Rep. Stanley cosigned a letter urging House Ways and Means to bring CAMP to the House floor. The bill, an Act providing for the establishment of a comprehensive adaptation management plan in response to climate change, also known as CAMP, has passed the Senate and now sits before House Ways and Means as S.2196. CAMP will prepare our state for the destructive effects of climate change by mandating that the state develop a comprehensive action plan, collect data, and establish financial resources for communities. Although the Governor signed Executive Order 569 with components of CAMP in September 2016, we need to codify its requirements into law and expand upon them.

Rep. Stanley Asks House Speaker to Lift the Family Cap on Welfare

Rep. Stanley and his colleagues sent a letter to the House Speaker expressing their support for repealing the welfare Family Cap, as proposed by H.85 (An Act relative to the well-being and care of a child). The Family Cap denies TAFDC benefits to children conceived after the family began receiving TAFDC.

The Family Cap rule currently bars benefits ($100 a month plus the annual children's clothing allowance) for 8,700 children in the Commonwealth. Without these benefits, their parents struggle to secure diapers, clothing, food and other basic necessities for their infants. Older siblings of the excluded children also suffer, as parents try to stretch the small grant for the older child to provide for the younger one as well.

Because of their extreme poverty, the children face increased risks of homelessness and other hardships. They are at greater risk of food insecurity and being hospitalized. The cognitive, emotional and physical health challenges they suffer have long-lasting consequences, including impaired success in school and reduced lifetime achievement.

Rep. Stanley supports bill to protect ratepayers from bearing the costs of funding gas pipelines

Rep. Stanley sent a letter to the chairs of the Telecommunication, Utilities and Energy Committee asking them to support legislation that will protect ratepayers from bearing the costs of funding gas pipelines. If passed, Rep. Stanley believes the legislation will ensure the Department of Utilities (DPU) protects ratepayers and the Commonwealth remains committed towards fulfilling the obligations of the Global Warming Solutions Act.

The DPU reviews and approves the pipeline capacity contracts that utilities enter into with pipeline developers. In essence, these contracts are the financial foundation for pipeline projects. Currently, the DPU narrowly focuses on whether the utility's own analysis is reasonable, primarily on the basis of direct costs, with little input from stakeholders other than the Attorney General, who functions as a ratepayer advocate. The DPU's status has always been that its role is not to consider landowner impacts or other siting issues, arguing that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is the appropriate venue to address these issues. However, FERC has never rejected a pipeline project on environmental or siting grounds. Thus, DPU is the preliminary gatekeeper, and one of only a few places the state has the opportunity to make an impact on the siting of gas pipelines.

The legislation would codify the SJC decision concerning the prohibition on electric ratepayer financing of pipelines; create a rebuttable presumption against approval of affiliate contracts; and create an overall more rigorous framework than that under which DPU currently operates when evaluating petitions relating to new gas infrastructure proposals, along with other modifications to DPU practice. The bill would also require the DPU to grant full intervenor status to ratepayer municipalities, legislators representing ratepayer municipalities, and groups of ten or more ratepayers of the utility that is the subject of a proceeding. Significant alternative analysis in capacity case contract cases, including serious evaluation of demand-side measures and lower impact infrastructure options would be required under H.3400/S.1847. The bill shields Article 97 conservation land from federal eminent domain by prohibiting approval of capacity contracts that involve gas infrastructure through Article 97 land. Lastly H.3400/S.1847 disallows DPU from overriding a landowner's denial of survey access until after a project has been certified by FERC and would guarantee the landowner the right to an adjudicatory proceeding concerning survey access.

Rep. Stanley lobbies for passage of Solar for All Act

In a letter to the chairs of the Telecommunication, Utilities and Energy Committee, Rep. Stanley expressed his support for the Solar for All Act relative to solar power equity in low-income and environmental justice communities. Ensuring that all communities have access to affordable renewable energy is an important issue for his constituency.

As the Commonwealth transitions to renewable energy, we must make sure that everyone is able to enjoy all of its tremendous benefits. Renters, low-moderate income residents, people who lack adequate credit and anyone who lives under a shaded roof are currently facing many difficulties in accessing the benefits of solar energy. To ensure solar is working for all communities, the Commonwealth must support diverse models of solar development, eliminate barriers to the development of community and low-moderate income solar, and assure meaningful savings for low-moderate income solar customers and renters. H.3396/S.1831 would specifically restore full-compensation for low-income solar projects and projects serving environmental justice communities. The bill also directs the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) to address barriers such as income, housing type, and language in its solar programs, and would officially lift the new metering cap to 5%.

Rep. Stanley signs Prostate Cancer Awareness Day Resolution

Rep. Stanley signed onto a resolution naming April 12th as Prostate Cancer Awareness Day, recognizing the prostate cancer crisis as a public health priority and a leading healthcare disparity for men of color in Massachusetts. Every year, prostate cancer strikes over 4,000 men and leads to the loss of life of over 600 men, and impacts countless families and communities. Early detection of lethal prostate cancer, which makes it possible to administer curative treatment, is critical for saving lives; and research on the advancement of novel precision approaches to diagnosis are essential for individualized, high quality treatment and for saving millions of dollars in Massachusetts health care costs on an annual basis.

The Admetech Foundation has established a Prostate Cancer Action Council, which includes the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Center For Elimination Of Health And Social Inequities And Disparities, Massachusetts Prostate Cancer Coalition, Men Of Color Health Awareness, New England Area Conference Of The National Association For The Advancement Of Colored People and Independent "Blue Ribbon" Expert Panel Representing Leading State's Hospitals. The resolution extends to the Admetech Foundation and its collaborating organizations its sincerest commendations and gratitude for the continuous dedication to ending prostate cancer as a public health crisis and a leading health disparity.

