Governor Deval Patrick's Budget Recommendation - House 2 Fiscal Year 2015

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SECTION 4 - Integrated Facilities Management of State Properties

Summary:
In order to implement DCAMM's integrated facilities management program, this section includes among the agency's responsibilities the operation of state buildings and other facilities. DCAMM will have the authority to charge agencies for these operational costs. The section also allows the transfer of certain agency employees to DCAMM, with the usual protection of their collective bargaining and civil service rights.


 

SECTION 5 - Authority to Terminate and Renegotiate Leases

Summary:
This section puts in the General Laws the present temporary legislative authorization for DCAMM to terminate state agency and court facility leases for insufficient funding, and to realize operating budget cost savings by renegotiating lease terms in return for extending lease terms to as much as a total of 15 years.


 

SECTION 6 - State Climatologist

Summary:
This section establishes a state climatologist at UMass Amherst.


 

SECTION 7 - Health and Prevention Fund; Health Insurance Expansion Fund

Summary:
This section establishes a new Commonwealth Health and Prevention Fund. Revenues from repealing the sales tax exemptions for candy and soda will go into this fund, to be expended, subject to appropriation, to support alcohol and tobacco addiction services, health promotion, school-based health programs, teenage pregnancy prevention, domestic violence and sexual assault prevention, work force expansion services and other critical programs that support the wellness of residents of the commonwealth. This section also establishes a Health Insurance Expansion Fund. The fund will receive additional Medicaid funding from federal health care reform, to be expended, subject to appropriation, to support the financing of health insurance coverage for low-income residents of the Commonwealth.


 

SECTION 8 - Authorization to Transfer Fund Balances

Summary:
This section puts in the General Laws existing authorizations during fiscal years 2011 to 2014 to transfer to the General Fund certain trust, fund, and account balances, and allows all or part of these balances to be transferred. It specifically transfers to the General Fund certain funds under St. 2011, c. 194, sec. 93(a)(8).


 

SECTION 9 - Updated Pension Schedule

Summary:
This section updates the triennial schedule for funding the state's pension liability based on the most recent actuarial valuation reports.


 

SECTION 10 - Sheriff Compensation

Summary:
This section increases the compensation of sheriffs to reflect recent increases in judicial compensation, and fixes sheriffs' future salaries (except Dukes and Nantucket) at 95% of trial court judges' salaries.


 

SECTION 11 - Changes to Existing Tax Laws

Summary:
This section changes present tax laws by: * taxing non-insurance subsidiaries of insurance companies like other business corporations; * taxing security corporations like other business corporations; * expanding the room occupancy excise to include transient accommodations; * clarifying that the room occupancy excise applies to Internet room resellers; and * repealing the exemption of candy and soda from the sales tax.


 

SECTION 12 - Foundation Budget Review Commission

Summary:
This section updates the law establishing a Foundation Budget Review Commission to review the way in which foundation budgets for elementary and secondary education are calculated and to make recommendations to the Legislature about changes that may be appropriate.


 

SECTION 13 - Expand Bottle Bill

Summary:
This section expands the state's bottle deposit law to include containers for non-carbonated drinks like water, juices, coffee-based drinks, and sport drinks.


 

SECTION 14 - Delay FAS 109 Deduction

Summary:
This section delays the FAS 109 deduction from the corporate excise for an additional year.


 

SECTION 15 - Inspector General's Audits of Health Safety Net and MassHealth Program

Summary:
This section authorizes the Inspector General to expend $5 million from the Health Safety Net Trust Fund over the next five fiscal years, to review both the Health Safety Net Trust Fund and MassHealth.


 

SECTION 16 - Expenditures from Fiscal Year 2014 Surplus

Summary:
This section distributes any surplus at the end of fiscal year 2014 in the following order, to the extent that funds are available: $25,00,000 to the Massachusetts Life Sciences Investment Fund, and the remaining balance to the Commonwealth Stabilization Fund.


 

SECTION 17 - Pension Cost of Living Adjustment

Summary:
This section provides for a 3% increase on the first $13,000 in pension benefits for retired state employees. The section is included each year in the budget


 

SECTION 18 - Stabilization Fund Transfers

Summary:
This section transfers $175 million to the General Fund from the Commonwealth Stabilization Fund, but allows the Secretary of Administration and Finance to reduce the amount transferred. It also transfers interest on the Stabilization Fund during fiscal year 2015 to the General Fund.


 

SECTION 19 - Suspension of Tourism Formula

Summary:
This section suspends the statutory tourism fund formula for fiscal year 2015. This section has been routine in recent budgets.


 

SECTION 20 - Transfers between Health Funds

Summary:
This section provides for transfers between the Commonwealth Care Trust Fund and the Health Safety Net Trust Fund.


 

SECTION 21 - Special Education Inflation Rate Freeze

Summary:
This section freezes fiscal year 2015 special education school rates at fiscal year 2014 levels.


 

SECTION 22 - Initial Gross Payments to Qualifying Acute Care Hospitals

Summary:
This section provides for the annual transfer from the General Fund of "seed money" to make initial gross payments to acute hospitals. This seed money is later repaid to the General Fund.


 

SECTION 23 - MassHealth Dental Coverage

Summary:
This section gives EOHHS the necessary discretion to make MassHealth dental coverage or service limitation decisions.


 

SECTION 24 - Nursing Facility Assessment

Summary:
This section establishes the amount of revenue to be obtained from the nursing facility assessment in fiscal year 2015.


 

SECTION 25 - Nursing and Resident Care Facility Base Year

Summary:
This section maintains 2005 as the base year for setting fiscal year 2015 nursing and resident care facility rates.


 

SECTION 26 - Effective Date

Summary:
This section makes this budget effective on July 1, 2014, unless a specific provision says otherwise.


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