Outside Sections


Outside Sections    (view all)      (view all - with summaries)      (view all - summaries only)

 

SECTION 4 - Collection of Sex Offender Registration Fee

Summary:
This section requires the Sex Offender Registry Board to notify the Department of Revenue (DOR) and the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) when a sex offender fails to pay the annual registration fee and further requires DOR to intercept refunds and RMV to refuse to issue or renew licenses or registrations until the fee is paid.


 

SECTION 5 - MOITI Transfer to MOBD 1

Summary:
This section and six additional sections propose to transfer the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment (MOITI) from the Massachusetts Marketing Partnership to the Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD).


 

SECTION 6 - Federal Grants Management Trust Fund

Summary:
This section would repeal a defunct trust fund.


 

SECTION 7 - Supplier Diversity Definitions 1

Summary:
This section would remove from the Supplier Diversity Office's section of the General Laws the definition of a "Disadvantaged Business Enterprise," for which certification is now provided by MassDOT.


 

SECTION 8 - Supplier Diversity Definitions 2

Summary:
This section would remove from the Supplier Diversity Office's section of the General Laws the definition of the "Unified Certification Program," which is now administered by MassDOT.


 

SECTION 9 - Transfer of Unified Certification Program Trust Fund

Summary:
This section would remove from the Supplier Diversity Office's section of the General Laws the requirement that the Supplier Diversity Office administer the Unified Certification Program, which is now administered by MassDOT.


 

SECTION 10 - State Leasing 1

Summary:
This section, together with the subsequent section, provides the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) with one additional option to renew a state lease for five years, which if exercised would result in a maximum lease term of twenty years.


 

SECTION 11 - State Leasing 2

Summary:
This section, together with the preceding section, provides DCAMM with one additional option to renew a state lease for five years, which if exercised would result in a maximum lease term of twenty years.


 

SECTION 12 - Delivery System Transformation Initiatives Trust Fund Repeal

Summary:
This section repeals the Delivery System Transformation Initiatives Trust Fund as the authorization under the 1115 waiver for this type of supplemental payment category has expired.


 

SECTION 13 - New Chapter 10 Funds

Summary:
This section proposes to create two trust funds. The first part renews a proposal the Governor filed as part of the CARE Act in November to create a trust to support school-based programs to educate students about the dangers of addiction and other programs that can identify students at risk because of substance use problems. In his budget proposal, the Governor calls for an initial appropriation of $5 million for the proposed Substance Use Prevention, Education, and Screening Trust Fund. The second part establishes a revolving trust to provide state agencies with funding for smaller energy and water conservation projects.


 

SECTION 14 - All-Payer Claims Database Technical Change

Summary:
This section would amend restrictions placed on the Center for Health Information and Analysis's (CHIA) All-Payer Claim Database so as to allow CHIA to contract out certain planned improvements.


 

SECTION 15 - TAFDC Reform 1

Summary:
This section, together with one companion section, simplifies the TAFDC grant structure by replacing the work-expense deduction with a basic earned income disregard.


 

SECTION 16 - TAFDC Reform 2

Summary:
This section, together with the previous section, simplifies the TAFDC grant structure by replacing the work-expense deduction with a basic earned income disregard and makes a technical edit.


 

SECTION 17 - Underground Storage Tanks

Summary:
This section would dedicate annually the first $30 million of revenue from the 2.5 cent per gallon underground storage tank fee to a re-created fund for underground storage tanks, to ensure that it continues to provide the assurance of financial stability for tank owners that the federal government requires.


 

SECTION 18 - MOITI Transfer to MOBD 2

Summary:
This section and six additional sections propose to transfer the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment (MOITI) from the Massachusetts Marketing Partnership to the Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD).


 

SECTION 19 - MOITI Transfer to MOBD 3

Summary:
This section and six additional sections propose to transfer the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment (MOITI) from the Massachusetts Marketing Partnership to the Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD).


