Amendment #11 to H5562

Community Reinvestment Fund

Mr. Donahue of Worcester moves to amend the bill by adding the following sections: 

SECTION XX. Section 14 of chapter 94G, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word 14A in line 19 the following words:-

and an amount equal to 5 per cent of the revenue deposited in the fund in the prior fiscal year shall be transferred to the Community Empowerment and Reinvestment Grant Fund established in section 14B.

SECTION XX. Chapter 94G, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after section 14A the following section:-

Section 14B. (a) There shall be a Community Empowerment and Reinvestment Grant Fund to develop, strengthen and invest in communities: (i) that are disproportionately impacted by the criminal justice system; (ii) where a high percentage of individuals’ incomes fall below 250 per cent of the federal poverty level; and (iii) with a large population of socially and economically disadvantaged and historically underrepresented groups. The fund shall consist of: (i) funds transferred pursuant to subsection (b) of section 14; and (ii) any funds from private sources, including, but not limited to, gifts, grants and donations. Money in the fund shall be used to make grants to communities and organizations, provided that eligible uses shall include, but not be limited to, for socially and economically disadvantaged and historically underrepresented groups: job training, job creation and job placement for those who face high barriers to employment in said communities; transitional employment programs, social enterprise, pre-apprenticeship or other training programs; school-based or community-based high school dropout prevention and re-engagement programs; cooperative and small business development programs and community-based workforce development programs; and programs focused on housing stabilization services, addiction treatment and trauma-informed mental health care. The fund shall be administered by the executive office of economic development. Money remaining in this fund at the end of the fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund. Expenditures from the fund shall not be subject to appropriation.

(b) The executive office of economic development shall promulgate regulations governing the structure and administration of the fund.  The secretary of economic development shall be responsible for the selection of recipients, grant values and conditions for such grants.

(c) Annually, not later than July 31, the executive office of economic development shall report on expenditures from the fund in the previous fiscal year. The report shall be filed with the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, the house and senate committees on ways and means and the joint committee on cannabis policy. The executive office shall make the report publicly available on its website.