Rep. Stanley requests increased funding for the Community Mediation Center Grant Program

Rep. Stanley signed into a joint letter to the House and Senate Committees on Ways and Means supporting the Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program in the FY19 budget. This program is administered by the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration, the dispute resolution agency of UMass Boston. Their goal is to advance the public mission of community mediation in the Commonwealth and allocate state operational funding to qualified Massachusetts community mediation centers. In order to keep up with growing public demand for affordable mediation services, Rep. Stanley and his colleagues are budget leaders to support a modest increase of $240,000 from FY 18 spending levels, or a total appropriation of $990,000 for the MA Community Mediation Center Grant Program.

Now in its fifth year of operation, this grant program continues to positively impact communities throughout the state by providing various mediation training and services to municipalities and local community groups, to encourage healthier relationships between neighbors, families and the community. Their work has further demonstrated a significant return on investment - according to the program's annual evaluation report, there was a $12 million return on investment to date. Last year that return was evaluated at $9.6 million.

Massachusetts RMV Announces New Requirements: Lawful Presence and REAL ID

The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles is reminding the public that on March 26, 2018, to get or renew any driver's license, ID card, or learner's permit, customers will need documentation showing United States citizenship or lawful presence as required by federal and state law.

Lawful presence means that a person is legally living in the United States according to federal immigration laws. All U.S. citizens and lawfully permanent residents have permanent lawful presence in the U.S. Non-U.S. citizens who are studying, working, or living temporarily in the U.S. may have temporary lawful presence that may vary in length. REAL ID is a Federal Security Standard for IDs that was created in 2005 as a result of increased federal security measures after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Click here to learn more.

Rep. Stanley supports clean energy legislation  

 

Rep. Stanley sent a letter to the chairs of the Telecommunication, Utilities and Energy Committee asking them to support legislation that would accelerate the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to reach at least 50% of clean energy by 2030, a 3% annual increase.  Ensuring that the Commonwealth remains committed to investing in our renewable energy portfolio, reducing emissions, fostering the green energy marketplace and combating the threat of climate change are very important issues Waltham and Lincoln.

 

The Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) is a statutory obligation that sets an annual minimum percentage of electricity that all investor-owned utilities and competitive retail suppliers must source from qualifying renewable resources. Under current law, the RPS increases by 1% annually and as of 2017, all electricity suppliers must provide 12% of their supply for retail customers from "Class I" renewables. In Massachusetts, such "Class I" renewables include solar, wind, small hydro, geo-thermal and other technologies that were built on the New England power grid after 1997. Particularly, raising the amount of renewable energy that electric utilities are required to purchase through the RPS stimulates demand and increases renewables as suppliers work towards meeting the greater mandate. 

 

Rep. Stanley supports Community Hospital Commercial Rate

 

In a letter to Speaker DeLeo, Majority Leader Mariano and Chairman Sanchez, Rep. Stanley and his colleagues requested that a key priority for our communities be included in the base health care legislation under development in the House of Representatives.  As a matter of health equity for our communities, a structural remedy for commercial insurance price inequities for our high value, low price community hospitals must be a core part of the upcoming legislation on health care.  This is especially the case in this time of increased industry consolidation.

 

The commercial insurance system has failed to address wide rate disparities. Some community hospitals are paid 47% below the statewide average and a third to a half that of the top paid hospitals for the same high quality services.  Without our legislative action, this problem will continue to erode our community hospitals and further negatively impact our communities and constituents.  Without our action, local access to care is threatened and costs increase if care that can be delivered in our community is concentrated at higher price medical centers.

 

Baker Administration Files Legislation Committing Over $1.4 Billion to Climate Change, Environmental Protection, and Community Investments

 

Governor Baker filed legislation to authorize over $1.4 billion in capital allocations for investments in safeguarding residents, municipalities and businesses from the impacts of climate change, protecting environmental resources, and investing in communities. The legislation would put into law essential components of Governor Baker's Executive Order 569, which established an integrated strategy for climate change adaptation across the Commonwealth, including the Statewide Hazard Mitigation and Adaptation Plan - a blueprint to protect residents, communities, and local economies. The legislation will also put into law the Administration's Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grant program, which has now enrolled over 20% of communities across the Commonwealth in an effort to plan for, and build resilience to, climate change.

 

Recognizing the significant impact of climate change on coastal and inland communities, the legislation authorizes $300 million to respond to and prepare for extreme weather, sea level rise, inland flooding and other climate impacts: $170 million will be used to fund improvements and repairs to dams and seawalls and to implement diverse coastal resiliency strategies; $50 million will provide planning and action grants to communities through the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program; and $60 million will be invested in implementing the Commonwealth's Integrated State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan.

 

Baker Administration Files $610 Million Economic Development Legislation

 

Governor Baker released a new economic development framework and legislation, An Act Enhancing Opportunities for All, to build on the administration's efforts to promote economic vitality in our communities and spur economic growth across the state.  This new legislation provides over $610 million in capital authorizations, including $300 million in capital reauthorization for the successful MassWorks infrastructure program, to expand on critical programming created in the administration's 2016 Economic Development Legislation.

 

With a focus on communities, businesses and residents, this legislation proposes new initiatives and updates to existing laws that will enhance our ability to grow the economy in every region of the Commonwealth. This includes the creation of a $100 million authorization for a new Regional Development Program, which will enable communities to partner with the state on high-impact projects with the potential to create a significant number of new jobs and greatly benefit the regional economy. Additionally, the legislation aims to improve existing tools for municipalities through a series of reforms.

 

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