Category: Uncategorized

Hello Everyone,

I hope you’re all keeping cool during this heat wave. Make sure to stay hydrated!

The House and Senate convened on Monday to finalize the fiscal year 2023 budget. It’s been a long time coming but the budget proposal will finally make its way to the governor’s desk for his approval. This budget is a great reflection of the values of our commonwealth — thank you to everyone involved for your hard work.

Passed along with the budget was my “don’t ask, don’t tell” amendment. This legislation will allow service members discharged under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy to access the full range of state military benefits which were previously made unavailable to them. The idea that anyone who has proudly served our country would not be entitled to these well-earned benefits simply for who they are or who they love was so wrong from the start. I am so grateful to my fellow legislators for their support on this important change.

The budget has not been the only legislation on the docket this week. Formal session may be coming to close soon, but we have been busy in the Legislature. We in the Senate have been in session all week debating our version of the economic development bill. Stay tuned for updates as this bill should be finalized soon and could have a tremendous impact on our local economy.

On Saturday, the National Mental Health Hotline went live, allowing people across the country to dial 988 for 24/7 emotional support. You can now call or text 988 or visit 988.lifeline.org/chat to speak with a counselor at any time.

I also want to wish a very happy birthday to Harold Jelly from Westfield. Harold celebrated his 100th birthday this Thursday. We are wishing you happiness, health and peace, Harold!

Last Monday my team held office hours at the Holyoke Council on Aging, and they will be holding them again next week on Monday from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Westfield Council on Aging. Please feel free to stop by with any questions or concerns — we are always happy to help!

As always, if there is anything I can do to assist you, please never hesitate to reach out to my office. I can be reached at my email, john.velis@masenate.gov, or by phone, 413-572-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com, where you can also sign up for my newsletter.

Sincerely,
John Velis

(BOSTON – 07/21/2022) On Thursday, the Massachusetts State Senate passed a $4.57 billion spending package to promote economic development in the Commonwealth and give relief to residents facing the continued effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic turbulence. The bill includes a broad-based tax relief package that will result in permanently lower taxes for many households and hundreds of thousands of residents receiving rebates from the state. The bill targets investment to sectors such as health care, housing, early education, agriculture, and tourism, which have been impacted by economic uncertainty. The bill also pursues economic growth by investing in climate resiliency, public lands, and clean energy.

“With this legislation, we are taking concrete steps to improve the quality of life for our residents, make Massachusetts more competitive nationally, tackle the dual threats of inflation and economic uncertainty, and build our economy of the future,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “Our tax relief package will make a meaningful impact for many Massachusetts residents and working families, and the rebates continue our commitment to putting money back in residents’ wallets. I’m particularly proud of our investments to stabilize the early education and child care sector, as well as the new funding we put towards higher education scholarships in high-demand fields like nursing, early education, special education, and cybersecurity.”

“So many folks throughout Massachusetts are struggling financially during these difficult times, and the tax rebates and reforms included in this final Senate bill will provide real relief to our communities,” said Senator John C. Velis (D-Westfield). “I have advocated for financial relief and increased state investments throughout this session and am proud to join my colleagues in voting for this important piece of legislation.”

Tax Relief

This legislation includes $501 million in comprehensive tax relief for lower-and middle-income families, children, seniors, and renters and $510 million in one-time payments to middle-income filers. Notably, $250 in direct relief payments, would be sent in September 2022 to all single-filing taxpayers who earned between $38,000 and $100,000 in 2021, and $500 would be sent to married couples who earned between $38,000 and $150,000 that same year. Businesses would see relief through an investment of $100 million in the state’s Unemployment Compensation Fund.

The bill would further provide permanent tax relief by:

• Increasing state matching of the earned income tax credit (EITC) from 30 per cent to 40 per cent of the federal credit, which supports low-income families
• Increasing existing child and dependent tax credits from $180 to $310 per child or dependent and removing the cap on the number of eligible children and dependents
• Increasing the rental deduction cap from $3,000 to $4,000, supporting renters
• Increasing the senior circuit breaker tax credit cap from $1,170 to $2,340, supporting senior citizens and individuals who care for them
• Increasing the Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP) tax credit annual cap from $10,000,000 to $30,000,000, which helps Gateway Cities expand the diversity of available housing and promote neighborhood stabilization
• Exempting estates valued under $2,000,000 from the estate tax and eliminating the ‘tax cliff’ by establishing a uniform credit of $99,600

