Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S1562 Compare Versions

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

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2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1731 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1562
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Robyn K. Kennedy
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 supporting survivors through financial assistance.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Robyn K. KennedyFirst WorcesterJason M. LewisFifth Middlesex2/27/2025John F. KeenanNorfolk and Plymouth2/27/2025 1 of 8
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1731 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1562
18	18	By Ms. Kennedy, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1562) of Robyn K. Kennedy,
19	19	Jason M. Lewis and John F. Keenan for legislation to support survivors of violence through
20	20	financial assistance. Public Health.
21	21	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
22	22	_______________
23	23	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
24	24	(2025-2026)
25	25	_______________
26	26	An Act supporting survivors through financial assistance.
27	27	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
28	28	of the same, as follows:
29	29	1 Chapter 111 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 official edition, is hereby
30	30	2amended by inserting after Section 244 the following section-:
31	31	3 Section 245. Flexible Assistance for Survivors of Violence (FAS) Pilot Grant Program
32	32	4 (A) As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context requires
33	33	5otherwise, have the following meanings:-
34	34	6 “Community-based organization” means a nonprofit organization, or an organization
35	35	7fiscally sponsored by a nonprofit organization, that provides direct services to survivors of
36	36	8violence. Community-based organizations include but are not limited to social and human
37	37	9service organizations, legal aid organizations, grassroots organizations, faith-based
38	38	10organizations, culturally specific organizations, community development organizations, health
39	39	11and mental health support organizations, housing assistance organizations 2 of 8
40	40	12 “Family member” means any of the following:
41	41	13 (a) A person related to another by blood, adoption, or marriage.
42	42	14 (b) A household member or former household member of another.
43	43	15 (c) A person who is not related by blood, adoption, or marriage to another but who
44	44	16otherwise has a significant emotional relationship with another.
45	45	17 “Grant program” means the Flexible Assistance for Survivors of Violence (FAS) pilot
46	46	18grant program established by this chapter.
47	47	19 “Flexible cash assistance” shall mean payments directly to recipients, that include, but are
48	48	20not limited to:
49	49	21 (a) Prepaid cards
50	50	22 (b) Gift cards
51	51	23 (c) Checks
52	52	24 (d) Money deposited in a bank account
53	53	25 (e) Cash
54	54	26 “Department” means the Department of Public Health
55	55	27 “Survivor of violence” means any of the following:
56	56	28 (a) A person who has been a victim of stalking, domestic violence, sexual violence,
57	57	29community violence, homicide, kidnapping, child abuse, human trafficking, or elder abuse. 3 of 8
58	58	30 (b) A person who has been physically injured by an act of force by another person.
59	59	31 (c) A person who has been threatened with physical injury or reasonably believes they
60	60	32were threatened with physical injury by another person.
61	61	33 (d) A person who has suffered physical injury, as a result of a law enforcement officer’s
62	62	34inappropriate use of force.
63	63	35 (e) A person who suffers a threat of physical injury or reasonably believes they were
64	64	36threatened with physical injury as a result of a law enforcement officer’s inappropriate use of
65	65	37force.
66	66	38 (f) A person who has witnessed an act described under paragraph (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), or (v)
67	67	39and has experienced an emotional injury or feels threatened as a result.
68	68	40 (g) A family member of a person who is the victim of an act described under paragraph
69	69	41(i), (ii), (iii), (iv), or (v), including, but not limited to, a family member or person of significant
70	70	42emotional relationship of a person who is killed by the act.
71	71	43 (B) The Flexible Assistance for Survivors pilot grant program is hereby established, to be
72	72	44administered by the department, with the goal of improving safety, healing, and financial
73	73	45stability for survivors, and the loved ones of those violently injured or killed.
74	74	46 Flexible Assistance for Survivor grants shall be made to qualifying community-based
75	75	47organizations pursuant to this section for the purpose of establishing assistance funds to
76	76	48distribute in direct cash assistance to survivors.
77	77	49 (C) The department shall establish an advisory committee that includes, without
78	78	50limitation, persons who have been impacted by violence, formerly incarcerated persons, and 4 of 8
79	79	51persons with direct experience in implementing supportive services for marginalized survivors.
80	80	52Racial, gender, and ethnic diversity, and representation of communities and identities shall be
81	81	53considered for all appointments. Advisory board members are appointed for 2 year terms and
82	82	54cannot serve consecutive terms. The committee shall consist of 6 members, 3 members are to be
83	83	55appointed by the Department Of Public Health Bureau Of Community Health And Prevention
84	84	56for their work with community-based organizations or for their expertise providing direct
85	85	57services and recovery assistance such as housing, job placement, counseling, legal services, or
86	86	58economic support to vulnerable survivors; 3 members are to be appointed by the Department Of
87	87	59Public Health Bureau Of Community Health And Prevention for their work as community
88	88	60providers or advocates with expertise in community-based or statewide violence reduction or
89	89	61prevention programs. A person’s criminal history shall not disqualify them from being appointed
90	90	62to the advisory board.
91	91	63 The advisory committee shall establish rules for implementing this section and shall
92	92	64make grants under this chapter on a competitive basis to community-based organizations.
