Rep. Stanley's budget amendment to add additional funding to the Department of Public Health's Competitive Grants youth-at-risk line item was partially adopted in the house, resulting in an additional $500,000 for this program. Rep. Stanley had initially requested that the line item be funded at $1.9 million. The final House allocation is now at $1.4 million, $500,000 over the amount received last year. The grants are used for youth prevention programs related to substance abuse, bullying, pregnancy, safe havens and LGBTQ young people, gang violence, and/or suicide.

Rep. Stanley filed an amendment to fully fund McKinney-Vento reimbursements to cities, towns and regional school districts. The federal McKinney-Vento statute requires municipalities and regional schools districts to transport non-resident students to in-district schools. Rep. Stanley brought this matter to State Auditor's Office (SAO) back in 2011. After review, the SAO determined that the McKinney-Vento Act was an unfunded mandate and affected school districts are entitled to compensation.

Waltham is the only municipality in the Commonwealth that is currently home to hotels housing homeless children. However, the $10,099,500 included in the House Ways and Means budget would cover just over a third of the reimbursement claims. Fully-funding this program sends a strong message to municipalities that we support their commitment to providing vital services to some of the Commonwealth's most vulnerable students. Rep. Stanley's amendment would fully fund the McKinney-Vento account at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education FY20 estimate of $27 million.

After the House released its FY20 budget, Rep. Stanley filed the following amendments:

Rep. Stanley Passes Balanced Budget with Targeted Investments in Education, Housing, Environment

Representative Stanley joined his colleagues to pass its Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) budget. Funded at $42.7 billion, the House budget makes major investments in education, housing, substance use disorder services, health care, and other areas while projecting a more than $200 million deposit into the Stabilization Fund - bringing the fund's balance to more than $2.5 billion to safeguard the future of vital programs and services.

The House continues to further its commitment to cities and towns increasing Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) by nearly $30 million and providing $5.1 billion in Chapter 70 education funding as part of a $236 million increase for investments in schools over Fiscal Year 2019. In addition, the budget includes a $16.5 million reserve for low-income students while the Joint Committee on Education continues its work on this issue. It also addresses the need for integrated student health and wellness supports, providing $2 million to establish the Supporting Health Alliances Reinforcing Education (SHARE) grant program to address non-academic barriers to school success. The budget also expands the role of the Office of the Child Advocate to oversee integrated coordination of education and health programming.

The House budget represents some of the biggest increases seen in a generation when it comes to housing and homelessness funding. Access to safe, adequate, and affordable housing is essential and provides the foundation from which families and individuals can lead successful lives. This year, the House continues these efforts by providing $110 million for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP); $72 million for Public Housing Subsidies; $7.2 million for Alternative Housing Voucher Program; and $53.4 million for Homeless individual shelters.

The budget continues the Legislature's commitment to fight the opioid epidemic. To help those in need, the House budget gives all EMS and ambulance companies access to discounted naloxone, making it more available for use in the field. In addition, the budget includes: $143.9 million for the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, which will help create five new recovery centers across Massachusetts; $49.4 million for the Substance Use Disorder Trust Fund; and $1.5 million increases for Massachusetts Access to Recovery Services.

The House budget includes funding for public safety and the judiciary, including investments to implement last session's criminal justice reform law. The budget includes: $8.8 million for a new community-based re-entry program; $24 million for civil legal aid to provide representation for low-income individuals; and $10 million for Shannon Grants, a competitive grant program to individual municipalities to address heightened levels of gang violence.

The House calls for over $282 million in spending for environmental programs. These funding levels will ensure that state keeps up with the needs of its parks and environmental protections programs. These investments include: $46 million for State Parks and Recreation; $61 million for the Department of Environmental Protection; and $1.5 million for Watershed Protection.