Appropriations

The bill invests $965 million for health and humans services programs, including:

• $400 million for hospitals that have become fiscally strained during the pandemic
• $250 million for rate increases for human service providers
• $195 million for nursing facilities and rest homes
• $80 million for Community Health Centers
• $22.5 million to reduce gun violence and related trauma throughout the Commonwealth, including:
  • $5 million for a grant program to support school safety infrastructure improvements
  • $2.5 million to provide behavioral health-related supports and resources in schools to reduce instances of gun violence
• $17.5 million for reproductive and family planning services

It also invests $610 million for environmental and climate resiliency initiatives, including:

• $150 million for the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust
• $125 million for the conservation and improvement of publicly owned lands, and otherwise conserved lands
• $125 million for the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center to accelerate the transition to and expansion of renewable energy
• $100 million for ports and port infrastructure to support the clean energy economy
• $100 million to promote and accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles, through the MOR-EV program as well as expanded electric vehicle charging infrastructure

It further invests $400 million for promoting the production of affordable housing, including:

• $150 million to support the production of workforce housing
• $150 million for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund
• $100 million for the CommonWealth Builder Program

The bill also includes a significant investment of $150 million for early education and care providers through the continuation of the Commonwealth Cares for our Children (C3) stabilization grant program.

The bill also creates a new scholarship program, funded at $50 million, to promote the attainment of debt-free higher education for students pursuing careers in high-demand industries, such as health care, education, and cybersecurity.

Bond Authorizations

The bill authorizes $1.4 billion in capital expenditures, including:

• $400 million for the MassWorks Infrastructure Program, which provides grants to municipalities and other public entities for infrastructure project
• $373 million for the Massachusetts Technology Park Corporation (MassTech), which strengthens the competitiveness of the tech and innovation economy in Massachusetts by driving strategic investments and partnerships, including:
  • $75 million for a robotics capital program
  • $25 million for a program to support minority owned and operated start-ups
• $268.8 million for housing related investments, including:
  • $95.2 million for housing authority capital improvements
  • $73.1 million for the Housing Stabilization and Investment Trust Fund
  • $29.5 million for the Housing Innovations Trust Fund
  • $11.7 million for the development of low- and moderate-income housing
• $50 million for matching funds to improve broadband infrastructure
• $50 million for a program to revitalize underutilized properties
• $30 million for the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative, which supports innovation within the state’s manufacturing industry, including by offering technical assistance to manufacturers and attracting talent from outside of the state
• $24 million for the Scientific and Technology Research and Development Matching Grant Fund
• $10 million for the Rural and Small-Town Development Fund
• $10 million for Tourism Destination Development Grants
• $5 million for community planning grants

Additional Policy Items

The bill also establishes the following new programs and institutions:

• A Center for Employee Ownership within the Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD), as well as an advisory board on employee ownership to advise the Governor and the director of the Massachusetts Center for Employee Ownership on issues and policy matters pertaining to employee involvement and ownership
• A Cybersecurity Center and a Center for Advanced Manufacturing within the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
• A commission on agricultural equity to develop recommendations for supporting racially equitable investments, policies and practices for farmers
• A trust fund for the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP), which codifies into law a program that allows people to use SNAP benefits to buy healthy, local fruits and vegetables
• A program in the Department of Agricultural Resources to assist farmers and inform them about state programs and funding opportunities

The bill directs the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) to consider and develop plans for supporting agricultural, seafood and processed food production in its emergency preparedness planning efforts and also creates a study and report on the feasibility of the sale, lease, transfer or other disposition of the Hynes Convention Center.

Amendments

A number of notable amendments were adopted during the floor debate, including those that would:

• Assist small business owners by creating one simplified portal where businesses can apply for state grants
• Provide Massachusetts consumers with a ‘right to repair’ their cell phones, by requiring manufacturers to make the documentation, tools, and parts needed to repair devices available to consumers and independent repair shops
• Support the Commonwealth’s Gold Star Parents and Spouses by increasing the annual annuity payment to $3,000, and repealing law that currently prohibits from Gold Star Spouses from receiving the annuity if they remarry
• Establish a Hunger-Free Campus Initiative to address food insecurity on college campuses
• Support families that have experienced housing insecurity by allowing certain tenants who have been evicted to seal the records of their eviction case
• Ensure students can obtain academic transcripts for the courses they have completed and paid for, rather than having their entire transcript withheld for outstanding fees
• Expand the ability of homeowners to add accessory dwelling units to their property as an innovative way to address the housing crisis
• Allow restaurants to offer ‘happy hour’ discounts on alcoholic beverages if a town approves this policy via local option
• Allow state candidates for public office to use campaign funds for expenses related to child care services
• Expand the ciders that are eligible for the reduced cider tax rate, by raising the ABV limit from six per cent to eight and a half per cent
• Empower farmer distilleries to sell wine and distilled products

A version of this legislation having previously passed the House of Representatives, a conference committee will now be appointed to address any differences between the two bills.

