Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S2378 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	Senate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2378
2	2	Senate, April 6, 2023 -- Majority Report on the Governor’s Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 2023 (submitted
3	3	by the Governor pursuant to Article LXXXVII of the Amendments to the Constitution) An Act to create
4	4	the executive office of housing and livable communities and to rename the Executive Office of
5	5	Economic Development. (House, No. 43).
6	6	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
7	7	Majority Report
8	8	On
9	9	The Governor’s Reorganization Plan
10	10	No. 1 of 2023
11	11	(submitted by the Governor pursuant to Article LXXXVII of the Amendments to the
12	12	Constitution)
13	13	An Act to create the executive office of housing and livable communities and to rename the
14	14	Executive Office of Economic Development.
15	15	House, No. 43 MAJORITY REPORT
16	16	ON THE GOVERNOR’S REORGANIZATION PLAN No. 1
17	17	House, No. 43 (2023)
18	18	An Act to create the executive office of housing and livable communities and to rename the
19	19	Executive Office of Economic Development.
20	20	House, No. 43, filed under the provisions of Article LXXXVII of the Amendments to the
21	21	Constitution, is the Governor’s plan to separate the current Executive Office of Housing and
22	22	Economic Development (EOHED), and create the Executive Office of Housing and Livable
23	23	Communities and renames EOHED as the Executive Office of Economic Development.
24	24	According to the Governor, in a cover letter submitted with the Reorganization Plan No.
25	25	1 (House, No.43) at the time if it’s filing on March 1, 2023, this legislation creates a new
26	26	Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities focused on housing production, housing
27	27	rehabilitation, housing preservation, housing affordability, fairness and equity in housing
28	28	opportunity, emergency and transitional housing, and housing stability and security. The
29	29	Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities will serve in the Governor’s cabinet. The bill
30	30	also renames the current Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development (EOHED) as
31	31	the Executive Office of Economic Development, which will be led by the re-titled Secretary of
32	32	Economic Development.
33	33	The Governor’s reorganization plan is only the first step in what we expect will be a
34	34	continuing collaboration with the Legislature, municipal officials, and key stakeholders
35	35	throughout the Commonwealth to increase the production of new housing over the long term.
36	36	The key provisions of the bill charge the new Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities
37	37	with developing a full array of additional new housing policies that will expand the supply of
38	38	affordable, accessible housing across the Commonwealth.
39	39	The high points of Reorganization Plan No. 1, as presented to the General Court in House, No.
40	40	43, are as follows:
41	41	Changes the agency’s name from the Executive Office of Housing and Economic
42	42	Development (EOHED) to the Executive Office of Economic Development.
43	43	This language continues to establish the office of planning and research, but the new
44	44	language includes: the office is subject to appropriation, the office only has to
45	45	periodically update a statistical and economic profile of the state and its regions versus
46	46	annually, and that the profile will be made available online instead of only in person. It
47	47	replaces language that refers to the housing and economic development and replaces it
48	48	with language that refers to either housing and livable communities or economic
49	49	development or both. Establishes the executive office of housing and livable communities
50	50	and its duties. Replaces language that surrounds housing and economic development with
51	51	either language that refers to housing and livable communities or economic development
52	52	or both. Creates a new section in Chapter 7 that establishes an infrastructure cost council
53	53	that shall develop consensus demographic projections for the commonwealth and the
54	54	projections shall be used as the basis for developing infrastructure cost projections for
55	55	publicly-owned and privately-owned infrastructure. Replaces language that surrounds
56	56	housing and economic development with either language that refers to housing and
57	57	livable communities or economic development or both. Refers to the Massachusetts office of business development. Section 63 removes subsection (h) which under MOBD’s
58	58	purpose was to provide affordable broadband to MA. Section 64 removes subsection that
59	59	refers to broadband development. Section 65 changes language around EDIP’s goals to
60	60	be more expansive and focus on promoting economic growth. Sections 66 and 67 strike
61	61	language surrounding housing and economic development and replace it with language
62	62	around economic development. Section 69 removes “5 regional office” and section 70
63	63	removes language that the “ombudsman shall establish an advisory group representing
64	64	business interests to advise and inform on the impact of regulations on various business
65	65	and industry sectors and on the cost of doing business in the commonwealth.” establishes
66	66	that the rail-trail construction grants are subject to appropriation. make changes so that it
67	67	refers to MOBD and not economic development. Replaces language that surrounds
68	68	housing and economic development with either language that refers to housing and
69	69	livable communities or economic development or both.