 

SECTION 20 - MOITI Transfer to MOBD 4

Summary:
This section and six additional sections propose to transfer the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment (MOITI) from the Massachusetts Marketing Partnership to the Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD).


 

SECTION 21 - MOITI Transfer to MOBD 5

Summary:
This section and six additional sections propose to transfer the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment (MOITI) from the Massachusetts Marketing Partnership to the Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD).


 

SECTION 22 - MOITI Transfer to MOBD 6

Summary:
This section and six additional sections propose to transfer the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment (MOITI) from the Massachusetts Marketing Partnership to the Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD).


 

SECTION 23 - MOITI Transfer to MOBD 7

Summary:
This section and six additional sections propose to transfer the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment (MOITI) from the Massachusetts Marketing Partnership to the Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD).


 

SECTION 24 - EFSB and Unified Carrier Registration Trust Funds

Summary:
These sections would form two trust funds to hold existing revenue sources, thereby transforming the existing Energy Siting and Unified Carrier Registration retained revenue appropriations into two separate trust funds.


 

SECTION 25 - New Chapter 29 Funds

Summary:
This section proposes three new Commonwealth funds. The first part creates a new Debt and Long-Term Liability Reduction Trust Fund, where 10% of the Category 1 gaming revenue funds will be deposited in accordance with the debt defeasance instruction in the gaming law. The second part re-constitutes the Underground Storage Tank Petroleum Products Cleanup Fund, to ensure that the Commonwealth's underground storage tank program continues to provide the assurance of financial stability for tank owners that the federal government requires. The third part establishes a trust fund called the Safety Net Provider Trust Fund for the purpose of disbursing a new supplemental payment category authorized under the 1115 waiver.


 

SECTION 26 - Sick Leave Buyback 1

Summary:
This section along with three others limits the accrual of unused sick time to 1,000 hours for executive branch and public higher education employees. It would also freeze the accrual of sick time for any employee who has already accrued more than 1,000 hours.


 

SECTION 27 - Records Conservation Board Membership

Summary:
This section adds a designee from the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security (EOTTS) to the Records Conservation Board, which would benefit from expertise in electronic records management.


 

SECTION 28 - Earned Income Tax Credit Increase

Summary:
This section increases the Earned Income Tax Credit from 23 to 30 percent of the federal credit, with an effective date of January 1, 2019.


 

SECTION 29 - EMAC Supplement Tax Credit 1

Summary:
This section, along with two companion sections, allows an employer who is required, in the same taxable year, to pay both the Employer Shared Responsibility Payment to the federal government for Massachusetts employees and the EMAC Supplement to the Commonwealth, to claim a refundable tax credit.


 

SECTION 30 - EMAC Supplement Tax Credit 2

Summary:
This section, along with two companion sections, allows an employer who is required, in the same taxable year, to pay both the Employer Shared Responsibility Payment to the federal government for Massachusetts employees and the EMAC Supplement to the Commonwealth, to claim a refundable tax credit.


 

SECTION 31 - Safe Cigarette Penalty Fund Language

Summary:
This section allows the Fire Prevention and Public Safety Fund to receive the proceeds of settlements of claims that a person violated testing and performance standard requirements for cigarettes, in addition to receiving penalties assessed for such violations.


 

SECTION 32 - Room Occupancy Tax Changes 1

Summary:
This collection of proposed amendments to Chapter 64G will level the playing field in the accommodations industry by obligating those individuals or businesses who are running hotel-like businesses to collect and remit the room occupancy tax. The existing occupancy tax (state level of 5.7%) will be applied to any provider of transient accommodations who provides 150 days or more of accommodation in a given calendar year. Such property operators would be required to register with DOR, and to collect and remit occupancy tax in the following calendar year. The amendments would also authorize an intermediary to collect and remit the occupancy tax on behalf of an operator under an agreement with the Commissioner of Revenue. In addition, under a separate section, the Commissioner of Revenue would be authorized to enter into agreements with intermediaries serving the transient accommodation market, for the collection of occupancy tax on behalf of all property owners the intermediary represents.


