Councillor Stanley recently filed an inflow and infiltration resolution and called for a public input hearing on Tuesday, May 6th at 6:30pm. The City of Waltham has been party to a consent agreement with the Massachusetts Department of Environment Protection for several years to resolve a critical environmental issue and infrastructure shortfall regarding inflow and infiltration (I&I).  The City of Waltham administration is responsible for setting policy and mitigation strategies to meet the conditions of the consent agreement and ultimately resolve this existing environmental hazard. To better understand how the City's management of this consent agreement is impacting business and the local economy, as the newly elected Chair of the Waltham City Council Economic Development Committee, Councillor Stanley is calling a meeting to invite businesses and others to offer testimony at a hearing on Tuesday, May 6, 2014 at 6:30 pm at Waltham City Hall.  It is the hope of Councillor Stanley that members of the Waltham business community will share their experiences working under the City's I&I policies and procedures, and make recommendations for improvements to the policies, procedures or planning for a long term solution.

News from Beacon Hill

Language from Rep. Stanley's domestic violence bill was incorporated into legislation filed by House Speaker DeLeo and AG Martha Coakley.   The bill passed the House unanimously.

The legislation establishes a first offense domestic assault and battery charge that will allow officials to immediately identify an offender who has a history of domestic violence and take appropriate punitive action. As a result, a second offense charge of domestic violence will include cases in which a first offense had resulted in probation or a continuance without a finding. The bill also creates a specific charge of strangulation and suffocation, actions that statistically indicate an abuser is more likely to commit domestic violence related homicide in the future. 

The bill gives law enforcement officials, attorneys, judges and medical professionals updated resources to help balance prevention and punishment. By streamlining and standardizing records it ensures key decision-makers have the most accurate information and that parties across the jurisdictions have access to an offender's complete history. Additionally, under this legislation judges must evaluate whether domestic violence was a predicate or concurrent factor to certain crimes.

In an effort to consistently improve prevention efforts and find effective solutions to combat domestic violence the legislation establishes enhanced training programs and creates Domestic Fatality Review Teams to investigate domestic violence related fatalities. The state-level review teams will serve as a tool to establish best practices and help officials understand any shortcomings present in current protocol.

Rep. Stanley Files Amendments to FY15 Budget

Rep. Stanley filed three amendments to the House budget for Fiscal Year 2015. The first amendment regarding Homeless Student Bus Transportation (McKinney-Vento) reimburses municipalities and regional school districts for transporting non-resident students to in-district schools.  The House Ways and Means budget funded this line item at $7,350,000, $7,528,069 below DESE's estimate ($14,878,069) on the amount that is going to be spent to transport non-resident students.  Rep Stanley's amendment seeks the additional $7,528,068 to add to the current line item.  

Rep. Stanley filed an amendment funding domestic violence shelter and support services.  On Tuesday (4/8) a comprehensive Domestic Violence bill advanced by the Speaker and endorsed by all members of the MA House was approved.  Rep. Stanley would like the FY15 state budget to reflect that commitment by investing more in services which protect victims of domestic violence and their families.  This line item funds Domestic Violence emergency shelter, transitional housing and community based services across the Commonwealth.

Rep. Stanley filed an amendment to request level funding for FY15 for Fragile Beginnings.  Fragile Beginnings is a network of initiatives committed to improving the lives of parents of premature infants through direct support services, educational materials, and connections to community resources and to each other.  This program was included in the FY 14 State Budget at $100,000.

House Passes Autism Services Bill

House Passes Autism Services Bill

Rep. Stanley and the House unanimously approved legislation to improve educational opportunities and access to services for people with autism or other intellectual disabilities. The legislation creates a special commission to look at state policies dealing with individuals with autism, and allow families to set aside money tax free in savings accounts to pay and plan for the long-term care and housing of children with intellectual disabilities.  The bill would also expand eligibility for developmental services to individuals with IQs higher than 70, as many residents with autism have other developmental challenges they must overcome. 

Legislature Approves Transportation Bond Bill

Rep. Stanley joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts Legislature to enact a $12.766 billion transportation finance bill to bolster the state's transportation systems, improve existing infrastructure and assist Massachusetts' communities in funding local projects.  The bill included $156,000 for the installation of a wireless coordination system for 39 identified traffic signals in Waltham and $700,000 for a master plan traffic study in Waltham. Gov. Patrick signed the bill into law on 4/18.

