Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H423 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. 1177 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 423
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Alan Silvia
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 establishing the Abigail Adams entrepreneurial program for women.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Alan Silvia7th Bristol1/18/2023Patricia A. Haddad5th Bristol1/24/2023Paul A. Schmid, III8th Bristol2/1/2023Patrick M. O'ConnorFirst Plymouth and Norfolk2/8/2023Priscila S. Sousa6th Middlesex2/15/2023 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1177 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 423
18	18	By Representative Silvia of Fall River, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 423) of Alan
19	19	Silvia and others for legislation to establish the Abigail Adams center for women in STEM to
20	20	provide opportunities for women in the workforce in science, technology, engineering and
21	21	mathematics professions. Economic Development and Emerging Technologies.
22	22	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
23	23	SEE HOUSE, NO. 533 OF 2021-2022.]
24	24	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
25	25	_______________
26	26	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
27	27	(2023-2024)
28	28	_______________
29	29	An Act establishing the Abigail Adams entrepreneurial program for women.
30	30	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
31	31	of the same, as follows:
32	32	1 SECTION 1. This act shall be known as the Abigail Adams Entrepreneurship Act.
33	33	2 SECTION 2. The general court hereby finds and declares that:-
34	34	3 (i) women make up almost 50 per cent of the workforce, but less than 25 per cent of the
35	35	4workforce in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions;
36	36	5 (ii) women are less likely to focus on the STEM disciplines in undergraduate and
37	37	6graduate study;
38	38	7 (iii) only 26 per cent of women who do attain degrees in STEM fields work in STEM
39	39	8jobs; 2 of 3
40	40	9 (iv) there is an increasing demand for individuals with STEM degrees to extend their
41	41	10focus beyond the laboratory so they can be leaders in discovery commercialization;
42	42	11 (v) studies have shown that technology and commercialization ventures are successful
43	43	12when women are in top management positions; and
44	44	13 (vi) it’s vital to encourage the commonwealth’s entrepreneurial programs to recruit and
45	45	14support women to extend their focus beyond the laboratory and into the commercial world.
46	46	15 SECTION 3. Subsection (b) of section 2RR of chapter 29 is hereby amended by adding
47	47	16the following clause:-
48	48	17 (4) To provide grants to create and maintain more favorable small business opportunities
49	49	18and workplace environments for women in science technology engineering and mathematics
50	50	19(STEM) professions through the Abigail Adams Center for Women in STEM established
51	51	20pursuant to section 6B of chapter 40J.
52	52	21 SECTION 4. Chapter 40 J of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition,
53	53	22is hereby amended by inserting after section 6A the following section:-
54	54	23 Section 6B. (a) The corporation shall establish an entrepreneurial institute for technology
55	55	24and commercialization ventures to provide opportunities for women in the workforce in science,
56	56	25technology, engineering and mathematics professions to be known as the Abigail Adams Center
57	57	26for Women in STEM. The executive director of the corporation shall appoint a qualified
58	58	27individual is director to manage the affairs of the center.
59	59	28 The purpose of the center shall be to serve as an agent for the commonwealth to create
60	60	29and maintain more favorable small business opportunities and workplace environments for 3 of 3
61	61	30women in science technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) professions. The center
62	62	31shall provide development support for women in STEM small businesses and in the workplace.
63	63	32The center shall work in collaboration with the Massachusetts technology collaborative, the
64	64	33Massachusetts office of business development, the office of small business and entrepreneurship,
65	65	34other quasi-public and not-for-profit agencies.
66	66	35 (b) The center shall provide the following support and assistance to women in STEM
67	67	36professions:
68	68	37 (i)assistance with grants for startup expenses and project costs;
69	69	38 (ii)small business incubator development;
70	70	39 (iii)entrepreneurial training;
71	71	40 (iv)STEM industry networking support;
72	72	41 (v)business plan preparation;
73	73	42 (vi)market research;
74	74	43 (vii)workforce development; and
75	75	44 (viii)business assistance services and marketing expenses
76	76	45 (c) The center may make grants to further the purposes of this section.