Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S117 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1843 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 117
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Michael O. Moore
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 protecting safety net access for Massachusetts residents.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Michael O. MooreSecond WorcesterVanna Howard17th Middlesex2/2/2023 1 of 2
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1843 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 117
18	18	By Mr. Moore, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 117) of Michael O. Moore and
19	19	Vanna Howard for legislation to protect safety net access for Massachusetts residents. Children,
20	20	Families and Persons with Disabilities.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE SENATE, NO. 134 OF 2021-2022.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
26	26	(2023-2024)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act protecting safety net access for Massachusetts residents.
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 5 of chapter 18 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
32	32	2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the fourth paragraph the following
33	33	3paragraph:-
34	34	4 Upon being notified by the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance
35	35	5(DCAMM) that a lease is set to expire, and by which the Department decides not to renew a
36	36	6lease or close the community service office, at least 120 days before taking steps to not renew a
37	37	7lease for or close a community service office and at least 120 days before soliciting any
38	38	8proposals for a lease for a community service office, the commissioner shall notify the local
39	39	9legislators of that region and the regional legal services of the proposed action, the community
40	40	10service office that would be affected, and the reasons for the proposed action. At the request of 2 of 2
41	41	11the legislature or legal services, the department shall provide testimony and data regarding its
42	42	12plans, including but not limited to a comparison of the current and proposed community service
43	43	13office locations for low-income households in the service area with respect to (a) transportation
44	44	14options, including the cost and frequency of public transit and travel time to and from the current
45	45	15and proposed location; (b) office hours; (c) access for seniors, persons with disabilities, persons
46	46	16who are needed to care for children or other family members; persons who are employed; (d) the
47	47	17availability of staff who speak the languages spoken by persons with limited English proficiency
48	48	18in the service area; (e) in areas where there are advisory boards the minutes showing that the
49	49	19board has been appraised of the intention to close or relocate; (f) surveys from its current
50	50	20recipients of how the proposed closure or relocation would affect them. The surveys shall be
51	51	21done in the recipients’ primary or preferred language in order to maximize participation and
52	52	22ensure equity; (g) a report of the community services, and community economic and social
53	53	23relations near the current and proposed community service office; (h) demographic and poverty
54	54	24rate data of the residents of both the current and proposed community service office location; and
55	55	25(i) other matters as requested by the said requester.