Massachusetts SD 50: An Act creating a commission to study the effects of unfunded mandates on municipalities

Bill Text

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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 50 FILED ON: 1/11/2021
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1328

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Diana DiZoglio
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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 creating a commission to study the effects of unfunded mandates on municipalities.
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PETITION OF:

NAME: DISTRICT/ADDRESS:
Diana DiZoglio First Essex

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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 50 FILED ON: 1/11/2021
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1328
By Ms. DiZoglio, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1328) of Diana DiZoglio for
legislation to create a commission to study the effects of unfunded mandates on municipalities.
Municipalities and Regional Government.

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 1180 OF 2019-2020.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)
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An Act creating a commission to study the effects of unfunded mandates on municipalities.

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

1 SECTION1. Chapter 39 of the Massachusetts General Laws, as appearing in the 2014
2 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after Section 24 the following new section:-
3 Section 25. There shall be a commission on unfunded mandates on
4 municipalities, hereinafter referred to as the commission. The commission shall consist of 7
5 members: three of whom shall be appointed by the governor, one of whom shall be a municipal
6 official, who shall serve as co-chair; the director of the division of local mandates, hereinafter
7 referred to as director, who shall also serve as co-chair; one member nominated by the
8 Massachusetts Municipal Association; one member nominated by the Massachusetts Treasurer’s
9 and Collector’s Association; and one member nominated by the Massachusetts Town Clerk’s
10 Association.

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11 Said members shall serve a term of two year from the date of appointment,
12 unless sooner removed by the governor upon the recommendation of the nominating
13 organization after consultation with said director. When a vacancy occurs, a new member
14 representing the same office shall be appointed to fill the remainder of the unexpired term.
15 Members of the commission shall serve without compensation. The
16 commission shall compile a list of unfunded mandates and their costs to municipal government,
17 and shall file this list with the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives together with
18 proposals, if any, to mitigate the effects of such mandates.
19 The commission shall have the following responsibilities:
20 1. to review and analyze all unfunded local mandates from state and federal
21 authorities, and to deliver an economic impact report of such effects on municipalities to the
22 governor, and to the minority and majority leadership of the House and Senate;
23 2. to act as an independent advocate for the interests of local governments in
24 their relations with state and federal governments;
25 3. to promulgate rules and regulations governing its procedures and those of the
26 executive committee; and
27 4. to perform such other like services as the commission shall decide upon.