The bond bill authorizes $300 million in Chapter 90 funding to help municipalities complete road, bridge and infrastructure improvement projects, and requires earlier notification of funding levels so cities and towns can prepare appropriately. This marks the eighth consecutive year that the Legislature has either raised or level-funded Chapter 90.

The legislation will improve and modernize the state's infrastructure system and includes numerous provisions designed to result in savings and efficiency improvements including the creation of a special Commission to study metropolitan planning organizations and advise on potential ways to simplify and streamline the federally-mandated project selection process. The bill now goes to the Governor for his consideration.

Rep. Stanley Votes to Raise Minimum Wage, Enact Substantial Reforms to Unemployment Insurance, Enhance Protections for Domestic Workers

Rep. Stanley helped pass a bill that reforms the state's unemployment insurance system (UI) and raises the minimum wage, changes that will make both systems more sustainable, fair and predictable.  The bill passed the House 125-24.

To balance the needs of businesses and individuals, the legislation addresses minimum wage and UI in tandem. The bill proposes a new minimum wage of $10.50 an hour and a new tipped wage of $3.75 an hour, both to be phased in over three years. In the interest of providing employers with stability and accountability, neither wage will be indexed to economic factors.  The minimum wage increase will be implemented in accordance with $9.00 an hour effective July 1, 2014, $10.00 an hour effective July 1, 2015 and $10.50 an hour effective July 1, 2016.

Reforms to unemployment insurance are designed to increase predictability for employers and close existing loopholes. This bill includes a rate freeze for 2014 and a three-year rate freeze which will reflect the new wage base and rate table. Additional changes include adjusting the ratings table to lower the tax burden on most employers and increasing system accountability for public employees, including municipal and seasonal employees and retirees. This includes closing loopholes that enable school-based municipal employees as well as retirees to receive both pensions and UI benefits.

The legislation also creates the Domestic Worker's Bill of Rights which enhances and establishes numerous workplace rights and protections for employees including caregivers, nannies and housekeepers. The bill extends the Massachusetts Maternity Leave Act to domestic workers and expands wage and hour law protections. It also guarantees UI coverage.

Two Waltham Companies Receive Workforce Training Fund Grants

The Patrick Administration recently announced the latest round in Workforce Training Fund grants totaling $5.4 million and distributed to 66 employers across the Commonwealth.  Delphi Construction, Inc. will receive $43,200 and is projected to train 44 employees and hire four additional employees with the grant money.  RTN Federal Credit Union will receive a $113,561 grant and is projected to train 128 employees and hire an additional five with the funds.

The Workforce Training Fund was established by the legislature in 1998 to provide skills training to employees of businesses large and small across the Commonwealth.  The grants are administered by the Commonwealth Corporation under the umbrella of the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.  Grants are awarded on a rolling basis and employers are encouraged to apply.  For more information on this and other grant opportunities for employers, please click here. 

House Passes Legislation to Promote Health, Safety of Pregnant Inmates

Rep. Stanley helped pass a bill that prohibits the shackling of pregnant women after their first trimester and forbids the use of certain restraints on a pregnant or postpartum inmate.  This bill ensures that all incarcerated women have access to labor and delivery care in an accredited hospital and requires that they are afforded with a minimum of a forty-eight hour hospital stay following delivery. Additionally, under this legislation, all inmates must receive prenatal, delivery and postpartum care including dietary and nutritional care. The bill passed the House unanimously.

The bill also requires that pregnant inmates receive written information on child birth, correctional facility policies and practices regarding care and labor, post-discharge planning, medical services and mental health screening and counseling; instructs that if a correction officer is present in the room during the pregnant inmate's physical examinations, labor or childbirth, the officer shall, if possible, be female. Whenever possible, the correction officer shall be positioned in a location in the room that will ensure, to the extent feasible, patient privacy; and provides for the safe transportation of pregnant women to and from medical visits.

House, Senate and Gov. approve increased death benefits for those killed in line of duty

Governor Patrick signed H. 4023, "An Act Making an Appropriation for the Fiscal Year 2014 to Provide for Supplementing a Certain Existing Appropriation and for Certain Other Activities and Projects," or the "Line of Duty Act."  The bill passed through the House and Senate following the deaths of Boston Fire Lieutenant Edward Walsh and firefighter Michael Kennedy, and Plymouth Police Officer Gregg Maloney.

