changes; provided further, that the report shall state exactly which components of the current benefit package shall be altered and the department's assessment of the effects of such benefit or eligibility changes upon recipient families and the number of families affected by the benefit changes; provided further, that the report shall outline all steps that the department has taken to avoid or mitigate any such benefit changes; provided further, that the report shall detail the savings realized by any such changes to benefits or eligibility; and provided further that no benefit changes shall go into effect prior to January 17, 2012”.

And further amend the bill in section 2, in item 4408-1000, by striking out, in line 55, the word “and” and by adding the following: “; provided further, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, 60 days before promulgating any eligibility or benefit changes, the commissioner shall file with the house and senate committees on ways and means and with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives a detailed and comprehensive report setting forth the text of, basis and reasons for the proposed changes; provided further, that the report shall state exactly which components of the current benefit package shall be altered and the department's assessment of the effects of such benefit or eligibility changes upon recipient families and the number of families affected by the benefit changes; provided further, that the report shall outline all steps that the department has taken to avoid or mitigate any such benefit changes; provided further, that the report shall detail the savings realized by any such changes to benefits or eligibility; and provided further that no benefit changes shall go into effect prior to January 17, 2012”.

And further amend the bill in section 2, in item 4800-0038, by inserting after the words “juvenile firesetter programs” the following words:  “provided further, that funding shall be expended on children’s advocacy centers, services for child victims of sexual abuse and assault; provided further, that funds may be expended on programs that received funding in fiscal year 2011; and, provided further, that a children’s advocacy center shall be established in Bristol County”.

And further amend the bill in section 2, in item 4800-0040 by striking the figure “$39,500,000” and inserting in place thereof the figure “$39,750,000”.

And further amend the bill in section 2, in item 7004-0099, by inserting after the word “funds” the following words: “provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended to the town of Holbrook for a one-time community action grant which will fund an upgrade to town facilities; provided further, that not less than $175,000 shall be expended annually for provisions of emergency services that provide domestic violence intervention, workforce development, housing assistance, foreclosure prevention assistance, operation of food vouchers, winter coats for kids and holiday dinners operated by Community Action Programs Inter-City, Inc. for the communities of Chelsea, Revere and Winthrop.”; and in said line item by striking out the figure “$6,642,317” and inserting in place thereof the figure “$6,742,317”.

And further amend the bill in section 2, in item 7004-0101, by striking out the words “fiscal year 2011” and inserting the words: “fiscal year 2012”.

And further amend the bill in section 2, in item 7004-0101, by inserting after the word “exceeding;” the following words: “provided further, that funds shall be expended for homelessness prevention services and resources for families who have incomes at or below 115 per cent of the federal poverty limit and include a child under age 21 or a pregnant woman; provided further, that such prevention services shall be administered by community action agencies and other community based organizations, shall be provided on first-come, first-serve basis and shall include landlord/tenant mediation, legal assistance to prevent eviction, housing search services stabilization services;”.

And further amend the bill in section 2, in item 7004-0108, by inserting after the words "80% of the fair market rent for such housing, as determined in accordance with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development", the words "provided further, that the administering agency shall be able to allow for a higher monthly rent in the event that a household transitioning to housing pursuant to this line item from another time-limited assistance program would be displaced due to the restriction on fair market rent or if the administering agency has been unable to find a feasible rental property in a reasonable amount of time due to the lack of safe available rental housing in the region."

And further amend bill in section 2, in item 7004-0108, by inserting after the words "South Shore Housing Development Corporation" the following words: "and RCAP Solutions, Inc";

And further amend the bill by striking outside section 26 and inserting in place thereof the following:

Section 26. Chapter 18 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 5H the following new sections:-

Section 5I. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, eligible recipients of direct cash assistance shall not use direct cash assistance funds for the purchase of alcoholic beverages, lottery tickets or tobacco products. An eligible recipient of direct cash assistance who makes a purchase in violation of this section shall reimburse the department for such purchase.

Section 5J. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, an individual or store owner shall not accept direct cash assistance funds held on electronic benefit transfer cards for the purchase of alcoholic beverages, lottery tickets, or tobacco products. An individual or store owner who knowingly accepts electronic benefit transfer cards in violation of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than $500 for the first offense, a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $1,000 for the second offense, and a fine of not less than $1,000 for the third or subsequent offense.

Section 5K. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, whoever embezzles, willfully misapplies, steals or obtains by fraud any funds, assets or property provided by the department of transitional assistance and whoever receives, conceals or retains such funds, assets or property for his own interest knowing such funds, assets or property have been embezzled, willfully misapplied, stolen or obtained by fraud shall, if such funds, assets or property are of a value of $100 or more, be punished by a fine of not more than $25,000 or by imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not more than 5 years, or both such fine and imprisonment, or if such funds, assets or property are of a value of less than $100, by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not more than 1 year, or both such fine and imprisonment.