Amendment #8 to H4667

Permanent Funding Mechanism

Representatives Jones of North Reading, Hill of Ipswich, Poirier of North Attleborough, Gifford of Wareham, Frost of Auburn and Smola of Warren move to amend the bill by adding the following section:-

“SECTION X. Section 25B of chapter 54 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following subsection:- (r) The commonwealth shall pay to each city and town an amount sufficient to defray the actual costs imposed on the city or town under this section for additional personnel hired to staff the mandated early voting polling location, hourly municipal staff working outside their normal business hours to staff the mandated early voting polling location, overtime for hourly municipal staff working beyond regular hours to set up or take down early voting polling locations and overtime for hourly municipal staff working beyond regular hours to input data into the state secretary’s voter registration information system. Annually, not later than September 15, the state auditor shall determine and deliver to the state secretary a statement of the incremental costs attributed to this section and estimated to be incurred by each city and town in the next fiscal year. The state secretary shall include in the budget recommendations for such fiscal year a request for an appropriation in an amount equal to such estimated costs and shall distribute to each city or town its share of any such appropriated funds not more than 30 days prior to the date upon which those costs shall be incurred by the city or town. Funds so distributed to each city or town shall be deposited in the general fund of the city or town and shall be expended without further appropriation by the city or town to meet costs incurred by it under this section.”