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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 381 FILED ON: 1/8/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3506 |
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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 | | Tara T. Hong |
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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 relative to digital inclusion for seniors. |
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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:Tara T. Hong18th Middlesex1/8/2025Colleen M. Garry36th Middlesex3/9/2025Samantha Montaño15th Suffolk3/5/2025Francisco E. Paulino16th Essex3/11/2025 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 381 FILED ON: 1/8/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3506 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Hong of Lowell, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3506) of Tara T. |
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| 19 | 19 | | Hong and others for legislation to establish a low-income senior internet subsidy program to |
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| 20 | 20 | | provide financial assistance to eligible seniors for internet services. Telecommunications, |
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| 21 | 21 | | Utilities and Energy. |
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| 22 | 22 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 23 | 23 | | _______________ |
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| 24 | 24 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 26 | 26 | | _______________ |
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| 27 | 27 | | An Act relative to digital inclusion for seniors. |
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| 28 | 28 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 29 | 29 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 30 | 30 | | 1 SECTION 1. Chapter 25C of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the |
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| 31 | 31 | | 2following section:- |
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| 32 | 32 | | 3 Section 10. (a) For the purpose of this section, the following terms shall, unless the |
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| 33 | 33 | | 4context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings: |
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| 34 | 34 | | 5 “Low-income seniors”, individuals aged 65 or older whose household income does not |
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| 35 | 35 | | 6exceed 200 per cent of the federal poverty level. |
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| 36 | 36 | | 7 “Senior living facilities”, residential facilities primarily serving seniors, including |
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| 37 | 37 | | 8assisted living communities and nursing homes. |
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| 38 | 38 | | 9 “The office”, the executive office of housing and livable communities. |
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| 39 | 39 | | 10 “The program”, the low-income senior internet subsidy program. 2 of 2 |
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| 40 | 40 | | 11 “Wi-Fi hotspot”, wireless internet access points enabling residents to connect to the |
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| 41 | 41 | | 12internet. |
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| 42 | 42 | | 13 (b) The department shall establish and administer the low-income senior internet subsidy |
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| 43 | 43 | | 14program that shall provide financial assistance to eligible seniors for internet services. The |
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| 44 | 44 | | 15department shall: (i) offer monthly subsidies of up to $50 to offset the cost of home internet |
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| 45 | 45 | | 16services; and (ii) partner with internet service providers to offer discounted plans tailored to low- |
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| 46 | 46 | | 17income seniors. |
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| 47 | 47 | | 18 (c) Subject to appropriation, the office shall allocate grants to senior living facilities for |
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| 48 | 48 | | 19the installation and maintenance of free public Wi-Fi hotspots. Grants shall prioritize funding |
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| 49 | 49 | | 20for: (i) facilities serving communities with limited digital infrastructure; or (ii) high |
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| 50 | 50 | | 21concentrations of low-income residents. |
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| 51 | 51 | | 22 (d) The department shall collect public feedback from senior living facilities and low- |
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| 52 | 52 | | 23income seniors to: (i) better implement the program; (ii) ensure program efficacy; and (iii) |
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| 53 | 53 | | 24address further needs from the community. |
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| 54 | 54 | | 25 (e) The department shall prepare an annual report that includes, but is not limited to: (i) |
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| 55 | 55 | | 26details on the program’s implementation; (ii) the number of seniors served by the program; (iii) |
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| 56 | 56 | | 27the number of facilities supported by the program; (iv) funding requested for the next fiscal year; |
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| 57 | 57 | | 28(v) the overall impact of the program; and (vi) the department’s collected public feedback |
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| 58 | 58 | | 29pursuant to subsection (d). The department shall submit the annual report to the governor, the |
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| 59 | 59 | | 30chairs of the joint committee on telecommunications, utilities and energy, the chairs of the joint |
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| 60 | 60 | | 31committee on elder affairs and the offices of the house and senate clerk. |
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| 61 | 61 | | 32 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect 1 year after its passage. |
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