The Stanley Report
A monthly update from Beacon Hill
Tom Stanley - Representing the 9th Middlesex District of Massachusetts
June 2016, Lincoln and Lexington, In This Issue:
State Rep. Thomas M. Stanley
State House, Room 167
Boston, MA 02133
(617) 722-2230
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Rep. Stanley speaking on the House floor of the House Chamber during a Constitution Convention of both the MA House & Senate.



Rep. Stanley at the debate on energy diversity legislation with Rep. Lori Ehrlich and Rep. Steve Howitt.



Rep. Stanley with With Lincoln Selectman Peter Braun and US Col. David Dunklee at Hanscomb Air Force Base.
































NEWS FROM BEACON HILL
Rep. Stanley Supports Increased Funding for Councils on Aging in State Budget
 
Rep. Stanley and his colleagues in the House voted to increase the funding for Councils on Aging (COA) which manage the Senior Center and/or local programs and services for seniors. The local Councils on Aging are funded through a formula which is the total number of seniors in the community based upon the 2010 census, multiplied by dollars per older adult.  This year, the House increased the funding formula to $10 per senior. This brings the total of funds for COAs to over 14 million dollars in the Commonwealth and $13,960 in Lincoln.
 
Currently, in Massachusetts there are 1.3 million individuals over the age of 60. According to the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute, by 2020, Massachusetts will be home to more people age 60 and older than to the number of people under the age of 20.
 
Councils on Aging (COA) are the community focal point for social and support services to elders, families and caregivers in the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. COAs conduct many programs including information and referral, outreach, transportation, meals, health screening, health insurance information benefits counseling, fitness, recreation, computer access, education and life-long learning activities, as well as a myriad of other programs and services unique to our community.
 
The senior population is rapidly growing and dramatically changing in the ways individuals view their age, priorities and choices. COAs are an open door to neighbors, new friends, valuable information and new adventures, as well as a way to receive support, explore new opportunities and stay involved and vibrant in the community.
 
Rep. Stanley Helps Pass Bill to Enhance Support for Veterans and their Families
 
Rep. Stanley and his colleagues in the House of Representatives recently passed veterans legislation with an emphasis on housing and long-term support. The bill establishes the Office of State Veterans' Homes and Housing which will advise the Department of Veterans' Services and provide oversight for the Commonwealth's two soldiers' homes in Chelsea and Holyoke. It creates an Executive Director position to head the new office. The Executive Director will focus on long-term care and will be responsible for the coordinated implementation and enforcement of laws, regulations and policies.
 
Understanding the sacrifice that military personnel and their families make not only while on active duty, but also after returning home, the Massachusetts House has consistently provided a continuum of employment, health care, educational and housing support. Correspondingly, this bill increases access to housing authorities for disabled, elderly and potentially unemployable veterans through two provisions. It also updates existing law so that "Veterans Status" is a clearly protected employment category. Currently only active duty personnel are covered.
 
In addition:
 
*             Currently only children of Vietnam Era prisoners of war (POWs) are eligible for the Public Service Scholarship. This legislation would extend eligibility to all children of POWs;
 
*             To accurately reflect the realities of present-day military training, paid public-service leave would now apply to uniformed service officers under this legislation;
 
*             Extends a total property tax-exemption to service-connected blind veterans who have a 100% disability rating;
 
*             Fully abates any property taxes due by a surviving spouse following the death or MIA status of a soldier, sailor or member of the National Guard;
 
*             Extends the Veterans' Long-term Care Commission and reworks the Post-Deployment Council, both of which were created through the 2014 VALOR Act and focus on housing and support services for veterans transitioning from active duty to civilian life.
 
Rep. Stanley Helps Pass Energy Legislation that Highlights Offshore Wind and Hydropower
 
Rep. Stanley and his colleagues in the House passed energy legislation that seeks to protect the Commonwealth's ratepayers and support clean energy. The bill requires distribution companies to conduct solicitations for 1,200 megawatts (MWs) of offshore wind and supports a total of 2,400 MWs of clean energy, the largest amount the Legislature has included in any single bill. To spur the timely infusion of reliable clean energy projects in Massachusetts, the bill will also require distribution companies to conduct solicitations for up to 9,450,000 MWhs of energy from either hydropower, or hydropower and Class I renewable resources.
 
