Amendment #19 to H3505

HWM Tech

Mr. Michlewitz of Boston moves to amend the bill by striking out sections 5 and 6 and inserting in place thereof, the following 3 sections:-

 

SECTION 5. Section 2ZZZZ of chapter 29 of the General Laws, inserted by section 2 of chapter 217 of the acts of 2018, is hereby repealed.

 

SECTION 6. Section 2ZZZZ of said chapter 29 of the General Laws, inserted by section 3 of chapter 218 of the acts of 2018, is hereby repealed.

 

SECTION 6A. Said chapter 29 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 2CCCCC, inserted by section 1 of chapter 296 of the acts of 2018, the following 2 sections:-

 

Section 2DDDDD.  There shall be a Technical Rescue Services Fund. The fund shall be administered by the technical rescue coordinating council established under section 6 of chapter 22D. The fund shall consist of: (i) compensation received under a contract including, but not limited to, a contract with a company that designates a member fire department as a stand-by rescue team in order to meet the requirements established by the federal United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration under 29 C.F.R. 1910; (ii) funds collected pursuant to a cost recovery mechanism established in subsection (d) of said section 6 of said chapter 22D; (iii) federal, state or private gifts, grants, donations or appropriations; (iv) funds from any other public or private sources; and (v) interest earned on such funds.

 

Amounts credited to the fund shall not be subject to further appropriation and shall be expended for: (i) the maintenance and operation of technical rescue regions established under section 6 of chapter 22D; (ii) the provision of technical rescue services; (iii) the acquisition and maintenance of technical rescue equipment; and (iv) the provision of initial and in-service training to regional technical rescue personnel including, but not limited to, payment of backfill and overtime for personnel participating in such training. Amounts credited to the fund that are unexpended at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund and shall be available for expenditure in the following fiscal year. An expenditure shall not be made from the fund if it would cause the fund to become deficient at the end of any fiscal year.

 

The technical rescue coordinating council, established pursuant to section 6 of chapter 22D, shall, annually, report to the secretary of public safety and security not later than June 30. The report shall include, but not be limited to, an accounting of all funds received and distributed as authorized by this section.

 

Section 2EEEEE. (a) There shall be a Massachusetts Veterans and Warriors to Agriculture Program Fund. The fund shall be administered by the department of agricultural resources. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be credited to the fund any revenue from appropriations or other money authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund and any gifts, grants, private contributions or investment income earned on the fund’s assets and all other sources. Money deposited in the fund that is unexpended at the end of the fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund and shall be available for expenditure in the subsequent year and shall not be subject to section 5C.

 

(b) The department of agricultural resources, in consultation with the department of veteran services, shall establish, develop and implement the Massachusetts Veterans and Warriors to Agriculture Program to enhance the education, training, employment, income, productivity and retention of veterans currently working or aspiring to work in the field of agriculture in the commonwealth. Amounts credited to the fund shall be used, without further appropriation, for the costs associated with administering and implementing the program and may also be used to provide grants or loans on a competitive basis to public, private and charitable entities to finance projects in furtherance of purpose of the program. Expenditures from the fund for such purpose shall complement and not replace existing local, state, private or federal funding for related training and educational programs.