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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3210 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 215 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Marjorie C. Decker |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act supporting the development of children experiencing homelessness. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Marjorie C. Decker25th Middlesex1/16/2025 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3210 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 215 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 215) of |
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| 19 | 19 | | Marjorie C. Decker for legislation to provide services to certain children experiencing |
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| 20 | 20 | | homelessness. Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities. |
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| 21 | 21 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 22 | 22 | | _______________ |
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| 23 | 23 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 25 | 25 | | _______________ |
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| 26 | 26 | | An Act supporting the development of children experiencing homelessness. |
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| 27 | 27 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 28 | 28 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 29 | 29 | | 1 SECTION 1. Chapter 15D of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official |
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| 30 | 30 | | 2Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following section:- |
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| 31 | 31 | | 3 Section 19. (a) A family placed in temporary emergency assistance shelter shall be |
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| 32 | 32 | | 4eligible for the department of early education and care’s homeless child care assistance vouchers |
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| 33 | 33 | | 5when the family first arrives at the shelter and at any time the family chooses while residing in |
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| 34 | 34 | | 6the shelter regardless of whether they meet work requirements as determined by the department |
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| 35 | 35 | | 7of transitional assistance. |
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| 36 | 36 | | 8 (b) A family who meets the McKinney-Vento Homelessness Assistance Act definition of |
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| 37 | 37 | | 9homeless shall be eligible for the department of early education and care’s homeless child care |
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| 38 | 38 | | 10assistance vouchers, regardless of whether they meet work requirements as determined by the |
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| 39 | 39 | | 11department of transitional assistance. 2 of 2 |
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| 40 | 40 | | 12 (c) A letter verifying shelter residency will qualify a family for a full-time childcare |
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| 41 | 41 | | 13referral from the department of transitional assistance. |
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| 42 | 42 | | 14 (d) Upon (i) a family’s entry to a temporary emergency assistance shelter, domestic |
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| 43 | 43 | | 15violence shelter, substance abuse and recovery shelter or non-emergency assistance shelter, or |
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| 44 | 44 | | 16(ii) upon family’s receipt of a letter from the department of early education and care or its |
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| 45 | 45 | | 17designees verifying that a family meets the McKinney-Vento Homelessness Assistance Act |
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| 46 | 46 | | 18definition of homeless, any of the family’s children ages zero to three years shall be considered |
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| 47 | 47 | | 19as qualifying for early intervention services according to department of public health operational |
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| 48 | 48 | | 20standards. This qualification shall ensure eligibility for services regardless of the presence or |
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| 49 | 49 | | 21absence of other relevant risk factors, and qualification shall begin on the date of their entry into |
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| 50 | 50 | | 22shelter or receipt of a McKinney-Vento verification letter and continue for one year after their |
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| 51 | 51 | | 23exit from shelter or receipt of McKinney-Vento verification letter or until the day before the |
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| 52 | 52 | | 24child’s third birthday, whichever occurs first. Early intervention services shall be rendered once |
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| 53 | 53 | | 25an evaluation and determination of need has been established by an early intervention |
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| 54 | 54 | | 26professional; provided that said evaluation shall occur within thirty (30) days of entry into shelter |
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| 55 | 55 | | 27or receipt of a McKinney-Vento verification letter. |
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| 56 | 56 | | 28 SECTION 2. The department shall adopt regulations or policies and remove procedural |
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| 57 | 57 | | 29barriers for the administration of this act within 90 days of the effective date of this act. |
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