Amendment ID: S23-12

Amendment 12

Extending Chapter 257 Protections

Ms. Jehlen and Messrs. Gomez, Keenan and O'Connor move that the proposed new text be amended by inserting the following new sections:-

SECTION XX.  Subsection (b) of section 2 of chapter 257 of the acts of 2020, as amended by section 16 of chapter 20 of the acts of 2021, is hereby further amended by striking out the words “during the COVID-19 emergency or until April 1, 2022, whichever is later” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- until July 31, 2024.

SECTION XX.  Said subsection (b) of said section 2 of said chapter 257, as so amended, is hereby further amended by adding the following sentence:- A court having jurisdiction over an action for summary process under said chapter 239, including the Boston municipal court, shall inform the parties of their protections and resources pursuant to this section.

SECTION XX.  Subsection (c) of said section 2 of said chapter 257, as so amended, is hereby further amended by striking out the words “during the COVID-19 emergency or until April 1, 2022, whichever is later” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- until July 31, 2024.

SECTION XX.  Section 3 of said chapter 257, as amended by section 17 of said chapter 20, is hereby further amended by striking out the words “during the COVID-19 emergency or until January 1, 2023, whichever is later” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- until July 31, 2024.

SECTION XX.  Said section 3 of said chapter 257, as so amended, is hereby further amended by adding the following paragraph:-

Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, in addition to the department’s other monthly reporting requirements pursuant to this section, the department shall, until July 31, 2024, report quarterly to the joint committee on housing and the house and senate committees on ways and means detailing the activities of the governor’s COVID-19 eviction diversion initiative from the prior quarter. The report shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the number of households approved or denied assistance, delineated by county; (ii) demographic data on the households that applied for assistance in each county including, but not limited to, gender, race and income; (iii) the mean and median number of months in arrears for households at the time of application; and (iv) the mean amount in arrears per household per month at the time of application.