#2023-8, March 24, 2023

Legislature Sends $1.1 Billion Proposal to Governor Healey; Includes Association-supported Remote Online Notarization Language

On Thursday, the House and Senate worked together to place on Governor Maura Healey’s (D- Cambridge) desk a bill, H. 58, featuring $388 million in spending directed at what the Senate’s budget chief called “time-sensitive, urgent” needs along with $740 million in borrowing plans.

While addressing the bill, Senate Ways and Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues (D – Westport) highlighted $85 million for emergency family shelters, $130 million to provide enhanced nutrition assistance benefits for three months, $65 million to cover school breakfast programs through the rest of the fiscal year, and $2 million “to reimburse victims of the so-called SNAP benefit theft that many of our constituents have been victims of” that feature in the legislation.

The bill contains $740 million in borrowing authorizations, including $400 million to recapitalize the MassWorks infrastructure grant program, $104 million for the Clean Water Trust Fund, and $125 million “to ensure that the state has matching funds for us to compete with federal grants that have been recently passed by Congress,” according to Senator Rodrigues.  The compromise bill also includes $400 million in bonds for the MassWorks grant program, which is effectively out of money following the last round of annual awards announced in October, plus $125 million to put state dollars on the table for competitive federal grant applications.

Other sections of the bill would keep several pandemic-era policies in place, many of which have proven successful or popular over the past three years and were poised to expire at the end of the month.  Municipal governments and other public entities would be able to continue holding meetings remotely and in hybrid formats until March 31, 2025.  Expanded outdoor dining options could remain in place through April 1, 2024, as could the ability of restaurants to offer beer, wine and cocktails for takeout.  Of particular note, another portion of the bill would create the permanent ability to perform remote online notarization services – a provision the Association has supported and pushed for several years.  These provisions, also known as RON, would pick up and expand the electronic notarization capabilities that were temporarily allowed during the COVID-19 public health emergency and have already been passed in 44 other states.  The Association would like to extend a note of thanks to both the House and Senate for the inclusion of this language.

To read the bill in its entirety, click here.

MassSaves to Host Financial Health & Wellness Summit on April 21

The MassSaves Financial Health and Wellness Summit is an annual event for teachers, financial educators, community practitioners and supporters from all backgrounds to network, share and learn to improve financial education.  This year’s summit will be held on April 21 from 10:00AM – 6:00PM at North Shore Community College’s Lynn Campus.

MassSaves is a broad network of public and private stakeholders including financial educators, providers, community organizations and advocates.  Participants work with youth and adults with a vision to make Massachusetts a national model for financial confidence and empowerment, creating a stronger financial future for the entire Commonwealth.

To find out more about the event and to register, click here.