 

SECTION 33 - Leased Vehicle Registration Renewals 1

Summary:
This section and the subsequent section will align the RMV's process with standard industry practice by enabling the lessee of a vehicle to handle vehicle registration renewals, rather than requiring the renewals to be processed only by the actual owner of the vehicle.


 

SECTION 34 - Leased Vehicle Registration Renewals 2

Summary:
This section and the previous section will align the RMV's process with standard industry practice by enabling the lessee of a vehicle to handle vehicle registration renewals, rather than requiring the renewals to be processed only by the actual owner of the vehicle.


 

SECTION 35 - Civil Motor Vehicle Citations 1

Summary:
This section and the subsequent section will facilitate the refund of the court filing fee that is paid when a motorist contests responsibility for a civil motor vehicle infraction, if the motorist is ultimately found not responsible after a clerk magistrate's hearing.


 

SECTION 36 - Civil Motor Vehicle Citations 2

Summary:
This section and the previous section will facilitate the refund of the court filing fee that is paid when a motorist contests responsibility for a civil motor vehicle infraction, if the motorist is ultimately found not responsible after a clerk magistrate's hearing.


 

SECTION 37 - Laboratory Analysis of Cocaine

Summary:
Current law defines cocaine as coming from a plant, requiring the State Police lab to conduct a separate test to confirm that each sample of cocaine it analyzes is not synthetically produced. This section brings our statutory definition of cocaine in line with that of the majority of states, eliminating the need for that separate test and realizing associated cost, time and resource savings at the lab.


 

SECTION 38 - Public Health Grant Trust Fund

Summary:
This section creates a trust fund called the Public Health Grant Trust Fund to be administered by the Department of Public Health for the purpose of collaborating with non-profit organizations to participate in competitive grant opportunities.


 

SECTION 39 - Reputable Dental College Technical Correction 1

Summary:
This section and the subsequent section permit the Board of Dentistry to confer a limited license to practice dentistry on a foreign educated applicant who, in addition to satisfying the other statutory requirements, has received a degree from a dental college approved by the Board.


 

SECTION 40 - Reputable Dental College Technical Correction 2

Summary:
This section and the previous section permit the Board of Dentistry to confer a limited license to practice dentistry on a foreign educated applicant who, in addition to satisfying the other statutory requirements, has received a degree from a dental college approved by the Board.


 

SECTION 41 - Canadian Nurse Reciprocity Technical Correction

Summary:
This section eliminates an obsolete testing requirement as a prerequisite for nurses certified in Canada to receive a nursing license in the Commonwealth.


 

SECTION 42 - MassHealth Drug Pricing 1

Summary:
This section allows MassHealth to negotiate supplemental rebate agreements directly with drug manufacturers and gives MassHealth additional tools to encourage manufacturers to engage in good faith negotiations, including reporting requirements and potentially sanctions on manufacturers that refuse to enter into such agreements.


 

SECTION 43 - Nursing Facility Assessment

Summary:
This section authorizes MassHealth to maintain the current Nursing Facility User Fee assessment.


 

SECTION 44 - LLC Filing Fees

Summary:
This section reduces the filing fee for a certificate of organization for a limited liability company (i.e., for forming an LLC) from its current statutory amount of $500 to $250.


 

SECTION 45 - TAFDC Reform 3

Summary:
This section increases the Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) asset cap from $2,500 to $5,000.


 

SECTION 46 - TAFDC Reform 4

Summary:
This section simplifies the TAFDC grant structure by eliminating the reduction for working recipients' grants. This section also, together with the next section, reduces the cliff effect for a family that goes back to work while receiving TAFDC.


 

SECTION 47 - TAFDC Reform 5

Summary:
This section, together with the previous section, reduces the cliff effect for a family that goes back to work while receiving TAFDC.


 

SECTION 48 - MBTA Capital Budget

Summary:
This section would permit the MBTA to keep the costs of employees who work on the design and construction of capital projects on the capital budget, consistent with government accounting standards and with federal reporting requirements for capital labor.


