Massachusetts House Passes $3.82 Billion Bill For Covid-19 Needs and Recover

$250,000 in local allocations included for the City of Woburn

BOSTON – This week, State Representatives Richard M. Haggerty (D-Woburn) and Michelle L. Ciccolo (D-Lexington) joined their colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by unanimously passing a proposal allocating surplus funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21). Funded at $3.82 billion, the bill addresses disparities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, aiming to facilitate recovery through one-time investments in housing, environment and climate mitigation, economic development, the workforce, health and human services, and education.

Earlier this year, the Massachusetts Legislature voted to transfer the state’s $5.3 billion allocation from ARPA, which must be allocated by 2024, into a separate fund to ensure stakeholder and resident engagement in a public process. Following six public hearings after receiving more than a thousand pieces of testimony, the House Ways & Means Committee released its proposal, which the House approved 159-0 earlier this week.

“These investments are aimed at helping our community and the Commonwealth recover from the economic and social challenges of the past two years,” said Representative Haggerty. “I was pleased to be able to direct some of these resources to support the small business community by helping the city implement plans to improve the economic and physical atmosphere of downtown Woburn. I was also pleased to have successfully advocated for monies that will help make some of our playgrounds fully accessible for all children.”

 

Local Investments for Woburn

Through the combined efforts of Representatives Haggerty and Ciccolo, the City of Woburn would see $250,000 in combined funding through the bill for local projects, including:

• $125,000 for the installation of accessible and inclusive equipment at public playgrounds in the City of Woburn.
• $125,000 to implement the recommendations of the City of Woburn’s report from the Massachusetts Downtown Initiative Local Rapid Recovery Program to improve the economic and physical conditions of the downtown.

“We are fortunate to have a President and Massachusetts delegation in Congress that recognized the importance of investing in a strong recovery as we continue to dig out from the economic effects of the pandemic,” said Representative Ciccolo. “I am grateful to House leadership for their foresight in conducting such an open process around allocating these funds, and I am thrilled that Woburn is slated to receive a significant amount that will help ensure the recovery arrives here to our local community as quickly as possible.”

 

Economic Development

The House bill includes $500 million to replenish the Unemployment Trust Fund, which will offset businesses’ contributions for unemployment programs. The bill includes $200 million in tax assistance for small businesses that paid personal income taxes on state or federal relief awards during the pandemic. It also includes $60 million for grants to support small businesses negatively impacted by the pandemic, with $35 million of it reserved for minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned businesses.

To assist recovering cultural organizations and artists, the bill appropriates $125 million to the Massachusetts Cultural Council for grants supporting cultural events, education, or performances highlighting underrepresented voices. Other economic development investments include $40 million for youth summer and school-year jobs; $50 million to close the digital divide; and $12 million to assist in the resettlement of Afghan refugees in Massachusetts.

 

Health and Human Services

Building on the House’s longstanding commitment to support and protect community hospitals, the bill allocates $250 million for financially strained hospitals and $20 million for community health centers. This bill includes more than $250 million for behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment services, including $100 million for workforce initiatives with $15 million specifically for community health centers. The bill also includes over $150 million for local and regional public health systems.

Other investments include more than $78 million to address food insecurity; $15 million for prison re-entry grants; $10 million for community-based gun violence prevention programs, $6.5 million for coordination teams for triage treatment and service supports and post-treatment supportive housing in Boston; and $5 million for the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation to bolster access to legal services for the most vulnerable.

 

Workforce Development

The bill includes $500 million towards providing premium pay bonuses for low- and middle-income workers who worked in-person during the COVID-19 State of Emergency. To promote employment, the bill also includes $150 million to enhance workforce opportunities through workforce skills training, as well as $100 million for vocational and career and technical schools.

 

Affordable Housing and Homeownership

The bill appropriates funds for affordable housing, with $150 million directed toward public housing maintenance and $150 million to create permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless individuals, survivors of domestic violence, seniors, and veterans. The bill also includes $100 million for homeownership assistance and $100 million for production and preservation of affordable rental housing for residents of municipalities disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Environment and Climate Change Mitigation

Building on the House’s commitment to the environment and clean energy, the bill includes investments for environmental infrastructure and development spending, with a focus on environmental justice communities, climate change resiliency and clean energy. This bill includes $100 million for port infrastructure development and revitalization to facilitate economic activity and support the offshore wind industry.

Other investments include $100 million toward infrastructure for communities to adapt and become climate resilient; and $100 million for water and sewer projects, including those to remediate combined sewer overflow into waterways.

 

Education

To improve indoor air-quality in schools and support healthy learning environments, this bill includes more than $100 million for grants to public school districts with high concentrations of low-income students, English language learners, and communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. This bill also includes $75 million for capital and maintenance projects for higher education; $25 million for the Endowment Incentive Program at the University of Massachusetts, state universities and community colleges, $20 million for special education, including $10 million for workforce development; and $10 million for programs focused on recruiting and retaining educators of color.

 

Accountability and Public Engagement

As a tool to inform future ARPA spending, the House’s bill allocates $5 million for the Inspector General’s office to create a public database and website to track total spending, including the percentage of funds spent in communities that were disproportionally impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and to track the number of projects awarded to minority-owned businesses and organizations.

Speaker Mariano and the House Ways & Means Committee introduced their spending proposal on October 25, 2021, following a review of the Governor’s proposal and six public hearings. The bill House of Representatives approved the bill 159-0 and now goes to the Senate.