70	70	Eliminates the Massachusetts sports partnership. Replaces language that surrounds
71	71	housing and economic development with language that refers economic development.
72	72	Gives the executive director more authority within the international trade office and the
73	73	commission is replaced with the executive director to evaluate the continuing impacts on
74	74	state law and regulations of international trade police and agreements, etc. This section
75	75	replaces language that surrounds housing and economic development with language that
76	76	refers to economic development. It makes a change so that it refers to MOBD and not
77	77	economic development.
78	78	It creates an employment assistance and training program designed to enlarge and
79	79	improve the skills of the work force, especially those within urban areas containing
80	80	sections of substantial poverty by MOBD. Replaces language that surrounds housing and
81	81	economic development with either language that refers to housing and livable
82	82	communities or economic development or both. Removes this language from MassWorks
83	83	program. Replaces language that surrounds housing and economic development with
84	84	either language that refers to housing and livable communities or economic development
85	85	or both.
86	86	Establishes that the executive office of housing and livable communities is the principal
87	87	office of MA to formulate and carry out state housing policy and its objectives. Section
88	88	103 repeals sections 2-4 of Chapter 23B regarding DHCD. Replaces language
89	89	surrounding department of housing and community development, for example, “director”
90	90	with language surrounding housing and livable communities, for example “secretary”.
91	91	Includes several more departments under the executive office of housing and livable
92	92	communities under section 16G1/2. Replaces “department” with executive office when
93	93	referring to Contracts for non-interest bearing advances to housing authorities;
94	94	construction of low rent housing projects. Makes section 10A of chapter 23B which
95	95	refers to Contracts for non-interest bearing advances to housing authorities; construction
96	96	of low rent housing projects to include: reconstruct, redevelop or replace. Section 110
97	97	changes the language so that the proceeds may be used more broadly. Sections 11-15 are
98	98	repealed which eliminate the Urban job incentive bureau. Replaces language surrounding
99	99	department of housing and community development, for example, “department” with
100	100	language surrounding housing and livable communities, for example “executive office”.
101	101	The contracts with sponsors of rental housing projects for financial assistance are no
102	102	longer subject to a 15 year limit and will be for areas that are located in a housing
103	103	development area or the project is a low and moderate income rental housing project and
104	104	that 25% of the units in the project will be occupied by those with low incomes. This
105	105	creates a HousingWorks infrastructure program within the executive office of housing and livable communities. These sections replace language that surrounds housing and
106	106	economic development with language that refers to housing and livable communities or
107	107	economic development or both. This section facilitates the transfer of employees,
108	108	proceedings, rules and regulations, property and legal obligations and functions of state
109	109	governor to either the executive office of economic development or the executive office
110	110	of housing and livable communities. It also states that transferring employees to either
111	111	executive office will continue employment and benefits. Employees will continue with
112	112	their bargaining agreements. Orders, advisories, findings, rules and regulations shall
113	113	continue until revised or cancelled by the transferee agency. All existing contracts, leases,
114	114	and obligations of the transferor agency shall continue in effect but shall be assumed by
115	115	the transferee agency.
116	116	This act shall take effect 30 days following enactment.
117	117	As this bill was filed pursuant to the provisions of Article LXXXVII of the Amendments to the
118	118	Constitution, it cannot be amended and must be accepted or rejected as presented.
119	119	1.The Joint Committee Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory
120	120	Oversight, to whom was referred Reorganization Plan No. 1 (House, No. 43) of her
121	121	Excellency the Governor, reports recommending that the Plan ought to be approved.
122	122	2.During the Committee’s March 28
123	123	th
124	124	public hearing on House, No. 43, members took
125	125	testimony.
126	126	3.In light of these attestations, the Committee recommended during public executive
127	127	session that House, No. 43 ought to be approved.
128	128	We, the undersigned members of the Joint Committee Joint Committee on State Administration
129	129	and Regulatory Oversight, House, No. 43 ought to be approved.
130	130	SenateHouse
131	131	Nick CollinsAntonio F. D. CabralJoan B. LovelyMichelle L. CiccoloLiz MirandaRodney M. ElliottMarc R. PachecoJudith A. GarciaJohn C. VelisCarmine Lawrence GentileChristopher M. MarkeyEstela A. ReyesF. Jay BarrowsPeter J. Durant