 

SECTION 49 - Sales Tax Modernization 1

Summary:
This section requires the Commissioner of Revenue to promulgate regulations by May 31, 2021 so as to require third-party processors (predominantly credit card companies) to remit to the Commonwealth, on a daily basis, the portion of a sale that is attributable to sales tax. There would be no change to the current schedule for reporting and remitting the sales tax for cash sales. Under a companion section, the Department of Revenue would be required to treat sales tax revenue remitted in July as revenue for the previous fiscal year for fiscal years 2019 and 2020.


 

SECTION 50 - Department of Conservation and Recreation Parks Pass 1

Summary:
This section and the subsequent section would clarify that the MassParks passes, which are now available at RMV locations as a result of section 133 of the fiscal year 2018 GAA, cover parking fees at designated DCR park facilities.


 

SECTION 51 - Department of Conservation and Recreation Parks Pass 2

Summary:
This section and the previous section would clarify that the MassParks passes, which are now available at RMV locations as a result of section 133 of the fiscal year 2018 GAA, cover parking fees at designated DCR park facilities.


 

SECTION 52 - Trial Court Transferability

Summary:
This section authorizes the trial court to transfer appropriations within its divisions, as long as such transfers are executed by April 30, 2019. It would also limit transfers from the appropriations for probation and community corrections to 5% of those appropriations. The section requires ten days advance notice to the House and Senate Committees on Ways and Means before a transfer under this section can be executed.


 

SECTION 53 - Other Post-Employment Benefits Liability

Summary:
This section authorizes the use of debt service reversions to pay for OPEB funding. If debt service reversions are insufficient to cover the required funding, tobacco settlement proceeds would be used to make up that deficiency.


 

SECTION 54 - FY 2018 Consolidated Net Surplus

Summary:
This section requires a transfer of up to $10 million from any consolidated net surplus in fiscal year 2018 to the Community Preservation Trust Fund, and up to $10 million to the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, before the remaining funds are deposited into the Stabilization Fund.


 

SECTION 55 - FY 2019 Stabilization Fund Deposit

Summary:
This section describes the anticipated effect of transfers to the Stabilization Fund under Section 5G of Chapter 29 of the General Laws, and that the other transfers required in that section (5% of the total transfer to OPEB, 5% of the total transfer to pension liability) will then be made from that transfer.


 

SECTION 56 - Gaming Revenues

Summary:
This section directs category 1 gaming revenue specified for transportation infrastructure and development and debt reduction purposes to the Commonwealth Transportation Fund and a newly created Debt and Long-Term Liability Reduction Trust Fund .


 

SECTION 57 - Pension Cost of Living Adjustment

Summary:
This annual section explains how the Commonwealth is fulfilling its various obligations to the state retirement system, including the obligation to fund a 3% cost-of-living adjustment on the first $13,000 of a retiree's annual retirement allowance.


 

SECTION 58 - EMAC Supplement Tax Credit 3

Summary:
This section, along with two companion sections, allows an employer who is required, in the same taxable year, to pay both the Employer Shared Responsibility Payment to the federal government for Massachusetts employees and the EMAC Supplement to the Commonwealth, to claim a refundable tax credit.


 

SECTION 59 - Room Occupancy Tax Changes 2

Summary:
This section authorizes the Commissioner of Revenue to enter into agreements with intermediaries serving the transient accommodation market, for the collection of occupancy tax on behalf of all property owners the intermediary may represent.


 

SECTION 60 - Sales Tax Modernization 2

Summary:
This section requires the Department of Revenue to treat sales tax revenue remitted in July as revenue for the previous fiscal year for fiscal years 2019 and 2020. A companion section requires the Commissioner of Revenue to promulgate regulations by May 31, 2021 so as to require third-party processors (predominantly credit card companies) to remit to the Commonwealth, on a daily basis, the portion of a sale that is attributable to sales tax. There would be no change to the current schedule for reporting and remitting the sales tax for cash sales.