Related provisions include: all contract proposals must go through a competitive bidding process; contracts must be determined to be cost-effective for ratepayers to be approved; stipulates that eligible offshore wind developers must build projects in federally leased waters; solicitations may be coordinated with other states or state-designated entities, and may staggered over time; and the length of the contracts shall be for 15 - 20 years.
 
By creating a framework that includes both offshore wind and hydropower this legislation promotes a diverse energy portfolio that will replace some of the power the Commonwealth is losing from older, dirtier sources scheduled to shut down. With a similarly forward-looking perspective, the focus on offshore wind will cultivate a new industry and create jobs here in Massachusetts.
 
The legislation includes a series of ratepayer protections including a requirement that the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and the Attorney General jointly-select an independent evaluator to assist the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) to determine whether the procurement process is open, fair, and transparent.
 
Legislature Reforms Public Records Laws
 
Rep. Stanley joined his colleagues in the Legislature to pass a bill updating public records laws and enhancing accountability measures. The legislation creates a standardized timeframe and process in which requested documents must be produced and ensures that judicial remedies can be sought.  This consensus legislation represents the first update to state's public records law in more than 40 years. Under the bill, Massachusetts will have standardized processes through which the public can access records and guidelines for the fees associated with obtaining documents. 
 
To create a predictable and rigorous timeline for responses, the bill mandates that records access officers comply with a request within ten business days of receipt. If the officer is unable to do so, he or she must contact the requester to identify pertinent documents, provide specific reasons for withholding, or give a reasonable timeframe in which the agency will produce the records. Agencies must comply within 15 days, and municipalities must comply within 25 days. Upon a showing of good cause, a single extension of not more than 20 business days for an agency or 30 days for a municipality may be granted.
 
To ensure that taxpayers can reasonably access records, agencies may not charge for the first four hours of employee time to search for, compile, segregate, redact or reproduce records. Municipalities may not charge for the first two hours of employee time unless they have a population of 20,000 or less. If a records officer fails to respond to a request within ten business days, no fee may be charged. Additionally, no charge shall be incurred for redacting or segregating documents unless required by law or approved by the supervisor of records.
 
The judicial provisions, processes and remedies contained in this bill significantly heighten enforceability and accountability measures. Previously, courts were unable to award attorney fees, address improperly incurred costs or award civil damages. There is a presumption fees and costs being awarded, with a few exceptions. This legislation also permits punitive damages, which will be no less than $1,000 and no more than $5,000, to be awarded if the court finds an agency or municipality did not act in good faith. 
 
Adhering to the changes included in the bill, records must be provided electronically. Additionally, the legislation requires agencies - and municipalities to a feasible extent - to provide commonly requested public records online.
 
House Passes Bill to Prohibit Gender-Identity Discrimination in Places of Public Accommodation
 
Rep. Stanley and his colleagues in the House passed legislation that provides legal protections against discrimination related to gender identity or expression in public accommodations. The 2016 legislation - which builds off of the 2011 Massachusetts Transgender Equal Rights Act prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing, education, credit, and hate crimes - includes the right to use the restrooms and locker rooms that match an individual's gender identity. Under the bill, public accommodations include places such as hotels, restaurants, retail stores, taxis and trains, bathrooms, parks and entertainment venues.
 
To provide clarity to businesses and help mitigate harassment of transgender individuals, the bill directs the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) to adopt and promulgate policies to regarding the implementation of the law, including how and when gender identity may be evidenced. 
This legislation also directs the Attorney General's Office to provide guidance on which agency complaints regarding the assertion of gender identity for an improper purpose should be directed, if that circumstance arises.
 
Lawmakers Introduce New Duck Boat Safety Law
 
A bill on Beacon Hill is calling for duck boat operators to furnish their vehicles with blind spot cameras and proximity sensors to increase safety procedures. The legislation would also ban drivers from both operating sightseeing vehicles and narrating tour commentary on Boston's history, landmarks and sights.  If passed, the legislation would go into effect in April 2017.
 
Congrats to Bentley University Professor Ryan Bouldin and his team!
 
