Amendment ID: S2350-21-R1

Redraft Amendment 21

MSBA Funds for school safety

Messrs. Tarr, O'Connor and Moore move that the proposed new draft be amended by inserting after section 25 the following section:-

"SECTION 25A. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the Massachusetts School Building Authority, in consultation with the school building advisory board, shall review and provide a report on eligible expenses and reimbursement rates in the school building assistance program.

(b) The report shall include, but not be limited to, an analysis and recommendations.

The analysis shall include but not be limited to: (i) the impact of the maximum grant percentage under the first paragraph of section 10 of chapter 70B of the General Laws on communities adopting certain practices under paragraph (C) of subsection (a) of said section 10 of said chapter 70B; (ii) reimbursement rates per square foot relative to construction costs; (iii) eligible expenses and the efficacy of establishing certain priority for expenses not currently eligible or not currently being adopted at advisable rates including, but not limited to, deleading projects, school safety and security updates and asbestos removal.

The recommendations shall include, but not be limited to, ways to: (i) improve the adoption of best practices in a community that has reached the maximum grant percentage; (ii) increase reimbursement rates per square foot relative to construction costs to better reflect growth in construction costs; and (iii) provide reimbursement for expenses currently incurred but not reimbursed for or to provide certain priority for expenses listed under clause (iii) of the second paragraph of subsection (b).

(c) The report, including the analysis, recommendations and any proposed legislation, shall be filed with the clerks of the house of representatives and senate, the joint committee on education and the house and senate committees on ways and mean not later than March 1, 2020.”.