Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H2252 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. 1374 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2252
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Antonio F. D. Cabral and Andres X. Vargas
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 to establish a commission to study the distribution of unrestricted local aid.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Antonio F. D. Cabral13th Bristol1/14/2025Andres X. Vargas3rd Essex1/14/2025 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1374 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2252
18	18	By Representatives Cabral of New Bedford and Vargas of Haverhill, a petition (accompanied by
19	19	bill, House, No. 2252) of Antonio F. D. Cabral and Andres X. Vargas for legislation to establish
20	20	a special commission (including members of the General Court) to study the distribution of
21	21	general local aid, unrestricted general government aid and lottery aid to cities and towns.
22	22	Municipalities and Regional Government.
23	23	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
24	24	SEE HOUSE, NO. 2115 OF 2023-2024.]
25	25	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
26	26	_______________
27	27	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
28	28	(2025-2026)
29	29	_______________
30	30	An Act to establish a commission to study the distribution of unrestricted local aid.
31	31	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
32	32	of the same, as follows:
33	33	1 SECTION 1. The General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, are hereby
34	34	2amended by inserting after chapter 40Y the following chapter:
35	35	3 Chapter 40Z. Commission to study the distribution of unrestricted general government
36	36	4aid.
37	37	5 Section 1. There shall be a commission to study the distribution of general local aid in the
38	38	6commonwealth, including unrestricted general government aid, lottery aid as promulgated in
39	39	7section 18C of chapter 58 of the General Laws and additional assistance aid to municipalities. 2 of 3
40	40	8The study shall not include foundation aid as defined in section 2 of chapter 70 of the General
41	41	9Laws.
42	42	10 Section 2. The commission shall examine the current formula used to distribute
43	43	11unrestricted general government aid to municipalities, evaluate the effectiveness and equity of
44	44	12said formula and make recommendations to establish a more equitable distribution of
45	45	13unrestricted general government aid to municipalities in the commonwealth. The commission
46	46	14shall review all aspects of general local aid including, but not limited to (a) the current allocation
47	47	15of local aid to municipalities; (b) the reflectiveness of municipalities’ needs in the proportional
48	48	16distribution of the unrestricted general government aid formula; (c) any equity disparities that
49	49	17exist between municipalities across the commonwealth related to local aid distribution; (d) the
50	50	18ability to account for a municipality’s change in population or tax base in a general local aid
51	51	19funding formula; (e) the potential to calculate municipal costs based on a municipality’s need for
52	52	20municipal services and a municipality’s ability to raise local revenue, less a municipality’s local
53	53	21revenues; and (f) any alternative formulas that may create a more equitable distribution of
54	54	22general local aid.
55	55	23 Section 3. The commission shall consist of: the secretary of administration and finance,
56	56	24or a designee; the commissioner of the department of revenue, or a designee; 1 member
57	57	25appointed by the state treasurer; 2 members of the senate, 1 of whom shall represent a gateway
58	58	26municipality as defined in section 3A of chapter 23A of the General Laws and shall serve as co-
59	59	27chair; 2 members of the house of representatives, 1 of whom shall represent a gateway
60	60	28municipality as defined in said section 3A of said chapter 23A and shall serve as co-chair; 5
61	61	29members appointed by the governor, 1 of whom shall be nominated by the Massachusetts
62	62	30Municipal Association, Inc., 1 of whom shall be nominated by the Federal Reserve Bank of 3 of 3
63	63	31Boston, 1 of whom shall be nominated by the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, Inc., 1 of
64	64	32whom shall be nominated by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, Inc., and 1 of whom shall
65	65	33be nominated by the Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management at the University of
66	66	34Massachusetts at Boston.
67	67	35 Section 4. The commission shall file a report of its findings and recommendations,
68	68	36including any new or revised local aid formulas, with the clerks of the senate and house of
69	69	37representatives, the chairs of the senate and house committees on ways and means, and the
70	70	38senate and house chairs of the joint committee on municipalities and regional government not
71	71	39later than one year after the passage of this act.
72	72	40 SECTION 2. Section 1 shall take effect upon passage.