Rep. Stanley attended a Toxic Use Reducation Champion Award Ceremony at the State House.  Congratulations to Bentley University Professor Ryan Bouldin and his team on their Toxics Use Reducation Institute's (UMass Lowell) Municipal & Community Champions Award! The Toxic Use Reducation Champion Award Ceremony is an annual event recognizing the outstanding leaders who are making the Commonwealth a safer place to live and work. The Bentley team's project looked into reducing the exposure of children to phthalates and flame retardants. The results of their project will be used to help other Massachusetts early childhood education facilities implement toxics use reduction plans to protect the health of children. 


 
Governor Baker Nominates Ina Howard-Hogan to District Court
 
Governor Baker has nominated Ina Howard-Hogan, an attorney with a wealth of experience in the justice system to serve as a judge in the District Court.  Ina Howard- Hogan has worked with the Massachusetts Parole Board for the past seven years, first serving as a General Counsel and then as a Parole Board Member. Previously, Attorney Howard-Hogan was an Assistant Attorney General with the Massachusetts' Attorney General's Office from 2005 through 2008 in the Criminal Bureau; United States Federal Probation Officer for the US District Court of Massachusetts in the Presentence Unit from 2002 through 2005; and an Assistant District Attorney with the Essex County District Attorney's Office where she went on to supervise the Domestic Violence Unit from 1998 through 2002. Attorney Howard-Hogan earned her Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Boston College in 1990 and a law degree from Northeastern University Law School in 1993. She has also served on the Board of the Robert F. Kennedy's Children's Action Corps for more than ten years.
 
State Awards $2 Million in Community Compact IT Grants to 52 Cities and Towns
 
Governor Baker and Lt. Governor Polito awarded $2 million to 52 cities and towns across the Commonwealth to drive local technological transformation and improvement projects through the Community Compact Information Technology (IT) Grant Program.  Announced at the Massachusetts Municipal Association's (MMA) Annual Meeting in January, the Community Compact IT Grant Program awards cities and towns up to $400,000, and the expertise of the Office of Municipal and School Technology within MassIT, to implement and invest in one-time technology infrastructure, software and equipment upgrades or planning, design, installation and training costs.
 
Baker Administration Files Legislation to Cap Sick Time Accrual
 
The Administration introduced "An Act to Reform Sick Time," aimed at limiting sick time accruals that have led to exorbitant payouts upon retirement from state government.  The legislation would cap accrual of sick time for state employees in the Executive Department at no more than 1,000 hours, equivalent to six months of work.  The bill grandfathers in approximately 5,800 current state employees who already have more than 1,000 hours accrued. Those employees would be capped at their current earned amount as of the date of enactment. Once the legislation is passed, the policy will take effect immediately.
 
Under current law, employees can accrue a maximum of 15 sick days per year and those employees who retire are permitted to cash out 20% of unused sick time. In Fiscal Year 2015, 378 employees had an accrual of more than 1,000 hours upon retirement.  While this represents only approximately one third the number of retiring employees, the cash-outs for these employees accounted for nearly 80% of the total cash-out cost.  Based on the last three fiscal years, if fully implemented, a 1,000 hour cap on accruals would have saved an average of $3.5M in cash-outs per year.
 
Baker Administration Secures Year-Round Insurance Flexibility for Small Businesses
 
Massachusetts has received permission from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to continue to allow small businesses to buy insurance year-round, maintaining state-based reforms and preventing disruption and cost increases for over 80,000 employers and over 470,000 employees.
 
Today, 90 percent of small employers in Massachusetts' merged insurance market - composed of individuals and small-business groups - buy their coverage during a month other than January. Under new federal rules, these employers would have needed to switch to calendar-year enrollment - a switch that the Commonwealth estimates could increase employees' health cost-sharing by up to 23 percent.
 
Under the agreement brokered in response to a request issued by Massachusetts officials from the Massachusetts Health Connector Authority and Division of Insurance, the Commonwealth can maintain existing practices in its merged market. Businesses in Massachusetts can continue to renew or purchase health insurance for employees at any time during the year, and health insurance carriers can continue refreshing small-group rates on a quarterly basis to serve those businesses. Through detailed discussions regarding potential areas of state flexibility, there was clear stakeholder consensus that these current practices are essential to maintaining Massachusetts' robust health insurance market.
 
In 2007, as part of the state's comprehensive health reform process, Massachusetts merged its individual and small-group markets. Rates for individuals are set once per year, starting January 1. For small groups, carriers can update premium rates on a quarterly basis. Continuing the state's unique structure was determined important because it promotes affordability for individuals while maintaining familiar enrollment cycles for businesses.
 
