{"AmendmentNumber":"242","ParentBillNumber":"S3178","Bill":null,"Sponsor":{"Id":"A_G0","Name":"Adam Gómez","Type":1,"Details":"https://malegislature.gov/api/GeneralCourts/194/LegislativeMembers/A_G0","ResponseDate":"2026-07-20T11:00:57.657"},"Category":null,"Action":"Rejected","RollCall":[],"Title":"Digital Navigator Workforce Development Fund","Branch":"Senate","RedraftNumber":null,"IsFurther":false,"GeneralCourtNumber":194,"Text":"Messrs. Gómez and Oliveira, Ms. Kennedy, Messrs. Velis, Mark and Brady, Ms. Jehlen, Ms. Edwards and Ms. Howard move that the proposed new text be amended by inserting the following section:-\r\n“SECTION X. Said chapter 29 is hereby further amended by inserting after section 2OOOOOO the following section:-\r\nSection 2PPPPPP. (a) There is hereby established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Digital Navigator Workforce Development Fund, to be administered by the secretary of labor and workforce development in consultation with the Massachusetts Digital Navigation Commission, established in subsection (b). The secretary shall make expenditures from the fund without further appropriation; provided, however, that not more than 10 per cent of the amount held in the fund in any 1 year shall be used by the secretary for the combined cost of program administration, technical assistance to grantees and program evaluation. The secretary may contract with any appropriate entity to administer the fund or any portion therein.\r\n(b) There shall be a Massachusetts Digital Navigation Commission, constituted to:\r\n(1) make recommendations to the secretary concerning the administration and allocation of the fund and establish evaluation criteria; and\r\n(2) study and make recommendations on ways to address the inequity of digital access through the recruitment and implementation of trusted guides, known as “digital navigators”, who assist community members with ongoing, individualized support for accessing affordable and appropriate connectivity, devices and digital skills.\r\n(c) The commission shall consist of the following members: the secretary of labor and workforce development; 1 member who shall represent the executive office of technology services and security; 1 member who shall represent the executive office of elder affairs; 1 member who shall represent the department of public health; 1 member who shall represent the Alliance for Digital Equity of Western Massachusetts; 1 member who shall represent Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners; 1 member who shall represent MassHealth; 1 member who shall represent Tech Goes Home; 1 member who shall represent Vinfen; 1 member who shall represent the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers; and 1 member who shall represent the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative. All appointments shall be made not later than 30 days after the effective date of this section. The chairs shall meet with the commission not later than 60 days after the effective date of this section.\r\n(d) In the first year of the establishment of the fund, and in subsequent years to the extent the commission determines such funds are still needed, the comptroller shall annually transfer not less than 20 per cent of available funds in the fund to the executive office of technology services and security, without requiring the approval of the secretary of labor and workforce development, to be expended in consultation with the commission to study and make recommendations on, in furtherance of the mandate set forth in clause (2) of subsection (b), the following:\r\n(1) how the needs of the residents of the commonwealth can be met by digital navigation services within the broader goal of digital equity;\r\n(2) the scope and social determinant of health and quality of life outcomes provided through digital navigation;\r\n(3) opportunities for state agencies to support the work of digital navigation to further the goals of the agencies in meeting the needs of commonwealth residents;\r\n(4) methods for funding digital navigators including private and public contracting, state grantmaking and state and federal reimbursement for services;\r\n(5) qualifications and standards of digital navigators, including outlining a process for a statewide credentialing program for digital navigators;\r\n(6) collecting data regarding current regional digital navigation initiatives across the commonwealth to understand opportunities, implementation design and statewide efficiencies; and\r\n(7) any other considerations determined to be relevant by the commission.\r\nNot later than 6 months following the effective date of this section, the executive office of technology services and security shall file its report and recommendations, including any legislation necessary to implement its recommendations, with the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate.\r\n(e) Remaining monies from the fund shall be expended on programs that have 1 or more of the following purposes, with a focus on aligning expenditures with industry needs:\r\n(1) supporting the development and implementation of digital navigation programs;\r\n(2) addressing critical digital navigation workforce shortages;\r\n(3) improving employment in the digital navigation industry for low-income individuals and low-wage workers;\r\n(4) providing training, educational or career ladder services for currently employed or unemployed digital navigation workers who are seeking new positions or responsibilities within the digital navigation industry; or\r\n(5) providing training or educational services for digital navigation workers.\r\n(f) The secretary shall establish a competitive grant process for funds expended on programs under subsection (e). Expenditures from the fund shall complement and not replace existing local, state, private or federal funding for training and educational programs. All approved activities funded through the fund shall support the mandate set forth in clause (1) of subsection (b).\r\n(g) A grant proposal submitted under subsection (e) shall include, but not be limited to:\r\n(1) a plan that defines specific goals for digital navigator training and educational improvements;\r\n(2) the evidence-based programs the applicant shall use to meet the goals;\r\n(3) a budget necessary to implement the plan, including a detailed description of any funding or in-kind contributions the applicant or applicants will be providing in support of the proposal;\r\n(4) any other private funding or private sector participation the applicant anticipates in support of the proposal; and\r\n(5) the anticipated number of individuals who would receive a benefit due to the implementation of the plan.\r\nThe secretary shall, in consultation with the commission, develop guidelines for an annual review of the progress being made by each grantee. Each grantee shall participate in any evaluation or accountability process implemented by or authorized by the secretary.\r\n(h) There shall be credited to the fund all monies payable pursuant to any revenue from appropriations or other monies authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund, and any gifts, grants, private contributions, investment income earned on the fund's assets and all other sources. Money remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund and shall be available for expenditure in the following fiscal year.\r\n(i) The fund shall supplement and not replace existing publicly financed digital navigation workforce development programs.\r\n(j) Annually, the secretary shall report on its strategy for administration and allocation of the fund, including relevant evaluation criteria, and short-term and long-term programmatic and policy recommendations to improve workforce performance, and on expenditures from the fund. The report shall include, but shall not be limited to: (i) the revenue credited to the fund; (ii) the amount of fund expenditures attributable to administrative costs; (iii) an itemized list of the funds expended through the competitive grant process and a description of the grantee activities; and (iv) the results of the evaluation of the effectiveness of the activities funded through grants. The secretary shall submit the report to the secretary of administration and finance, the chairpersons of the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on advanced information technology, the internet and cybersecurity, and the joint committee on labor and workforce development and the report shall be posted on the executive office of labor and workforce development's website.\r\n(k) The secretary shall promulgate regulations necessary to carry out this section.\"\r\n"}