Budget Amendment ID: FY2020-S3-14-R1

Redraft OTH 14

Complete Count Fund

Mr. DiDomenico, Ms. Rausch, Mr. Feeney, Ms. Gobi, Messrs. Eldridge, Crighton, Kennedy, Lesser and Moore, Ms. Chang-Diaz, Messrs. Brady, Hinds and Collins, Ms. DiZoglio, Ms. Jehlen, Messrs. Welch, Finegold, O'Connor and Cyr moved that the proposed new text be amended in section 2, by inserting after item 0511-0270 the following item:-

“0511-0271 For a statewide competitive complete count grant program to ensure a complete and accurate count in the 2020 census; provided, that the grant program shall be administered by the state secretary through a request for proposals that shall support outreach efforts in communities that are at significant risk of being undercounted; provided further, that the entities eligible to apply for the grant shall include: (i) nonprofit organizations that demonstrate direct access to hard-to-count populations; (ii) publicly funded organizations that provide direct service to hard-to-count populations including, but not limited to, public libraries, workforce centers, community-based health centers and homeless shelters; provided further, that competitive grants made under this item shall be used to conduct outreach and education that encourages individuals to complete the census including, but not limited to: (a) conducting outreach to hard-to-count populations through media, mailings, canvassing, phone banking and public forums; (b) disseminating information at key service centers and access points in communities; and (c) tailored outreach and support to homeless populations, households with limited English, immigrant communities and individuals with difficulty accessing the internet or otherwise completing the form; provided further, that when making awards under this item, the secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, ensure: (1) proportionate funding based on the distribution of hard-to-count communities across the commonwealth; and (2) targeted investments in areas with no federal area census offices; provided further, that to the maximum extent practicable, when issuing grants under this item, the secretary shall give the highest priority to funding proposals that: (A) demonstrate a track record of success in serving individuals in historically hard-to-count communities; (B) identify solutions that directly address barriers to a complete count in 2020, including usability of the digital platform, impacts of a possible citizenship question and reduced federal resources; and (C) tailor outreach efforts to engage historically-underserved populations; provided further, that the total grant to a single recipient shall not exceed 10 per cent of the total available; provided further, that the secretary may use not more than 5 per cent of the total appropriation for necessary administrative costs reasonably related to grant administration; provided further, that the secretary shall provide technical assistance to assist eligible entities in the application process; provided further, that the secretary shall develop guidelines which outline periodic reporting requirements for grantees, including semi-annual and final reports; provided further, that the secretary shall file a preliminary and a final report on the efficacy of the grant program that shall outline key accomplishments and the estimated impact of the awarded funds; and provided further, that the preliminary report shall be filed with the house and senate committees on ways and means and with the joint committee on election laws not later than 3 months after the awarding of funds and the final report shall be filed with the house and senate committees on ways and means and with the joint committee on election laws within 6 months after completion of all grant activities ………..$2,000,000".