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News from Beacon Hill
Rep. Stanley's Fragile Beginnings Amendment Adopted into House Budget
The House adopted Rep. Stanley's "Fragile Beginnings" amendment into the FY15 House budget. Rep. John Lawn, Rep. Kay Khan, Rep. Tom Conroy and Rep. Marjorie Decker co-sponsored the amendment which funds the JF&CS program "Fragile Beginnings" with $100,000 to be used for counseling and education programs designed for at-risk pregnant women.
Fragile Beginnings is a program for parents of premature infants. In MA, 1 in 9 babies are born prematurely. JF&CS integrates their growing understanding and experience with families affected by substance use with their long term expertise in perinatal home visiting, infant/parent mental health, and hospital to home transitions for parents with vulnerable infants. Fragile Beginnings has become a model program serving substance-exposed newborns and their families.
Rep. Stanley Signs Veterans Resolution
Rep. Stanley attended a rally to support our nation's veterans and signed onto the resolution calling for further investigation of U.S. department of Veteran Affairs. The resolution comes after recent reports alleged that over 40 veterans have recently died while awaiting admission and care in VA facilities throughout the nation. Reports have also alleged that VA officials have attempted to hide waiting lists and backlogs. These troubling reports have demonstrated that veterans in our nation are not receiving the service and care they are entitled to. Each day, 22 veterans in our nation commit suicide. If we cannot rely on our federal government to provide our veteran services, we will continue to fail our nation's true heroes. As George Washington once said, "The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by our nation."
Rep. Stanley at the rally Rep. Stanley Fights for Funding for the Charles River water-chestnut project Representatives Stanley, Khan and Lawn recently fought to keep funding for aquatic-weed control in the House budget. This funding should allow the Department of Conservation and recreation to continue its excellent work toward ridding the Charles River Lakes District of invasive water chestnut. The funding will help keep the weeds under control with a low-cost maintenance program. Rep. Stanley Helps Pass Balanced FY'15 Budget Rep. Stanley helped pass a balanced FY'15 budget focused on economic growth and increased government accountability and oversight. The $36.32 billion proposal emphasizes the importance of enhanced fiscal predictability and sustainable investments without assuming the availability of federal funding, a practice that has raised Massachusetts bond rating to AA+, the highest in the state's history. Building on its responsible yet proactive approach to combatting the recession, the budget contains multiple measures to generate revenue, achieve sustainable economic growth and create jobs. This budget enhances the Commonwealth's partnerships with municipalities by not only boosting local aid, but also increasing predictability of funding levels. In March, the House and Senate adopted a Joint Local Aid Resolution, which includes a $25.5 million increase to Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) and a $100 million increase to Chapter 70 education funding. The early announcement allowed cities and towns to prepare appropriately as they crafted their municipal FY'15 budgets. House FY15 Budget Invests in Health Care Rep. Stanley and his House colleagues passed the House Ways and Means Committee's FY15 budget, making increases in funding for both the Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services. The FY15 budget makes direct appropriations for DPH totaling $572 million, making increases in support of the Department's core functions, including increases in the Critical Operations account, Bureau of Health Care Safety & Quality, and makes serious investments in substance abuse programs through the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services. In particular, the budget provides notable public health funding for Youth At-Risk Matching Grants at $3.85M, $1.7M for Community Health Center Services, over $14.1M for the State Lab, programs such as Mass in Motion, PKU education, medical error reduction initiatives received a total of $3.4M, and $1M for the Nasal Narcan Bystander and First Responder Pilot. The House budget adds $43.6 million in spending to support hospitals, and makes increases in funding for several key areas of Health and Human Services. It makes 2% increases in funding levels for increased hospital inflationary rates, increased rates for Medicaid managed care and Care Plus plans.The budget also allocates over $2.36 for Medical Assistance Recipients, including a 5% rate increase for Disproportionate Share Hospitals and $207M for the Children's Behavioral Health Initiative. New programs were also created, including a commission on aphasia, a program to provide breast pumps to new mothers, a chronic care coordination plan, a Hepatitis assessment and screening program, and a task force to study behavioral health services in the Commonwealth. Rep. Stanley Announces Comprehensive Autism Legislation Rep. Stanley helped pass comprehensive autism legislation that will help foster independence for autistic individuals and provide their families with financial tools for long-term planning. The bill permanently establishes a state Autism Commission and creates new programs and enhances resources for individuals, families, and education professionals. The Autism Commission will be responsible for making recommendations and monitoring the implementation of policies to improve autism care in the Commonwealth. One provision, widely referred to as the ABLE program (Achieving a Better Life Experience), is designed to encourage and assist families with financial planning for individuals with disabilities. Modeled on a federal bill pending in Congress, the tax-advantaged savings accounts can be used to help plan for disability-related expenses, enabling parents of children with disabilities, as well as older individuals with disabilities, to pay for long- term costs. Contributions to the account grow tax-free and distributions from the account for qualified disability expenses are also tax-free. Eligible costs include expenses for education, medical and dental care, job training, housing, transportation, financial management, assistive technology, home improvements and other uses. The legislation also ensures that as the number of students with autism increases, school districts and teachers are able to provide effective education. