Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H4442 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	HOUSE . . . . . . . . No. 4442
2	2	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
3	3	________________________________________
4	4	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, February 29, 2024.
5	5	The committee on Labor and Workforce Development, to whom was
6	6	referred the petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1913) of David
7	7	Henry Argosky LeBoeuf and Bud L. Williams for legislation to establish a
8	8	special commission (including members of the General Court) to conduct
9	9	a study and make recommendations on the barriers faced by low-income
10	10	workers to finding and maintaining jobs in the Commonwealth, reports
11	11	recommending that the accompanying bill (House, No. 4442) ought to
12	12	pass.
13	13	For the committee,
14	14	KIP A. DIGGS. 1 of 2
15	15	FILED ON: 2/5/2024
16	16	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 4442
17	17	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
18	18	_______________
19	19	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
20	20	(2023-2024)
21	21	_______________
22	22	An Act creating a special legislative commission to study barriers to job retention for low-
23	23	income workers.
24	24	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
25	25	of the same, as follows:
26	26	1 SECTION 1. (a) Notwithstanding any special or general law to the contrary, there shall
27	27	2be a special commission established to conduct a study and make recommendations on the
28	28	3barriers faced by low-income workers to finding and maintaining jobs in the commonwealth. The
29	29	4commission shall consist of 17 members, as follows: the house and senate chairs of the joint
30	30	5committee on labor and workforce development, who shall serve as co-chairs; the secretary of
31	31	6executive office of labor and workforce development or their designee; the secretary of the
32	32	7executive office of transportation or their designee; the secretary of the executive office of
33	33	8economic development or their designee; the director of the department of transitional assistance
34	34	9or their designee; the secretary of the executive office of health and human services or their
35	35	10designee; 2 members appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; 2 members
36	36	11appointed by the president of the senate; 6 persons appointed by the co-chairs, 2 of whom shall
37	37	12be members of the labor community, 2 of whom shall be members of the business community;
38	38	13and 2 of whom shall have expertise working with low-income workers. 2 of 2
39	39	14 b) The commission shall examine and make recommendations on topics including, but
40	40	15not limited to: (i) barriers that exist in Massachusetts that prevent low-income workers from
41	41	16finding and retaining jobs with sustainable wages; (ii) strategies that the commonwealth could
42	42	17employ that would help to address barriers to job retention for low-income workers; (iii)
43	43	18Massachusetts laws and regulations that are currently in place, or could be put in place, that
44	44	19assist or hamper this population from maintaining jobs with a sustainable wage; (iv) holistic and
45	45	20wraparound service approaches and programs that the commonwealth could explore to prevent a
46	46	21fragmented and inefficient response to addressing these barriers.
47	47	22 c) The commission may hold hearings and invite testimony from experts and the public to
48	48	23gather information. The commission may involve other experts, stakeholders and members of the
49	49	24public in its work through listening and working group sessions or whatever other mechanisms
50	50	25the commission chooses.
51	51	26 d) The commission shall file its recommendations, including any drafts of legislation or
52	52	27regulations necessary to carry out its recommendations, not later than March 1, 2025.