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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3082 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3598
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Samantha Montaño
_________________
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 relative to universal basic income.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Samantha Montaño15th Suffolk1/19/2023 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3082 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3598
By Representative Montaño of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3598) of
Samantha Montaño that the Department of Housing and Community Development establish a
pilot program to demonstrate the individual, family, and community economic impacts and state-
level cost savings of a universal basic income. Labor and Workforce Development.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1632 OF 2019-2020.]
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 relative to universal basic income.
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. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the
2department of housing and community development shall, within 6 months of the effective date
3of this act, establish and implement a 3-year pilot program to demonstrate the economic impacts
4of a universal basic income at the individual, family, community and state level. In establishing a
5plan for the pilot program, the department shall solicit input from professionals with
6demonstrated expertise in the fields of universal basic income, economics, labor, workforce
7development and social services administration. The department shall develop: (i) a criteria and
8process for selecting 3 communities for participation in the pilot program; (ii) eligibility criteria
9for individual participation in the pilot program and a process for selecting participants; (iii) a
10system for administering the pilot program, including a system for the timing and process of 2 of 3
11monthly payments to participants; (iv) a system for studying the economic and public health
12impacts of a universal basic income scheme; and (v) a method for the efficient collection of
13quality data.
14 (b) Subject to appropriation, the department of housing and community development
15shall select 100 individuals to be participants of the pilot program. Each of the individual
16participants shall reside in 1 of 3 economically-diverse cities or towns to be identified by the
17department, at least one of which shall be in a rural community. Each individual participating in
18the program shall receive $1,000 per month for 3 years and shall agree to fully participate in the
19study and analysis plan of the pilot program.
20 SECTION 2. Not later than 1 year after the conclusion of the pilot program, the
21department shall submit a report to the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, the
22joint committee on labor and workforce development, the joint committee on housing and the
23joint committee on economic development and emerging technologies. The report shall include,
24but not be limited to:
25 (i) socio-demographic information, including but not limited to the age, race, ethnicity,
26education level, family composition community of residence, housing costs, additional income
27and government benefits received, of each participant and their family;
28 (ii) data collected biannually during the pilot program by survey, focus group or
29interview to determine how individuals allocated the $1,000 per month stipend;
30 (iii) a cost-benefit analysis and a cost-savings analysis extrapolated from the pilot
31program to a true universal basic income scheme; 3 of 3
32 (iv) consideration of how a universal basic income scheme could be used to address
33historic and contemporary inequalities, including institutional racism;
34 (v) recommendations on implementing a statewide universal basic income program,
35including monthly payment amounts, that would maximize cost-savings and public benefits; and
36 (vi) draft legislation to implement the recommended statewide universal basic income
37program.