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(BOSTON – 07/21/2022)The Massachusetts Legislature today passed a sweeping clean energy bill, An Act driving clean energy and offshore wind. The legislation bolsters green transportation, green buildings, and clean power production, including offshore wind, solar, storage and networked geothermal, while creating thousands of new jobs and economic benefits in the process. This bill builds upon the Next Generation Climate Roadmap bill, which was passed earlier this legislative session and overhauled the state’s climate laws by putting Massachusetts on a path to reach net-zero limit on greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

“At the beginning of this legislative session, we codified into law the goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions in Massachusetts by 2050. Today, and as the end of the session nears, the Legislature has again passed historic climate legislation that brings the Commonwealth closer to achieving that ever-important goal,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “This legislation will make Massachusetts a national leader in energy generated from offshore wind, while creating thousands of new jobs in the process.”

“From searing heat to rising seas, climate change poses a very real threat to Massachusetts residents,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “To leave future generations with a livable planet, Massachusetts must take on the role of a national and international leader in the fight against climate change. Reaching our goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 will require us to take the important steps outlined in this legislation to expand our clean energy capacity, encourage the adoption of electric vehicles, reduce emissions from buildings, and foster high-paying, green jobs for our workforce. “

“The climate bill we have passed today provides a blueprint for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Massachusetts by making critical investments in the offshore wind industry and offering additional incentives to promote more clean energy jobs and research,” said House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading). “I was honored to serve on the conference committee that negotiated the final compromise language. While this is not a perfect bill, it does move the Commonwealth closer towards meeting its goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.”

“This legislation responds to a matter of urgency for our state and our world, and does so by creating the robust infrastructure needed to domesticate the alternative energy production we need here, where it can provide not only the benefits of reducing carbon emissions, but also create jobs and economic opportunity for our ports and our residents,” said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R- Gloucester). “Passing this bill is important, but we must also not lose the focus we need to source greater supplies of clean energy, store and manage that energy, and deliver it to consumers who depend on it. The bill also takes important steps to ensure that in reaching for the next horizons of alternative energy, we do not jeopardize our irreplaceable commercial fishing industry, which provides food for people here and abroad.”

Offshore wind

To incentivize the development of the offshore wind industry in Massachusetts, this legislation establishes a Massachusetts Offshore Wind Industry Investment Program, administered by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), consisting of annual tax incentives, grants, loans, and other investments through the fund, and assistance from MassCEC in accessing other state or federal economic investment programs. It also creates the Massachusetts Offshore Wind Industry Investment Trust Fund, which can be used to promote the manufacture, fabrication, and assembly of domestic supply chain components of the offshore wind industry; stimulate increased financing for permanent manufacturing facilities; advance clean energy research, technology, and innovation, and; prepare individuals for offshore wind careers by supporting workforce training at a range of educational institutions and through regional employment boards.

With the goal of making the Massachusetts offshore wind bidding process more competitive, the legislation modifies the price cap to set clear criteria to allow for offshore wind project proposals that are cost-effective and promote economic development in the Commonwealth. Under this legislation, the price cap will be removed if three or more offshore wind developers submit bids, and if less than three companies bid a modified price cap would remain in place. Preference will be given to bids that invest in local manufacturing, provide employment opportunities for underrepresented populations, and mitigate environmental impacts. Ultimately, a contract would only be approved if deemed cost-effective and beneficial to ratepayers.

The legislation also establishes a commercial fisheries commission to provide input on best practices for avoiding, minimizing, and mitigating impacts to wildlife related to offshore energy generation and transmission.

Solar energy

To support the advancement of solar power, the bill permits agricultural and horticultural land to be used to site solar panels as long as they do not impede the continued use of the land for agricultural or horticultural use, eliminates the so-called ‘donut hole’ for on-site solar energy net metering to promote residential solar, and loosens the so-called single parcel rule to help expand solar on sites where it already exists.