93	93	65Community-based organizations shall apply on a form prescribed by the committee, which shall
94	94	66include, but not be limited to, (i) a description of the organization’s history serving one or more
95	95	67of the groups described in subdivision (f); (ii) a description of how the community or
96	96	68communities the organization serves are impacted by violence and incarceration; (iii) the
97	97	69estimated number of survivors of violence the organization or program currently serves; (iv) the
98	98	70estimated number of survivors of violence to whom the organization or program anticipates it
99	99	71will distribute grant funds; (v) a description of how the organization plans to distribute flexible
100	100	72cash assistance funds to survivors to meet immediate financial needs quickly; and (vi) a 5 of 8
101	101	73description of how the organization plans to minimize the burden on survivors to provide
102	102	74documentation or submit paperwork.
103	103	75 The advisory committee shall (i) strive to minimize the paperwork burden on grant
104	104	76applicants and grantees; (ii) strive to develop an application, awards, and reporting process that is
105	105	77accessible to community-based organizations with smaller budgets or without past experience
106	106	78receiving a state grant award; (iii) develop a plan to publicize the grant program in advance of an
107	107	79application deadline; (iv) Create guidelines around effective and inclusive evidence-based direct
108	108	80cash distribution practices for grantees; (v) provide technical assistance to applicants and
109	109	81grantees; (vi) work with the department to develop tools to support applicants applying for an
110	110	82award under this chapter, including, but not limited to, templates and sample applications, which
111	111	83shall be posted prominently on the office’s internet website; and (vii) work with the department
112	112	84to publicize and host at least two webinars that are open to the public detailing how to apply for a
113	113	85grant under this chapter prior to an application deadline.
114	114	86 (D) A community-based organization shall be eligible to apply for a grant under this
115	115	87chapter if the organization has a history of serving survivors of violence and the majority of
116	116	88people the organization, or a project within the organization that will administer the grant, serves
117	117	89are survivors of violence.
118	118	90 When considering grant applications, the advisory committee shall give preference to
119	119	91organizations that are located in, serve, and employ members of communities that experience
120	120	92disproportionately high rates of gun violence and imprisonment.
121	121	93 When considering grant applications, the advisory committee shall give preference to
122	122	94community-based organizations that have a history of providing services to vulnerable survivors, 6 of 8
123	123	95including, but not limited to, (i) survivors of color; (ii) elderly survivors; (iii) survivors with
124	124	96disabilities; (iv) Survivors who are transgender or gender nonconforming; (v) survivors from
125	125	97communities that have been disproportionately criminalized/policed; (vi) survivors who are
126	126	98formerly incarcerated or who have past arrests or convictions; (vii) survivors who are
127	127	99undocumented/at risk of becoming undocumented; (viii) survivors who are unhoused; (ix)
128	128	100survivors of firearm injuries; (x) Survivors who have lost a family member to homicide; (xi)
129	129	101survivors facing mental health crises; (xii) low-income survivors; or (xiii) survivors challenged
130	130	102by substance misuse.
131	131	103 (E) An organization receiving a grant under this chapter may use the funds as follows:
132	132	104 (a) Unrestricted cash assistance to survivors of violence to meet survivors’ financial
133	133	105needs or to cover survivors’ expenses, distributed at the discretion of the organization in amounts
134	134	106determined by the organization based on the needs of survivors and in a way that minimizes or
135	135	107eliminates the burden on survivors to provide external documentation of their need or expenses.
136	136	108 (b) Up to 10 percent for the organization’s expenses in administering the grant.
137	137	109 (F) A community-based organization receiving a grant under this chapter shall establish
138	138	110policies and procedures for distributing funds to survivors whom the organization serves that
139	139	111comply with all the following:
140	140	112 (a) Allow survivors to attest to their experience of violence without obtaining external
141	141	113documentation of a violent victimization.
142	142	114 (b) Promote distribution of funds to survivors in a manner that meets the immediate needs
143	143	115of survivors quickly. 7 of 8
144	144	116 (c) Do not require survivors to engage in other services or programs as a condition of
145	145	117receiving funds.
146	146	118 (d) Do not require survivors to provide or maintain burdensome documentation of their
147	147	119need or spending.
148	148	120 (e) Do not require survivors to report a crime to a law enforcement agency as a condition
149	149	121of receiving cash assistance.
150	150	122 (f) Do not exclude survivors on the basis of citizenship or immigration status.
151	151	123 (g) Do not exclude survivors on the basis of an arrest or conviction record, nor on the
152	152	124basis of a survivor’s status under correctional supervision.
153	153	125 (G) Notwithstanding any other law, cash assistance received under this chapter shall be
154	154	126treated in the same manner as the federal earned income refund for the purpose of determining
155	155	127eligibility to receive benefits under Chapter 106 of the Code of Massachusetts Regulations or
156	156	128amounts of those benefits.
157	157	129 Each grantee shall annually report to the department both of the following:
158	158	130 (a) The aggregate number of survivors who received cash assistance through the grant
159	159	131program.
160	160	132 (b) The average amount of assistance each survivor received through the grant program.
161	161	133 (c) High level aggregate data on how the funds are being utilized by programs and
162	162	134survivors. 8 of 8
163	163	135 The department may use up to 5 percent of the funds appropriated for the grant program
164	164	136each year for the costs of administering the grant program, including, without limitation,
165	165	137employing personnel, providing technical assistance to grantees or prospective grantees, and
166	166	138issuing a report on the impacts of the grant program.
167	167	139 (H) Before July 1, 2028, the department shall post on its internet website a public report
168	168	140on the impact of the grant program, which shall include policy recommendations to provide
169	169	141guidance to the Legislature and Governor in fully implementing and scaling a permanent grant
170	170	142program.