Budget Amendment ID: FY2018-S3-999

EPS 999

Special Commission to Relative to Massachusetts Army National Guard Armories

Ms. Forry moved that the proposed new text be amended SECTION __. (a) A commission shall be created for the purposes of studying the current physical state of all Massachusetts Army National Guard armories where soldiers report, train, or mobilize for state and federal duty.

(b) The commission shall consist of 9 members: 1 member of the senate, who shall be the chair of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs or his/her designee;  1 member of the House of Representatives, who shall be the chair of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs or his/her designee; 5 members appointed by the Governor (at least one of whom shall be: the Secretary of the Executive Office of Public Safety or his/her designee; 1 member from the Massachusetts Military Division; the Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services or his/her designee; the Commissioner of the Department of Public Utilities or his/her designee); 2 public health professionals who are not under the employment of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (one of whom shall be appointed by the Senate President and one of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives).

(c) The commission shall study and make recommendations pertaining to the condition of all Massachusetts Army National Guard armories, with areas of review that shall include but not be limited to: (i) the condition of infrastructure at Massachusetts Army National Guard armories; (ii) the quality of telecommunications systems; (iii) identifiable health hazards associated with the condition of infrastructure to which soldiers may be exposed in the course of duty; (iv) opportunities to maximize or capture new and existing sources of revenue, to include federal sources of revenue, for improvement to armories infrastructure.

(d) The commission shall make a report to the Legislature and Governor on the state of armories with recommendations on improvements to be made no later December 31, 2017. A copy of the report shall be filed with the Governor, and Clerks of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate. The commission shall be formed and hold its first meeting no later than July 31, 2017.