{"AmendmentNumber":"166","ParentBillNumber":"S3178","Bill":null,"Sponsor":{"Id":"JMC0","Name":"Joanne M. Comerford","Type":1,"Details":"https://malegislature.gov/api/GeneralCourts/194/LegislativeMembers/JMC0","ResponseDate":"2026-07-23T18:33:39.737"},"Category":null,"Action":"Adopted","RollCall":[],"Title":"Municipal and Public Safety Building Authority Study Commission","Branch":"Senate","RedraftNumber":1,"IsFurther":false,"GeneralCourtNumber":194,"Text":"Ms. Comerford and Messrs. O'Connor, Cyr, Oliveira, Eldridge, Keenan and Tarr move that the proposed new text be amended by inserting after section 153 the following section:-\r\n“SECTION 153A. (a) There shall be a special legislative commission to study and develop a comprehensive framework for the creation of a municipal and public safety building authority, an independent state authority dedicated to assisting municipalities with the construction and rehabilitation of public safety and municipal buildings.\r\n(b) The commission shall consist of 2 members of the senate appointed by the senate president; 2 members of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house; 1 member of the senate appointed by the minority leader of the senate; 1 member of the house of representatives appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives; the secretary of administration and finance or a designee; the director of rural affairs or a designee; 2 members appointed by the governor with demonstrated expertise in municipal finance, public facility planning or design or municipal infrastructure; the state treasurer or a designee; 3 representatives of Massachusetts Municipal Association, Inc. representing diverse geographic regions and forms of local government in the commonwealth; 1 representative of  Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, Inc.; 1 representative of  Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association Incorporated; 1 representative of  Fire Chiefs’ Association of Massachusetts, Inc.; 1 representative of  Massachusetts Federation of Building Officials, Inc.; and 1 representative of the New England Chapter of the American Public Works Association, who shall be a resident of the commonwealth. The commission shall elect a chair by a majority vote of the members.\r\n(c) The commission shall examine the need for an independent authority dedicated to assisting municipalities with the construction and rehabilitation of public safety and municipal buildings and related funding mechanisms, technical assistance, priority assessments and financial impacts. The commission shall review all aspects of municipal building infrastructure, including, but not limited to, city and town halls, public safety facilities, public works facilities, emergency operations centers, emergency communications facilities and other municipal buildings owned or operated by cities and towns. The commission shall examine:\r\n(i) the current status of and mechanisms for funding municipal building infrastructure and whether the current funding mechanisms adequately meet the needs for municipal building infrastructure;\r\n(ii) the need and feasibility of designing a governance and operational model for an independent municipal building authority modeled after successful state building programs, including, but not limited to, the Massachusetts School Building Authority established pursuant to chapter 70B of the General Laws;\r\n(iii) sustainable, long-term revenue sources to support the long-term operations of the authority;\r\n(iv) protocols for providing municipalities with technical assistance including, but not limited to, architectural, engineering, procurement, capital planning, project management, maintenance planning, facility assessment, sustainability and climate resilience planning, throughout all phases of public building projects;\r\n(v) objective criteria for evaluating and prioritizing municipal projects based upon life safety, structural condition, code compliance, accessibility, climate resiliency, climate adaptation, deferred maintenance, operational efficiency, regional significance, public service impacts and overall community benefit;\r\n(vi) cost-sharing formulas and grant and loan structures to ensure equitable access for all cities and towns; and\r\n(vii) the feasibility of creating and maintaining a comprehensive statewide inventory of municipal and public safety buildings.\r\n(d) Not later than September 1, 2028, the commission shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any legislation necessary to implement those recommendations, to the clerks of the senate and house of representatives and the senate and house committees on ways and means.”\r\n"}