In the area of labor and economic development, the House budget invests in programs that provide job opportunities for residents to participate in the Commonwealth's thriving economy. These investments include: $ 38.1 million for Adult Basic Education Services; $500,000 to establish a specialized prevailing wage and construction investigatory and enforcement unit within the Attorney General's office; $14.5 million for summer jobs for at-risk youth; and $4.8 million for the STEM Starter Academy, to support underperforming students at community colleges interested in pursuing STEM subjects.

MassHealth is the single largest investment that the Commonwealth makes in its most vulnerable residents. This program provides health insurance for the frailest amongst us: the homeless, the recovering, mothers with children, and the working poor. In addition to funding this key safety net program, the budget also ensures funding for crucial health and human services agencies and providers including: $109.8 million to continue reforms that protect children at the Department of Children and Families; $35 million increase in the supplemental rates for nursing homes across the Commonwealth and an emergency task force aimed at helping to bring stability to the industry; $17.9 million towards the Councils on Aging to help senior citizens; and fully funds the Lift the Cap on Kids initiative that removes barriers that prevent families from receiving Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) benefits for certain children.

Rep. Stanley stands in support of legislation banning harmful flame retardants

Rep. Stanley stood with bill sponsors Representative Decker, Senator Creem and President Rich MacKinnon of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts in support of legislation that would ban 11 flame retardants from several types of consumer products. This legislation passed in the House and Senate last session. The bill, H3500, an act to protect children, families and firefighters from harmful flame retardants, along with the version, S1230, filed by Senator Cynthia Creem, was recently was discussed at a Joint Committee on Public Health hearing.

 

Rep. Stanley spoke at Massachusetts Association of Assessing Officers Advocacy Day

 

Rep. Stanley addressed attendees at the Massachusetts Association of Assessing Officers Advocacy Day in the State House. Assessors play a vital role in the financial issues in every city and town, providing the necessary information and projections that are needed for communities to develop a budget to provide essential services to its residents. Rep. Stanley filed file legislation on behalf of the Massachusetts Association of Assessing Officers which would allow communities to increase the stipend for those assessors that attain higher level certifications and designations, upon local approval by that community.

Rep. Stanley Cosponsors North American Occupational Safety and Health Week

Rep. Stanley cosponsored a joint resolution recognizing May 5- 11, 2019 as North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week and May 8, 2019 as Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day. The goal of NAOSH Week is to increase awareness of the importance of occupational safety and health in preventing workplace injuries and illnesses. Occupational Safety and Health Professionals' Day was approved by the American Society of Safety Professionals' Board of Directors to express their gratitude to the thousands of occupational safety, health and environmental professionals who make it their mission to ensure that employees leave work at the end of each day uninjured and illness free.

During the week of May 5-11, 2019 the American Society of Safety Professionals members, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and corporate/association partners representing thousands of businesses mobilized in an effort to increase employer, employee and public awareness of being safe at work to encourage safe practices and to help companies and organizations enhance their workplace safety efforts. On May 8, 2019 occupational safety and health professionals were recognized on Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day for their commitment to protecting people, property and the environment at work in their communities.

Public health officials say tick season has arrived in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) officials recommend that residents be mindful of ticks while taking part in spring and summer outdoor activities, as tick season has arrived. Ticks are tiny bugs most likely found in shady, damp, brushy, wooded, or grassy areas (especially in tall grass), including backyards. The most common ticks are black-legged (deer) ticks and dog ticks which are found throughout Massachusetts and may spread different disease-causing germs when they bite.

The most common tick-borne diseases in Massachusetts are Lyme disease, babesiosis, and anaplasmosis. Other diseases that are rarer, but still occur, are tularemia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Borrelia miyamotoi, and Powassan virus. People should call their health care provider if they have been bitten by a black-legged tick, or have a rash or symptoms such as fever, headache, fatigue, or sore and aching muscles, especially after a tick bite.

Health officials recommend appropriate bug repellents on skin or clothing and remind parents never to use insect repellents on infants. For more information about ticks and tick-borne illnesses, visit the DPH website at www.mass.gov/dph/tick.