Amendment #1196 to H4700

Safety Net Access

Representatives Keefe of Worcester and Duffy of Holyoke move to amend the bill by adding the following section:

SECTION XXXX. Section 5 of chapter 18 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the fourth paragraph the following paragraph:-

At least two years before taking steps to not renew a lease for or close a community service office and at least two years before soliciting any proposals for a lease for a community service office, the commissioner shall notify the commonwealth’s legal service providers, joint committee on children, families, and persons with disabilities, the house and senate committees on way and means, and joint committee on state administration and regulatory oversight of the proposed action, the community service office that would be affected, and the reasons for the proposed action. Within 30 days of receipt of said notice, the joint committee on state administration and regulatory oversight shall schedule and hold a public hearing on the department’s plans.  At the hearing, the department shall provide testimony and data regarding its plans, including but not limited to a comparison of the current and proposed community service office locations for low-income households in the service area with respect to (a) transportation options, including the cost and frequency of public transit and travel time to and from the current and proposed location; (b) office hours; (c) access for seniors, persons with disabilities, persons who are needed to care for children or other family members; persons who are employed; (d) the availability of staff who speak the languages spoken by persons with limited English proficiency in the service area; (e) in areas where there are advisory boards the minutes showing that the board has been appraised of the intention to close or relocate; (f) surveys from its current recipients of how the proposed closure or relocation would affect them. The surveys shall be done in the recipients’ primary or preferred language in order to maximize participation and ensure equity; (g) a report of the community services, and community economic and social relations near the current and proposed community service office; (h) demographic and poverty rate data of the residents of both the current and proposed community service office location; and (i) other matters as requested by said committee. The committee shall provide an opportunity for public testimony regarding the department’s plans.

Additional co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #1196 to H4700

Safety Net Access