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) will develop a training program to help teachers educate those with autism in a manner that is individualized and allows them to stay in classrooms, if appropriate. The bill will also expand the IQ-based eligibility requirement for adult services provided by the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) so that these services can be effectively extended to those requiring care. Governor Patrick Announces Over $1.4 Million in Federal Funding to Strengthen the Advanced Manufacturing Sector Governor Patrick announced over $1.4 million in federal funding to help manufacturers and other companies impacted by sequestration and defense budget cuts to diversify their markets. The grant will help the defense industry, which employs over 130,000 Massachusetts residents, identify and pursue other markets to sell their products and services. The Governor also announced the launch of two initiatives designed to strengthen the Commonwealth's manufacturing sector by providing free life sciences training to manufacturers and combining the energy usage of many companies into a single buying group, giving more manufacturers increased control over their energy costs. The federal funding was awarded to MassDevelopment by the U.S. Department of Defense's (DoD) Office of Economic Adjustment. MassDevelopment applied for this funding as part of their defense sector initiatives with the Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force. The Task Force's mission is to support the mission and people at and surrounding the Commonwealth's military installations. This grant will help strengthen organizations who rely on DoD and Department of Homeland Security funding, with or without a local connection to a military installation, to expand their reach to new markets, and will help map a strategy that will capitalize on the Commonwealth's competitive advantage within its defense industry. Phase I will develop an overall approach to mitigate the effect of defense cuts on the economy. Phase II will be developed as a result of the findings and strategy set forth under Phase I. Governor Patrick Signs Next Steps in Anti-Bullying Legislation Governor Patrick signed H. 3909, "An Act Relative to Bullying in Schools." The legislation requires school districts, charter schools, approved private-day schools, residential schools and collaborative schools to develop bullying prevention plans that will ensure they remain safe and supportive places for the Commonwealth's students to learn and thrive. It also includes procedures for collecting, maintaining and reporting bullying incident data. Under the legislation, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) will be required to analyze collected bullying data and publish annual reports on the frequency and nature of incidents. Additionally, DESE will develop a survey to be administered to students every four years to assess overall school climates and the prevalence, nature and severity of bullying to better determine measures needed to prevent it. New Support for Job Training, Employment Readiness Skills for Homeless and Low-Income Families Governor Patrick announced $1 million in funding to connect homeless and low-income families with services to help some of the Commonwealth's most vulnerable citizens overcome barriers to work and succeed in life. These Secure Jobs Initiative grants will help connect them with suitable employers in jobs with long-term career pathways. The Governor made the announcement at the Jewish Vocational Services organization in Boston, which assists individuals from diverse communities to find employment and build careers. Through five regional partnerships, these grants will help homeless and low-income families receive job training and placement skills, as well as access to child care services so that they can successfully attain and thrive in their careers. These partnerships will increase coordination and local innovation to improve the Commonwealth's ability to serve the needs of low-income and homeless families. The Secure Jobs Initiative represents a strong collaboration between DHCD, the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA), regional housing networks, nonprofit organizations and philanthropic organizations, many of whom participate on the Secure Jobs Advisory Board. Boston Strong License Plate Bill Signed Into Law Governor Patrick signed H. 3664, "An Act Relative to a Massachusetts Boston Strong License Plate," which directs the Registrar of Motor Vehicles to establish a license plate memorializing the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings adorned with the phrase "Boston Strong." All proceeds from sales of the license plate will be distributed to the One Fund or, in the event of its dissolution, another non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to the victims of last year's Marathon attacks. Government Center Station Closure Beginning March 22, 2014, Government Center Station will be closed for two years while crews work to reconstruct the station into a fully accessible, safer, modern, more comfortable facility. During the Station's closure, both Blue and Green Line trains will pass through Government Center Station but will not stop there. For more information, click here. Treasury invites you to Operation Money Wise Operation Money Wise is a FREE financial empowerment conference open to veterans, service members and their families. Join to learn more about personal finance and improve financial behavior through quality financial education. This day will focus on the topics that most commonly affect those who have served our country, the benefits available and organizations that can help. This is a joint project between Treasury/Financial Literacy Trust Fund, Dep. of Veterans' Services and the MA National Guard. Click here to learn more.
