AN ACT ESTABLISHING A FEDERAL CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUNDS WEBSITE
Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to establish forthwith a federal coronavirus relief funds website, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health and convenience.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
(a) The executive office of administration and finance, in consultation with the office of the comptroller, shall develop and operate a publicly accessible and searchable website to provide reporting on expenditures made by the commonwealth from funds received through the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020, Public Law 116-123, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Public Law 116-127, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, Public Law 116-136, Public Law 116-147 and any additional federal funds committed to the commonwealth to provide financial assistance in response to the novel coronavirus and aid in ongoing public health, community and economic recovery efforts, including, but not limited to, funds appropriated to the federal coronavirus relief trust fund under section 2JJJJJ of chapter 29 of the General Laws.
The website shall be updated weekly and shall: (i) allow users to search electronically by field in a single search: (A) aggregated data by federal program; (B) category of spending; and (C) recipient; (ii) allow users to download information yielded by a search; and (iii) where possible, contain graphical representations of the data and a hyperlink to the actual grants issued.
(b) The website shall provide a breakdown of: (i) all federal grants and direct funds committed to the commonwealth, an independent agency, a quasi-independent agency, including, but not limited to, a regional transit authority, a county or a municipality; (ii) amounts of federal grants and direct funds committed to the commonwealth, by federal program and administering state agency; (iii) amounts of federal reimbursements for state expenditures received through enhanced federal medical assistance percentage, reimbursements provided by the federal emergency management agency due to a national emergency declaration or other federal reimbursements related to the novel coronavirus; (iv) expenditures, for each federal program, by category of spending, purpose of expenditure, date of expenditure and recipient; (v) committed expenditures not yet made for each federal program, by category of spending, purpose of planned expenditure, date of planned expenditure and recipient; (vi) current balance of funds not yet expended and balance of funds not yet committed to be expended for each federal program; (vii) planned use of available funding not yet committed for expenditure for each federal program, by category of spending and purpose of expenditure.
(c) To the maximum extent possible, the website shall be supported by federal relief funds received through sources identified in subsection (a).
(d) The secretary of administration and finance shall implement this act not later than February 1, 2021.
House of Representatives, January 5, 2021.
This Bill having been returned by His Excellency the Governor with his objections thereto in writing (see House 5223) has been passed by the House of Representatives, notwithstanding said objections, two-thirds of the House (122 yeas to 30 nays) having agreed to pass the same.
Sent to the Senate for its action.
Ronald Mariano, Speaker.
Steven T. James, Clerk.
Senate, January 5, 2021.
Passed by the Senate, notwithstanding the objections of His Excellency the Governor, two-thirds of the members present (37 yeas to 2 nays) having approved the same.
Karen E. Spilka, President.
Michael D. Hurley, Clerk.
Office of the Secretary.
January 8, 2021.