Massachusetts SD 499: An Act relative to promoting local economic development

Bill Text

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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 499 FILED ON: 2/1/2021
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 273

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Jason M. Lewis
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to promoting local economic development.
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PETITION OF:

NAME: DISTRICT/ADDRESS:
Jason M. Lewis Fifth Middlesex

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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 499 FILED ON: 2/1/2021
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 273
By Mr. Lewis, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 273) of Jason M. Lewis for
legislation to promote local economic development. Economic Development and Emerging
Technologies.

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 216 OF 2019-2020.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)
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An Act relative to promoting local economic development.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:

1 Chapter 23A of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding after section 64 the
2 following section:-
3 Section 65. (a) The executive office of housing and economic development shall establish
4 a local economic development assistance program. The purpose of the program shall be to
5 provide technical assistance and financial assistance, in the form of grants, to cities and towns.
6 (b) To participate in the local economic development assistance program, a city or town,
7 or two or more cities or towns applying jointly, shall: (1) file an application for technical
8 assistance with the executive office of housing and economic development in a form and manner
9 to be prescribed by the office; and (2) have completed, within the five years preceding the

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10 application, an economic self-assessment identifying a document or report that identifies
11 opportunities for growth, including but not limited to an economic self-assessment, an economic
12 development plan or strategy, or an economic Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats
13 analysis.. Following completion of the economic self-assessment of this document, the city or
14 town, or two or more cities or towns applying jointly, shall be deemed eligible to apply for
15 financial assistance.
16 (c) An eligible city or town, acting by and through its municipal officers or by and
17 through any agency designated by such municipal officers to act on their behalf, may apply to
18 the program for a grant in a specific amount to fund an economic development initiative
19 identified as an opportunity for growth in the economic self-assessment document described in
20 (b)(2). Two or more municipalities may apply jointly, with 1 municipality acting as fiscal agent,
21 or through a regional planning agency acting as fiscal agent. The grants may be made in addition
22 to other forms of local, state, and federal assistance.
23 (d) Funding for the local economic development assistance program in any single fiscal
24 year shall be available subject to appropriation in a total amount of not more than $10 million, or
25 through other funds as the governing board of the Massachusetts Development Finance
26 Authority shall provide.
27 (e) The office shall adopt rules, regulations, and guidelines for the administration and
28 enforcement of this section, including, but not limited to, establishing applicant criteria,
29 application forms and procedures, and reporting requirements.
30 (f) The office shall annually, no later than April 1, submit a report to the clerks of the
31 senate and house of representatives, the joint committee on economic development and emerging

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32 technologies, the joint committee on state administration and regulatory oversight, and the senate
33 and house committees on ways and means detailing the expenditures and results relative to the
34 local economic development assistance program.