Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H3500 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. 2110 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3500
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Denise C. Garlick
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 promoting fairness and transparency of organizations supporting military personnel and
13	13	families.
14	14	_______________
15	15	PETITION OF:
16	16	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Denise C. Garlick13th Norfolk1/19/2023 1 of 4
17	17	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2110 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
18	18	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3500
19	19	By Representative Garlick of Needham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3500) of
20	20	Denise C. Garlick for legislation to promote fairness and transparency of organizations
21	21	supporting military personnel and families. Veterans and Federal Affairs.
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
25	25	(2023-2024)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act promoting fairness and transparency of organizations supporting military personnel and
28	28	families.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 SECTION 1. Section 35CC of Chapter 10 of the General Laws is amended by striking
32	32	2said section and inserting in place thereof the following: -
33	33	3 SECTION 35CC. There shall be an expendable trust, to be known as the Massachusetts
34	34	4Military Family Relief Fund, the purpose of which is to help members of the Massachusetts
35	35	5National Guard and Massachusetts residents who are members of the reserves of the armed
36	36	6forces of the United States and who were called to active duty after September 11, 2001, and
37	37	7their families, to defray the costs of food, housing, utilities, medical services, and other expenses.
38	38	8The fund shall consist of revenues received by the commonwealth under the provisions of
39	39	9section 6K of chapter 62, from public and private sources as gifts, grants, and donations to
40	40	10further the purposes of the fund. Revenues credited to the fund under this section shall remain in
41	41	11the fund, not subject to appropriation, for application to those purposes. The state treasurer shall
42	42	12not deposit the revenues in, or transfer the revenues to, the General Fund or any other fund other 2 of 4
43	43	13than the Massachusetts Military Family Relief Fund. The state treasurer shall deposit monies in
44	44	14the fund in accordance with sections 34 and 34A of chapter 29 in such manner as will secure the
45	45	15highest interest rate available consistent with safety of the fund and with the requirement that all
46	46	16amounts on deposit be available for immediate withdrawal at any time. Revenues received for
47	47	17the Military Family Relief Fund shall be directly paid to qualified organizations as established by
48	48	18Section 13 of this Act by the military division through the established expendable trust.
49	49	19 SECTION 2. Chapter 130 of the Acts of 2005 is hereby amended by striking out section
50	50	2013 through section 15, inclusive, and inserting in place thereof the following: -
51	51	21 SECTION 13. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the secretary
52	52	22of the department of veterans’ services shall, on January 1, 2024 and every even numbered year
53	53	23thereafter, procure and award the administration of the grant program to qualified non-profit
54	54	24organizations, hereafter referred to as the awarded organizations, in equal apportionments. Said
55	55	25awarded organizations shall be principally focused on providing aid to Massachusetts military
56	56	26service members and their families, and shall be headquartered in the Commonwealth. The
57	57	27military division shall make available the revenues received from the Military Family Relief
58	58	28Fund after designation by the secretary of the department of veterans’ services, and grants from
59	59	29the Massachusetts Military Family Relief Fund shall be made to a member or to families of
60	60	30persons who are members of the Massachusetts National Guard or Massachusetts residents who
61	61	31are members of the reserves of the armed forces of the United States and who were called to
62	62	32active duty after September 11, 2001. 3 of 4
63	63	33 The department of veterans’ services shall promulgate rules and regulations to establish
64	64	34eligibility requirements for assistance under this section which shall be reviewed by the military
65	65	35division.
66	66	36 SECTION 14. (a) The awarded organizations shall submit an annual report to the
67	67	37secretary of the department of veterans’ services and the house and senate committees on ways
68	68	38and means detailing:
69	69	39 (1) the expenditure of the funds including the amount of assistance provided from the
70	70	40fund by branch of service, regular or reserve duty classification, amount of individual assistance
71	71	41provided, the reason that qualified a member of the military or the member's family for
72	72	42assistance and the balance remaining within the interest income account for future
73	73	43disbursements;
74	74	44 (2) the name, address, rank and rating, branch of service, deployment location and
75	75	45amounts of financial assistance provided to each eligible military member and to the member's
76	76	46family.
77	77	47 (b) The information provided pursuant to clause (1) of subsection (a) shall be public
78	78	48record. The information provided pursuant to paragraph 2 of subsection (a) shall be confidential
79	79	49and shall be available for inspection only by the secretary of administration and finance and the
80	80	50general court. Names, addresses and deployment locations shall not be in any report available for
81	81	51public access. The secretary of administration and finance and the legislators with legal access to
82	82	52the report shall be required to hold names, addresses and deployment locations confidential.
83	83	53 Failure to file said annual reports may result in an immediate termination of the
84	84	54designation for administration of this fund, in accordance with Section 15 of this Act. 4 of 4
85	85	55 SECTION 15. In the event that the awarded organizations lose their status as a charitable
86	86	56corporation or ceases to exist, the secretary of the department of veterans’ services shall identify
87	87	57a suitable charitable organization to administer the grants.