7008-0900 Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism

For the operation and administration of the office of travel and tourism; provided, that the office shall be the commonwealth's official and lead agency to facilitate and attract: (i) major sports events and championships; and (ii) motion picture production and development; provided further, that not less than $20,000 shall be expended for Marblehead for the costs of programing and publications related to the commonwealth's 250th anniversary of the American Revolution; provided further, that not less than $300,000 shall be expended to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Inc. for an archive project that will protect irreplaceable historical materials including priceless artifacts, digital media and video footage, historical images, books and art and memorabilia and also construct comprehensive digital catalogs to preserve historic artifacts that cover the world of basketball; provided further, that not less than $125,000 shall be expended for the Bay State Games; provided further, that not less than $125,000 shall be expended for the New American Association of Massachusetts, Inc.; provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended to the Germantown Neighborhood Center in Quincy; provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended to Quincy Asian Resources, Inc. in Quincy; provided further, that not less than $75,000 shall be expended to Chelmsford for the planting of shade trees along the town's right of way in the area designated as the environmental justice community; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended for the DeFillipo playground in Boston; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended to the historic West Medford Community Center, Inc.; provided further, that not less than $20,000 shall be expended to the Italian Cultural Center of Western Massachusetts, Inc. in Springfield; provided further, that not less than $75,000 shall be expended for a matching grant program to the enrichment center located in the Dorchester section of the city of Boston; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended to No Books No Ball Basketball Program, A Non-Profit Corporation; provided further, that not less than $200,000 shall be expended for the Boston Asian: Youth Essential Service, Inc. organization; provided further, that not less than $150,000 shall be expended for the moving ahead program at the St. Francis House in the city of Boston; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to the national champion Dorchester Elite Eagles; provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended to the Museum of African American History, Incorporated; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended to Kingston to support Kingston's 300th anniversary celebration events; provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended to The Boston Landmarks Orchestra, Inc. for the purpose of providing free public concerts in Boston; provided further, that not less than $75,000 shall be expended to The West End Museum, Incorporated for its operations and renovations; provided further, that not less than $250,000 shall be expended to Revolutionary Spaces, Inc. to address deferred maintenance and make improvements necessary for the operation of the old state house and old south meeting house in Boston; provided further, that not less than $250,000 shall be expended for the Boch center's Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame located in Boston to support the Hall of Fame's educational mission as well as local economic development through programming and performances at the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame; provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended for the Wilbraham nature and cultural council for tourism, marketing and advertising purposes; provided further, that not less than $200,000 shall be expended for the operation of New England Public Media, Inc. education efforts that include media lab training sessions, workplace readiness and internships for both in-person and remote instruction sessions to engage high school students in media literacy and the role of fact-based journalism in public media and to illuminate the impact of diversifying the workforce; provided further, that not less than $75,000 shall be expended for the Waltham Tourism Council, Inc.; provided further, that not less than $15,000 shall be expended to the Point of Pines Beach Association, Inc. to support its 75th Anniversary celebration; provided further, that not less than $35,000 shall be expended for the North End Youth Organization, Inc. formally known as the Nazzaro Recreation Center, Inc.; provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended for the Chinatown Business Association, Inc.; provided further, that not less than $150,000 shall be expended to the Boston Children's Museum for conservation planning to increase sustainability and protect assets by improving and updating the building envelope; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to North Shore Juneteenth Association Incorporated for community programming; provided further, that not less than $150,000 shall be expended for The Josiah Quincy School Association in Boston; provided further, that not less than $125,000 shall be expended for the Let's Row Boston program administered by Community Rowing, Inc. in the city of Boston; provided further, that not less than $200,000 shall be expended for the Addiction Treatment Center of New England, Inc. for the expansion of their three-quarter step unit program; provided further, that not less than $15,000 shall be expended to the office of travel and tourism to administer a grant program for places of public accommodation to install private or semi-private diaper changing stations accessible to all persons regardless of sex, gender or disability; provided further, that not less than $500,000 shall be transferred to the Massachusetts Tourism Trust Fund established in section 13T of chapter 23A of the General Laws; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to the city of Newton to upgrade and develop the exhibits at Historic Newton, Inc.; provided further, that not less than $80,000 shall be expended for Irish Cultural Center, Inc. of Western New England located in the city known as the town of West Springfield for improvements to promote tourism in western Massachusetts; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to Greater Lawrence Fellowship of the Arts, Inc. for advancement of the cultural arts in the Merrimack valley; provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended for the office to establish an advisory commission as recommended in the report of the special commission relative to the seal and motto of the commonwealth established in chapter 2 of the resolves of 2020, which shall propose a new seal, flag and motto of the commonwealth; provided further, that members of the advisory commission shall include the executive director of the commission on Indian affairs or a designee, the director of the Massachusetts office on disability or a designee, a member of the Massachusetts historical commission chosen by the state secretary, the executive director of the Massachusetts cultural council or a designee, the executive director of Mass Humanities or a designee, the state secretary or a designee, the secretary of education or a designee, the executive director of the office of travel and tourism or a designee, a member chosen by the executive director of the commission on Indian Affairs, and a member chosen by the governor; provided further, that the advisory commission shall be co-chaired by 2 members as determined by the governor; provided further, that all appointments shall be made and the first meeting of the advisory commission shall be held within 60 days of the effective date of this act; provided further, that the advisory commission shall make recommendations for the adoption of: (i) a new design for the seal of the commonwealth; (ii) a new design for the flag of the commonwealth, which may be the same design as the seal of the commonwealth; and (iii) a new motto of the commonwealth; provided further, that the advisory commission may issue a public request for proposals for a professional designer to prepare a new seal design and flag design based on the symbols and terms proposed by the 152 advisory commission; provided further, that the advisory commission may create a public process and hold public hearings to solicit design ideas from the general public; provided further, that the advisory commission shall select 3 options for the design of a new seal of the commonwealth, 3 options for the design of a new flag of the commonwealth and 3 options for a new motto of the commonwealth and shall hold not less than 3 public hearings in geographically diverse locations across the commonwealth to solicit public input; provided further, that the advisory commission shall select a final design for a new seal and new flag of the commonwealth and a new motto of the commonwealth to submit with its final recommendations; provided further, that the advisory commission shall develop recommendations for implementation of the new state motto and the new designs of the state seal and flag including, but not limited to: (i) a timeline and cost estimates; and (ii) educational programs to help residents understand local indigenous history and the historical underpinnings of the previous and new seals, mottos and flags from an indigenous perspective; provided further, that following the selection of a new state motto and new designs for the seal and flag by the advisory commission, the governor shall submit legislation to the general court to amend relevant sections of the General Laws to codify the new state motto and designs for the seal and flag; and provided further, that the advisory commission shall make its final recommendations not later than 12 months after the effective date of this act; and provided further, that not later than March 3, 2025, the office shall submit a report to the house and senate committees on ways and means that shall include, but not be limited to: (a) an overview of the tourism industry in the commonwealth; (b) the economic impact of domestic and international travelers to the commonwealth; (c) a breakdown of the regional tourism council grant allocations; and (d) initiatives undertaken to promote travel and tourism in the commonwealth