Amendment ID: S2391-1-R1

Redraft Amendment 1

Supporting parents running for public office

Ms. Jehlen, Ms. Rausch, Ms. Comerford, Messrs. Lewis, Welch and Eldridge, Ms. Chang-Diaz, Messrs. Collins, O'Connor and Tarr move that the proposed new text be amended by inserting after section 8 the following section:-             

“SECTION 8A. (a) There shall be a special legislative commission to examine the feasibility of authorizing the use of campaign funds to pay for the provision of family care and child care services by candidates for state, county or municipal elected office.

(b) The special legislative commission shall consist of: the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on election laws, who shall serve as co-chairs; the house and senate chairs of the caucus of women legislators; 1 member of the house who shall be appointed by the minority leader; 1 member of the senate who shall be appointed by the minority leader; the director of campaign and political finance; the executive director of the commission on the status of women established under section 66 of chapter 3 of the General Laws; the executive director of Common Cause Massachusetts; 1 person appointed by the governor who shall have experience or expertise related to reducing gender, racial and economic disparities in civic engagement; and 1 person to be appointed by the commission on the status of women..

(c) The special legislative commission shall: (i) review and evaluate state and federal laws, regulations and legal advisories regarding the use of campaign funds to pay for the provision of family and child care services, by candidates for state, county or municipal elected office; (ii) analyze campaign finance laws in other states regarding the use of campaign funds for family care and child care services; (iii) examine the circumstances under which the expenditure of campaign funds for family care and child care services constitute a personal use of such funds under section 6 of chapter 55 of the General Laws; (iv) recommend definitions for the terms “family care” and “child care”, including, but not limited to, allowed and disallowed expenditures for family care and child care services; (v) determine whether family care and child care services expenses, occurring in the normal course of a candidate or elected official’s duties would exist irrespective of an individual running for elected office should be considered an authorized use of campaign funds under section 6 of chapter 55 of the General Laws; and (vii) determine whether the office of campaign and political finance has the capacity to scrutinize  expenditures of campaign funds for family care and child care services, to prevent unauthorized or impermissible uses of such funds.

(d) The commission shall submit its report together with recommendations for legislation, if any, to the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate not later than March 1, 2020.”.