The legislation increases the death benefit of public safety employees who are killed in the line of duty to $150,000, a $50,000 increase to the original amount that had remained unchanged since the law had passed in 1994. The Governor was joined at the bill signing by Senate President Therese Murray and House Speaker Robert DeLeo.

Gov. Patrick Awards Nearly $2 Million to Train Health Care Workers, Reduce Costs

Governor Patrick awarded nearly $2 million in grants to help train health care providers to improve patient service and reduce costs. The funding will go to 51 organizations across the state to begin assessing how to prepare health care workers for the careers of the 21st century economy.  Chapter 224 health care cost containment legislation allocated $20 million to prepare the health care industry for the new demands and innovations called for in the legislation.

The award recipients may partner with hospitals, community centers and educational institutions to create new service delivery models and determine what workforce skills and training are necessary for today's workers. The Health Care Workforce Transformation Grants will enable health care businesses to assess the skills of their workforce, as well as the relevance, quantity and quality of existing training or education programs.  They will also allow businesses to develop a plan to deliver new training and education programs to their current workers and, in partnership with the state's educational institutions, determine the need for improving or creating programs that will attract future workers.

"Read, Explore, Learn More!" Series to Support Early Learning Opportunities for Children

State education officials and community members launched the "Read, Explore, Learn More!" education series, underscoring the important role of the Commonwealth's early education and care programs and community-based enrichment programs in fostering children's early development.  "Read, Explore, Learn More!" will promote programs that support healthy brain development and provide a strong foundation for academic success. Community-based educational programs in informal settings are essential supplements to the formal, subsidized early education and care programs that Massachusetts provides free or at low cost to over 50,000 children each year. Governor Patrick proposed an additional $15 million in the Fiscal Year 2015 budget to allow all infants, toddlers and preschoolers currently on the waiting list for child care financial assistance to enroll in high-quality early education and care programs.

$25 Million to Create Over 335 Units of Supportive Housing

The Commonwealth will invest more than $25 million in funding to create over 335 new units of supportive housing for veterans, homeless and very low income households across the Commonwealth. In addition to a providing housing for families, supportive housing, which is operated in conjunction with a network of non-profit agencies across the Commonwealth, can include services such as childcare, access to job training, mental-health care and other opportunities that give participants a hand up towards stability and success.

Supportive housing helps individuals and families that are homeless or facing homelessness, institutionalized or at-risk of institutionalization, people with disabilities and the elderly. Additionally, the agencies continue to assess the extent of public cost-savings generated as a result of providing permanent supportive housing and will recommend strategic reinvestments.

Hanscom to receive $2.9 million through Military Bond Bill

Governor Patrick signed H. 3736, "An Act Encouraging the Improvement, Expansion and Development of Military Installations in the Commonwealth," which authorizes funding for infrastructure projects in partnership with Massachusetts military installations and the Massachusetts National Guard. These projects are designed to expand public and private sector growth for the cities and towns surrounding each installation and enhance both the military installation's value in support of national and domestic security goals

To enhance the military mission and industry growth at Hanscom Air Force Base, the $177 million military bond bill includes $2.9 million for energy and communications upgrades to the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Enterprise Integration Facility (CEIF) at Hanscom Air Force Base.  The funding will help realistically test and integrate advanced software, cyber security and network applications and expand private sector and research and development opportunities. The CEIF serves as a secure, scalable environment for developing, integrating, and testing today's cutting edge technologies and provides a secure infrastructure for systems.

The six military installations in Massachusetts include Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield; Fort Devens; Hanscom Air Force Base; Joint Base Cape Cod; Natick Soldier Systems Center; and Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee. These installations account for a total economic impact of $14.2 billion and more than 46,500 Massachusetts jobs. Additionally, these bases are hubs for partnerships with the Commonwealth's defense sector. Massachusetts' defense and homeland security federal contracts collectively generate more than 130,000 jobs in the Commonwealth. In 2011, Massachusetts received $13.9 billion in Department of Defense or Department of Homeland Security contracts, an 83 percent increase to the Commonwealth since 2003.