 

SECTION 61 - Sick Leave Buyback 2

Summary:
This section along with three others limits the accrual of unused sick time to 1,000 hours for executive branch and public higher education employees. It would also freeze the accrual of sick time for any employee who has already accrued more than 1,000 hours.


 

SECTION 62 - Sick Leave Buyback 3

Summary:
This section along with three others limits the accrual of unused sick time to 1,000 hours for executive branch and public higher education employees. It would also freeze the accrual of sick time for any employee who has already accrued more than 1,000 hours.


 

SECTION 63 - Sick Leave Buyback 4

Summary:
This section along with three others limits the accrual of unused sick time to 1,000 hours for executive branch and public higher education employees. It would also freeze the accrual of sick time for any employee who has already accrued more than 1,000 hours.


 

SECTION 64 - Health Safety Net Administration

Summary:
This section allows Health Safety Net payments to be made as 1115 waiver or state plan payments, and authorizes up to $70 million of uncompensated care to be paid from sources other than the Health Safety Net Trust Fund.


 

SECTION 65 - Initial Gross Payments to Qualifying Acute Care Hospitals

Summary:
This annual section requires the Comptroller to transfer sufficient money from the General Fund to the Health Safety Net Trust Fund to make the required initial gross payment to qualifying hospitals. It requires the Health Safety Net Trust Fund to repay the General Fund before the end of fiscal year 2019.


 

SECTION 66 - Inspector General's Health Care Audits

Summary:
This section authorizes the Inspector General's Office to conduct audits of the Health Safety Net and the MassHealth program, at a cost of $1 million for fiscal year 2019. As in past years, this cost will be borne by the Health Safety Net Trust Fund.


 

SECTION 67 - MassHealth Dental Coverage

Summary:
This section authorizes MassHealth to continue providing the same level of dental benefits that it is offering in fiscal year 2018.


 

SECTION 68 - MassHealth Drug Pricing 2

Summary:
This section removes a potential state law barrier to MassHealth's implementation of a closed formulary.


 

SECTION 69 - Nursing and Resident Care Facility Base Year

Summary:
This section establishes 2007, or any subsequent year the Secretary of Health and Human Services may choose, as the base year for nursing facility and resident care facility rates in fiscal year 2019.


 

SECTION 70 - Transfers between Health Funds

Summary:
This section authorizes the Secretary of Administration and Finance to transfer up to $15 million from the Commonwealth Care Trust Fund to the Health Safety Net Trust Fund.


 

SECTION 71 - Health Connector Coverage for Non-Disabled Adults

Summary:
This section makes non-disabled adults with income above 100 percent of the federal poverty level, excluding pregnant women, individuals with HIV-AIDS, and individuals with breast or cervical cancer, eligible only for subsidized insurance through the Health Connector. These individuals are currently eligible for MassHealth.


 

SECTION 72 - Electronic Addresses for Customers of the Registry of Motor Vehicles

Summary:
This section would permit, but not require, the RMV to communicate electronically with customers.


 

SECTION 73 - Tuition Retention

Summary:
This section convenes a task force on the implementation of tuition retention for state universities and community colleges, including a review of how student charges are set, and the possible expansion of the special mission campus model for all campuses to submit multi-year plans outlining a schedule of tuition/fee increases to be approved by the Board of Higher Education and Secretary of Education. The task force report would inform budget-neutral tuition retention changes that would take effect in fiscal year 2020.


 

SECTION 74 - EMAC Supplement Tax Credit Effective Date

Summary:
This section sets an effective date of January 1, 2018 for the EMAC Supplement Tax Credit.


 

SECTION 75 - Earned Income Tax Credit Increase Effective Date

Summary:
This section sets an effective date of January 1, 2019 for the increase to the Earned Income Tax Credit.


 

SECTION 76 - Effective Date

Summary:
This section provides that the budget shall take effect on July 1, 2018.


top of page link top of page