Help prevent child abuse in Massachusetts Too often child abuse and neglect is discussed only after an awful event occurs. All children deserve to grow up healthy in safe, loving homes. To learn more about the warning signs that a child may be suffering from abuse or neglect, click here. To learn how to report a suspected case to the Department of Children & Families (DCF), click here. "MyLegislature" Website Features Improvements Updates to the public website will allow users to personalize their experience when navigating bills, committees, hearing information and connecting with legislators. Through "MyLegislature" users can create a user-id and password to access their secure MyLegislature account. Users can identify specific bills, hearings, committees and legislators that they are interested in following and their personalized homepage will display each selection. Any hearings scheduled for their selected committees will automatically be included in their MyLegislature hearing list. In addition, users can further personalize MyLegislature by identifying any accessibility needs. The updated website also includes an easy-to-use format to connect with legislators. The public website can be found at www.malegislature.gov. Check out the Massachusetts Business One-Stop
Are you doing business in Massachusetts or just getting started? Our one-stop business portal has the information and tools to help you succeed. Click here to learn more.
Resources to help you find a job Finding a job can be difficult, so Massachusetts offers a number of programs and services to help job seekers find work. Massachusetts One-Stop Career Centers connect workers and employers through job fairs and workshops, while the office of Labor and Workforce Development offers detailed job hunting information, including tips on writing a resume and cover letter, interviewing and networking, as well as career planning advice. The state also offers a variety of training opportunities for job seekers to obtain the education and skills needed for good paying jobs and careers. Additionally, special Section 30 Training Benefits programs exist for the unemployed. Please click here to learn more. Mobile ticketing for Commuter Rail available Commuter Rail customers: Buy your single-ride, 10-ride tickets, and monthly passes via the MBTA's new mobile app for smartphones. Single and 10-ride tickets are now available for the Fitchburg, Haverhill, Lowell, and Newburyport/Rockport Lines. Purchase your monthly pass from your smartphone. No waiting required. Please click here to learn more. Health Care Cost Containment Website The mission of the Center of Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) is to improve health care quality and contain health care costs by critically examining the Massachusetts health care system and providing objective information, developing and recommending policies, and implementing strategies that benefit the people of MA. Click here to visit CHIA's website which outlines information on the law, notice of upcoming events and a single portal for connecting with other health care related state agencies, authorities and commissions. Mass.gov Offers Open Government Website To foster an "open government," Mass.gov offers information about legislative and regulatory processes, public records, campaign finance reports, lobbyist registrations and reports, open meetings and more. Residents can also get details on the state budget, see where the state's money comes from, locate a law on a topic that is of interest to you or obtain information on any city or town in Massachusetts. Residents can also view detailed information on state government spending. To learn more and visit the site, click here. MassDOT RMV Customer Service has New Number MassDOT announced a new telephone number for Registry of Motor Vehicles business and transactions, 857-DOT-8000/857-368-8000. The number serves the RMV's Call Center which answers an average of 45,000 calls each month. Over the next year, customers will become familiar with the 857-DOT area code and exchange as MassDOT offices across the Commonwealth transition to the new number. The telephone transition will result in annual phone bill and maintenance savings of approximately $422,000. File for unemployment insurance benefits online or by phone The Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) administers the Unemployment Insurance (UI) program, providing temporary assistance to unemployed Massachusetts workers. Click here to get help with filing a new claim.
