Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H2115 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1697 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2115
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Andres X. Vargas and Antonio F. D. Cabral
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act to establish a commission to study the distribution of unrestricted local aid.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Andres X. Vargas3rd Essex1/18/2023Antonio F. D. Cabral13th Bristol1/18/2023Adam Scanlon14th Bristol1/24/2023Carol A. Doherty3rd Bristol1/30/2023Michelle M. DuBois10th Plymouth2/7/2023Tricia Farley-Bouvier2nd Berkshire2/9/2023 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1697 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2115
18	18	By Representatives Vargas of Haverhill and Cabral of New Bedford, a petition (accompanied by
19	19	bill, House, No. 2115) of Andres X. Vargas, Antonio F. D. Cabral and others for legislation to
20	20	establish a special commission (including members of the General Court) to study the
21	21	distribution of general local aid, unrestricted general government aid and lottery aid to cities and
22	22	towns. Municipalities and Regional Government.
23	23	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
24	24	SEE HOUSE, NO. 2139 OF 2021-2022.]
25	25	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
26	26	_______________
27	27	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
28	28	(2023-2024)
29	29	_______________
30	30	An Act to establish a commission to study the distribution of unrestricted local aid.
31	31	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
32	32	of the same, as follows:
33	33	1 The General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, are hereby amended by
34	34	2inserting after chapter 40W the following chapter:-
35	35	3 Chapter 40X. Commission to study the distribution of general local aid.
36	36	4 SECTION 1. There shall be a commission to study the distribution of general local aid in
37	37	5the commonwealth, including unrestricted general government aid, lottery aid as promulgated in
38	38	6section 18C of chapter 58 of the General Laws and additional assistance aid to municipalities.
39	39	7The study shall not include foundation aid as defined in section 2 of chapter 70 of the General
40	40	8Laws. 2 of 3
41	41	9 SECTION 2. The commission shall examine the current formula used to distribute
42	42	10unrestricted general government aid to municipalities, evaluate the effectiveness and equity of
43	43	11said formula and make recommendations to establish a more equitable distribution of
44	44	12unrestricted general government aid to municipalities in the commonwealth. The commission
45	45	13shall review all aspects of general local aid including, but not limited to (a) the current allocation
46	46	14of local aid to municipalities; (b) the reflectiveness of municipalities’ needs in the proportional
47	47	15distribution of the unrestricted general government aid formula; (c) any equity disparities that
48	48	16exist between municipalities across the commonwealth related to local aid distribution; (d) the
49	49	17ability to account for a municipality’s change in population or tax base in a general local aid
50	50	18funding formula; (e) the potential to calculate municipal costs based on a municipality’s need for
51	51	19municipal services and a municipality’s ability to raise local revenue, less a municipality’s local
52	52	20revenues; and (f) any alternative formulas that may create a more equitable distribution of
53	53	21general local aid.
54	54	22 SECTION 3. The commission shall consist of: the secretary of administration and
55	55	23finance, or a designee; the commissioner of the department of revenue, or a designee; 1 member
56	56	24appointed by the state treasurer; 2 members of the senate, 1 of whom shall represent a gateway
57	57	25municipality as defined in section 3A of chapter 23A of the General Laws and shall serve as co-
58	58	26chair; 2 members of the house of representatives, 1 of whom shall represent a gateway
59	59	27municipality as defined in said section 3A of said chapter 23A and shall serve as co-chair; 5
60	60	28members appointed by the governor, 1 of whom shall be nominated by the Massachusetts
61	61	29Municipal Association, Inc., 1 of whom shall be nominated by the Federal Reserve Bank of
62	62	30Boston, 1 of whom shall be nominated by the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, Inc., 1 of
63	63	31whom shall be nominated by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, Inc., and 1 of whom shall 3 of 3
64	64	32be nominated by the Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management at the University of
65	65	33Massachusetts at Boston.
66	66	34 SECTION 4. The commission shall file a report of its findings and recommendations,
67	67	35including any new or revised local aid formulas, with the clerks of the senate and house of
68	68	36representatives, the chairs of the senate and house committees on ways and means, and the
69	69	37senate and house chairs of the joint committee on municipalities and regional government not
70	70	38later than July 1, 2021.