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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3138 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 219
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Priscila S. Sousa
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act increasing collaboration amongst community organizations fighting hunger.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Priscila S. Sousa6th Middlesex1/20/2023 1 of 4
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3138 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 219
By Representative Sousa of Framingham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 219) of
Priscila S. Sousa relative to increasing collaboration amongst community organizations fighting
hunger. Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act increasing collaboration amongst community organizations fighting hunger.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 6A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
2section 16CC the following section:-
3 Section 16DD. (a) As used in this section the following terms shall, unless the context
4clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:
5 “Nonprofit service provider”, a charitable corporation constituting a public charity
6organized pursuant to chapter 180 or a nonprofit or charitable organization or an individual
7branch or division of a nonprofit or charitable organization exempt from taxation under section
8501(c)3 of the federal Internal Revenue Code that provides social services, including, but not
9limited to: housing, food insecurity, child care, education, fuel assistance, substance abuse
10services, mental health assistance, job training, English language education, literacy education,
11transportation, financial literacy, elder services and immigration services.
12 “Personal data”, as defined in section 1 of chapter 66A. 2 of 4
13 “Shared client data bank” or “data bank”, a single centralized, shared repository of
14nonprofit service provider client information; provided, that no client information in the data
15bank shall be a public record as defined in clause Twenty-sixth of section 7 of chapter 4.
16 “State authority”, as defined in section 1 of chapter 29.
17 (b) There shall be a fee, to be determined by the secretary of health and human services,
18payable by a nonprofit service provider at the time of application for a grant program or loan
19administered by a state agency or state authority. The fee shall be deposited in the Healthy
20Communities Trust Fund established in section 2RRRRR of chapter 29.
21 (c) A nonprofit service provider shall only be eligible for a state contract to provide
22services, grants or loans administered by a state agency or state authority, including but not
23limited to any programs included in the general appropriation act, if they are a member of the
24shared client data bank.
25 (d) The executive office of health and human services shall establish and implement a
26shared client data bank. The data bank shall enable clients of nonprofit service providers to
27submit a standardized application for services through a centralized internet website, nonprofit
28service provider or the data bank. A client may designate a preference for nonprofit service
29providers from which to receive services.
30 The secretary shall provide the client with a data bank identification card for use at
31nonprofit service providers within 30 days of receiving the client’s information. A nonprofit
32service provider shall accept a data bank identification card for the purposes of verification for
33services provided by the nonprofit, except where prohibited by federal law. 3 of 4
34 (e) Upon the client’s written, informed consent, the data bank may provide client
35personal data to nonprofit service providers that are members of the bank. The data bank shall
36protect client information in accordance with state and federal laws regarding personal data,
37including but not limited to chapter 66A.
38 SECTION 2. Chapter 29 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
39section 2QQQQQ the following section:-
40 Section 2RRRRR. There shall be established and set up on the books of the
41commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Healthy Communities Trust Fund, hereafter
42referred to as the fund. The fund shall provide, without prior appropriation, funds to support the
43shared client data bank for nonprofit service providers, as provided in section 16DD of chapter
446A.
45 There shall be credited to the fund revenues received from fees paid by nonprofit service
46providers at the time of application for a grant program or loan administered by a state agency or
47state authority. The secretary of health and human services shall administer the fund.
48 No expenditure from the fund shall cause the fund to be in deficiency at the close of a
49fiscal year. Monies deposited in the fund that are unexpended at the end of the fiscal year shall
50not revert to the General Fund and shall be available for expenditure in the subsequent fiscal
51year.
52 The secretary of health and human services shall deposit all revenue received pursuant to
53subsection (b) of section 16DD of chapter 6A into the fund. Annually, not later than October 1,
54the secretary of health and human services shall report to the clerks of the house of
55representatives and the senate, the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint 4 of 4
56committee on housing, the joint committee on children, families and persons with disabilities and
57the joint committee on mental health, substance abuse and recovery on the fund’s activity.