Find Volunteer Opportunities at Connect & Serve Connect & Serve is a free web-based volunteer portal administered by the Massachusetts Service Alliance. The Connect & Serve website is a valuable resource for organizations who recruit volunteers and for individuals who wish to find fulfilling volunteer opportunities in their communities. Click here to find a volunteer opportunity near you.
Connect & Serve's user-friendly design has many features to increase the visibility of opportunities across the state, including a quick search function highlighting impact areas, an easy zip-code radius search, and a monthly service projects calendar. All volunteer opportunities are promoted through a statewide collaboration with volunteer connector agencies to build awareness to a wider audience in all regions of the state.
Exciting Veterans Resource
The Patrick Administration launched www.MassVetsAdvisor.org, a cutting-edge web portal that offers enhanced access to services and support for veterans living in the Commonwealth. The new site will help veterans and their family members access more than 200 state and federal benefits in one location, including programs for education, counseling, employment, health care and other services. MassVetsAdvisor streamlines comprehensive data from state and federal resources and lists only the benefits and services each veteran is qualified for, including an "action plan" to apply for the benefits. Veterans will be able to print, email, save or forward the action plan to their Veterans Services Officer for additional one-on-one assistance.
Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program WIC is a free nutrition program that provides healthy foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to healthcare and other services to Massachusetts families who qualify. WIC stands for Women, Infants and Children. WIC's goal is to keep pregnant and breastfeeding women and kids under 5 healthy. To apply for WIC, call 1-800-WIC-1007 or contact a WIC Program in your community. Please click here for more info.
SAVE Partners with Veterans' Services to Support Veterans & Their Families The fundamental principle of the Statewide Advocacy for Veterans' Empowerment (SAVE) program is to advocate for veterans who are not able to obtain the benefits they have earned due to institutional or personal barriers. The program's primary mission is prevention of suicide and mental health distress through the identification of issues facing veterans when they return from service and proactively providing them with access to benefits and services that may address these issues and result in positive transitions back to civilian life. SAVE acts as a liaison between veterans and their families and the various agencies within the federal and state governments. To learn more, please click here. Mass 2-1-1, in Partnership with United Way, Partners with Department of Veterans Services To learn more about the services available to veterans by MA 2-1-1 and the Massachusetts Department of Veterans' Services, the chief advocate for veterans and their families in the Commonwealth, please click here. 2-1-1 is the national abbreviated dialing code for free access to health and human services Information and Referral. 2-1-1 is an easy-to-remember and universally recognizable number that makes a critical connection between individuals and families seeking services or volunteer opportunities and the appropriate community-based organizations and government agencies. 2-1-1 makes it possible for people to navigate the complex and ever-growing maze of human service agencies and programs. By making services easier to access, 2-1-1 encourages prevention and fosters self-sufficiency. It also is hoped that it will reduce the number of non-emergency calls inappropriately made to 911.
MassWildlife Offers Calendar of Events The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) is responsible for the conservation - including restoration, protection and management - of fish and wildlife resources for the benefit and enjoyment of the public. The Division works to balance the needs of people and wildlife today so wildlife will be available for everyone's enjoyment today and for future generations. To learn more about DFW events across the Commonwealth, such as wildlife-related workshops, talks, walks or demonstrations, please click here. MassDOT RMV urges eligible drivers to renew their licenses online Services available on the MassDOT RMV website include applying for a first time license; converting an out-of-state license; scheduling a branch appointment; registration renewals; ordering a driving record, crash report or Fast Lane transponder; viewing the status of a license, registration, driver education certificate and title; signing up for organ/tissue donation; and canceling a registration plate.
Drivers Encouraged to "Donate Life"
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. Job Opportunities with the Commonwealth of MA
There are a number of job listings posted on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts home page. For more information, click here.
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