Governor Patrick Announces Steps to Preserve Snap Benefits for 163,000 Households

Governor Patrick announced steps to preserve Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for approximately 163,000 households in Massachusetts and avoid the loss of approximately $142 million in SNAP benefits set to be cut under the recently enacted federal Farm Bill.

Under the plan, the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) will partner with the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to provide at least $20 in heating assistance to eligible families through the H-EAT program, which makes them eligible for an increase of $80 in monthly SNAP benefits to help families pay for food. DHCD will invest approximately $3 million to support the continuation of the program and leverage the additional SNAP benefits for these families.

The investment will also help maintain economic stability for families and businesses in Massachusetts, as each SNAP dollar spent generates approximately $2 in economic activity for the state, according to the USDA.

State Awards $8 Million in Summer Jobs Funding

Governor Patrick joined Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Rachel Kaprielian, local elected officials, youth job advocates and a number of young people to announce $8 million dollars in state funding for the YouthWorks Summer Jobs Program. The subsidized program is expected to put 4,000 at-risk teens and young adults to work in summer camps, daycare centers, cities and towns, non-profits, state agencies and private sector firms to gain valuable work experience, which can build stronger and safer communities.

Prescription Take-Back Day

Did you know that medicines in the home are a leading cause of accidental poisoning?  Just as disturbing, are the alarmingly high rates of prescription drug abuse among teens.  A National study, conducted last year by The Partnership at Drugfree.org and the MetLife Foundation, found that 49% of teens who misuse or abuse prescription medicines get them from a family member or friend.  More often than not, these drugs are found in our medicine cabinets.

This year's U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) National Prescription Take-Back Day will be held on Saturday, April 26th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  We encourage you to visit www.DEA.gov or http://www.justice.gov/dea/index.shtml and click on the National Prescription Take-Back Partnership Toolbox to help spread the word on this important opportunity for your communities to dispose of potentially dangerous unwanted and expired medicines.

Governor's Statewide Youth Council Recruitment

Governor Patrick created the Governor's Statewide Youth Council to incorporate youth voices into the policy-making process.  The Youth Council serves as a critical resource in advising the Governor in making decisions and setting policy to improve the lives of young people. The Governor's Office will be selecting 28 new Youth Council members to represent Massachusetts' 14 counties, two Council members per county.  Members serve for 2 years.  We are now aggressively seeking to contact and recruit potential candidates throughout the state to apply for membership in the Youth Council.

Youth Council applicants should be passionate, motivated and emerging leaders between the ages of 14 and 20. Their responsibilities will include: attending bimonthly meetings and conference calls, advocating for youth issues and incorporating the ideas of other youth and young adults into the creation of effective policy.   Please contact Rep. Stanley's office for an application. 

DCR's Park Serve Day

Treasury invites you to Operation Money Wise

MA Takes Actions to Ensure All Residents Have Access to Health Care Coverage

Governor Patrick announced a series of actions that will provide a clear path forward to developing a fully functioning website that will give residents easy access to the choice, benefits and expanded subsidies created by the Affordable Care Act. The Governor announced the appointment of Sarah Iselin as a temporary new Special Assistant to the Governor for Project Delivery to lead the consolidated state government management of website functionality, and the formation of a new technology and policy partnership with Optum to complete the Health Connector website. These actions will ensure that Massachusetts will provide excellent online customer service while remaining the national leader in health care reform and coverage.

Massachusetts drivers can register as organ donors on their driver's license or online through the Donate Life New England registry. About 99 percent of all Massachusetts residents who designate themselves as organ and tissue donors do so through the Registry of Motor Vehicles at RMV branches and on its website.  

Improved Benefits and Discounts for Drivers

Drivers around the state are able to take advantage of more discounts and expanded benefits as the competitive marketplace continues to mature. Managed competition went into effect April 1, 2008, ending the fixed-and-established system under which the state set auto insurance rates. The new system created a marketplace that allows companies to compete for consumers through rates, discounts, and benefits. Since the start of the reform, 13 new companies have entered the state, including three of four biggest carriers in the country (Allstate, Progressive and GEICO).

To shop for a better auto insurance policy, visit www.mass.gov/autorates, research carriers' websites, and meet with insurance agents. For more info, visit the Massachusetts Division of Insurance's website, (www.mass.gov/doi) an agency within the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation. Follow the Office at www.mass.gov/consumer.