The Commonwealth and CMS determined that the current structure of the merged market satisfies the Affordable Care Act's risk pool and enrollment requirements, and provides an equivalent level of consumer protection
 
Governor Baker Announces Five Year $1.1 Billion Investment in Housing Production and Preservation for Working Families
 
Governor Baker announced that the Baker-Polito Administration's upcoming five-year capital budget will devote $1.1 billion to affordable and workforce housing development and preservation. The funding will maintain support for existing programs for high-needs populations, increase support for local public housing communities and finance new initiatives to preserve at-risk affordable housing and boost mixed-income housing production across Massachusetts.
 
Investments in public and affordable housing will be up 8% in Fiscal Year 2017 and 18% over the course of the plan. These investments support local housing authorities that serve over 80,000 residents, spur private construction of affordable and workforce housing, and initiate several new programs that will preserve or create approximately 5,000 affordable units over the course of the plan.
 
The increased capital support for housing and community development is in addition to a new $100 million workforce housing development fund established at MassHousing, the state's quasi-public housing finance agency. Governor Baker and MassHousing Executive Director Tim Sullivan announced the $100 million workforce housing development fund to support the creation of 1,000 new units of moderately-priced housing.
NEWS FROM LINCOLN & LEXINGTON
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Publish your events in The Stanley Report!
 
We want to hear from you!  The Stanley Report is a great way to spread the word about an upcoming event.  Please forward any community, civic or nonprofit upcoming events that you would like included in next month's Stanley Report.  If interested, please email Mark Phillips, Rep. Stanley's legislative assistant, with information about your event.   

Meals on Wheels program
 
Through Minuteman Senior Services, the Meals on Wheels (MOW) program delivers lunch to homebound seniors who are unable to provide their own meals, and who meet certain guidelines. Special dietary considerations are available for those with chronic health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. This daily check in by a volunteer driver may be the only social contact an elder has and helps reduce the isolation often experienced by disabled seniors. Drivers are trained to identify and report observations or emergencies that might indicate a medical problem or the need for more intervention.  Learn more

Learn about Loving Spoonfuls
 
Lovin' Spoonfuls collects fresh food from dozens of food retail locations including Whole Foods Markets, Trader Joe's, and Hannaford Supermarkets, as well as multiple local farms, wholesalers, and bakeries. This food goes directly to local food assistance entities including Pine Street Inn, Boston Rescue Mission, Haley House, and Community Servings, among many others. Founded in 2010, it has rescued more than 3,500,000 pounds of fresh food in the Greater Boston area.  Learn more. 

Kids Cooking Green Hosts Events 
 
Kids Cooking Green is the educational arm of the Lexington, MA Farmers' Market. Classes are designed for kids as young as Pre-K through 8th grade, and there are some classes for adults. Kids Cooking Green also provides programming through its Fund for City Schools, which brings classes to communities that could otherwise not afford it.  Click here to learn more.
ABOUT REP. STANLEY
State Representative: 2001 - Present 
City Council: 1998 - 2004, 2006 - 2015
Council President: 2003
 
State Committees:
 
Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government
Joint Committee on Ways and Means
House Committee on Post Audit and Oversight
 
Education:  Suffolk University (MPA), Bentley University (BS - Management), Mass Bay Community College (AS - Business Administration)
 
Board Member: Waltham Partnership for Youth, Waltham Family School Advisory Board, Waltham Safe and Healthy Schools YRBS Steering Committee, Waltham Community Day Center (Honorary), Reach Beyond Domestic Violence Advisory Board, Safe Schools Healthy Students Initiative, Waltham Community, Enough Abuse Campaign, Waltham Drug Task Force
 
AwardsWork, Community, Independence - Human Service Advocate of the Year, 2008 COFAR - award recipient for support of people with mental disabilities, 2003 MassBay Community College Distinguished Alumni Award WATCH CDC - Housing Advocate Award, 2007 Minuteman Senior Services - Certificate of Appreciation, 2006 Boston Bar Assoc., Greater Boston Legal Services and MetroWest Legal Services - Pillar of Justice Award, 2003 Shining Star Award, Edinburg Center  
 
Personal: Married to the former Kimberly A. Bayliss
Children: Ryan, age 22, Parker, age 13

Rep. Tom Stanley | State House | Boston | MA | 02133