Further Amendment #971.1 to H3600

Further

Mr. Rushing of Boston Rep. Rushing moves to further amend amendment #971 by inserting the following section:-

“SECTION XXXA. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the provisions of section XXX shall not take effect until completion of the following: (i) there shall be established, pursuant to section 2A of chapter 4 of the General laws, a commission on public assistance programs to study the impact of legislative proposals to change eligibility standards or other requirements restricting access to state assisted housing programs, including the impact of requiring documentation such as, but not limited to, social security numbers or alien registration numbers, or limiting applicants based on certain categories of citizenship and immigration status. The commission shall investigate and study the demographics of applicants for state assisted public housing and review and evaluate the application process for applying to state assisted public housing. The commission shall further investigate and study the legality of imposing these restrictions under 5 U.S.C. § 7(a)(1), and shall further investigate and study the constitutionality of imposing such restrictions under the United States and Massachusetts Constitution. The commission shall study the costs and administrative burdens on local housing authorities to collect and verify immigration statuses beyond the requirements of current law; (ii) the commission shall file a report with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives not later than July 1, 2018. The report shall include, but not be limited to: (1) the number of applicants and household members for state-assisted public housing who would be unable to access state-assisted public housing if required to submit a social security number on their application, and of that population:  the number of applicants and household members who are United States citizens, including U.S. citizen children of ineligible parents or guardians, the number of applicants and household members who are legal permanent residents, the number of applicants and household members who are otherwise lawfully present in the United States, and the number of applicants and household members who are United States veterans; (2) the number of applicants and household members for state-assisted public housing who would be unable to access state-assisted public housing if required to submit a social security number or an alien registration number on their application, and of that population:  the number of applicants and household members who are United States citizens, including U.S. citizen children of ineligible parents or guardians, the number of applicants and household members who are legal permanent residents, the number of applicants and household members who are otherwise lawfully present in the United States, and the number of applicants and household members who are United States veterans; (3) the number of applicants and household members for state-assisted public housing who would be unable to access state-assisted public housing if requirements identical to those found in 42 U.S. Code § 1436a were enacted, and of that population: the number of applicants and household members who are United States citizens, including U.S. citizen children of ineligible parents or guardians, the number of applicants and household members who are legal permanent residents, the number of applicants and household members who are otherwise lawfully present in the United States, and the number of applicants and household members who are United States veterans; (4) the number of applicants and household members for state-assisted public housing who would be unable to access state-assisted public housing if requirements identical to those found in 42 U.S. Code § 1436a were enacted, and of that population: the number of applicants and household members who are United States citizens, including U.S. citizen children of ineligible parents or guardians, the number of applicants and household members who are legal permanent residents, the number of applicants and household members who are otherwise lawfully present in the United States, and the number of applicants and household members who are United States veterans; (5) the number of applicants and household members for state-assisted public housing who would be unable to access state-assisted public housing if requirements identical to those found in 24 CFR 5.216 were enacted, and of that population: the number of applicants and household members who are United States citizens, including U.S. citizen children of ineligible parents or guardians, the number of applicants and household members who are legal permanent residents, the number of applicants and household members who are otherwise lawfully present in the United States, and the number of applicants and household members who are United States veterans; (6) the net fiscal impacts, if any, of implementing and enforcing further restrictions; (iii) the commission shall consist of the Undersecretary of the Department of Housing and Community Development, or the Undersecretary’s designee, who shall serve as chair of the commission; The Executive Director of the Office for Refugees & Immigrants, or the Executive Director’s Designee; the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, or a designee; the minority leader of the house of representatives, or a designee; the minority leader of the senate, or a designee; the house and senate chairs of the Joint Committee on Housing, or the chairs’ designees; a representative of the Massachusetts Municipal Association;  a representative of the Massachusetts Immigration and Refugee Advocacy Coalition; a representative of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials; and a representative of the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute; and (iv) legislation necessary to carry out any recommendations in the report has been filed and enacted pursuant to Part 2, Chap. 1, Sec. 1, Art. II of the Constitution.”