In addition to wind and solar power, the bill addresses other innovative sources of clean energy such as fusion energy and geothermal power. Acknowledging the harmful health and environmental impacts of utility-scale biomass power plant facilities, this legislation removes biomass from the list of energy-generating sources that are allowed to receive certain state incentives for generating clean electricity. To ensure that the Commonwealth has adequate storage systems to accommodate increasing amounts of clean energy that Massachusetts will be adding to its energy portfolio, this bill directs a study of how to optimize the deployment of long-term energy storage systems.

Grid readiness

The legislation also modernizes Massachusetts’ electrical grid and energy storage infrastructure. It requires utility companies to proactively upgrade the transmission and distribution grid to improve reliability and resilience and accommodate the anticipated significant shift to renewable forms of energy.

Green transportation

As the transportation sector is the largest source of fuel emissions in Massachusetts, the bill takes steps to encourage the use of electric vehicles, including expanding and codifying the state’s MOR-EV electric vehicle incentive program into statute, which provides rebates to individuals who purchase electric vehicles.

Under the bill, the rebate amount will increase by $1,000, to $3,500 for passenger cars and light-duty trucks. Moreover, electric vehicle purchasers who trade in their emission-producing vehicles will be eligible for an additional incentive of $1,000. The program may include a point-of-sale rebate model for individual purchases that offers consumers savings at the point of purchase or lease. The bill also makes used vehicles eligible for rebates. Further, the bill directs the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) to conduct an outreach campaign to promote awareness about the MOR-EV program among consumers and businesses in underserved and low-income communities, as well as in communities with high proportions of high-emission vehicles.

To expand access to electric vehicle charging stations, this bill convenes an interagency coordinating council to develop and implement a charging infrastructure deployment plan in an equitable and comprehensive manner.

The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) would be required to set vehicle electrification and greenhouse gas emission requirements for electric vehicles for transportation network companies. In addition, to ensure that zero-emission vehicle charging remains affordable for consumers, the bill requires all electricity companies to submit proposals to DPU for how they will offer reduced electricity rates for consumers who charge their zero-emission vehicles at off-peak times.

Finally, the bill takes historic steps to address emissions that come from MBTA bus fleets. Starting in 2030, this bill requires every passenger bus that is purchased or leased by the MBTA to be a zero-emission vehicle. By the end of 2040, the MBTA will be required to operate exclusively zero-emission vehicles. Underserved and low-income communities would be prioritized for the equitable deployment of these zero-emission buses.

Building decarbonization

To tackle the difficult issue of emissions from the building sector, the bill creates a 10-municipality demonstration project allowing all-electric building construction by local option. Participating municipalities must receive local approval before applying into the demonstration project. The measure has two important provisos: first, each community must first meet certain affordable housing or multifamily development thresholds; and second, each must exempt life sciences labs and health care facilities from the all-electric requirement.

The bill makes targeted enhancements to the Mass Save program, which provides rebates and incentives for owners and renters related to efficient appliances and other home energy improvements. Under the bill, priority for Mass Save projects will be given to those that maximize net climate, environmental, and equity impacts. Beginning in 2025, Mass Save funds will also be limited in most instances from going to any fossil fuel equipment.

This bill requires DPU to conduct an adjudicatory proceeding prior to approving any company-specific plan under the DPU’s future of heat proceedings. In addition, the bill requires DPU to convene a stakeholder working group to develop regulatory and legislative recommendations for how Massachusetts can best align the Commonwealth’s gas system enhancement program with the state’s 2050 net-zero goal. The working group must submit its final recommendations to the Legislature by July 31, 2023.

Having been passed by the House and Senate, An Act driving clean energy and offshore wind now goes to Governor Baker for his signature.

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(Boston 7/22/2022) During the Senate’s debate on its Economic Development Bill yesterday, an amendment from Senator John Velis (D-Westfield) for Gold Star families was unanimously adopted. The amendment would repeal Massachusetts law that currently restricts Gold Star Spouses from receiving their annuity if they remarry. The amendment would also increase the annuity payment that Gold Star Parents and Spouses receive annually from the Commonwealth from $2,000 to $3,000, the first increase in 16 years.

“Not only has the annuity payment level not increased in 16 years, but our Commonwealth still has laws on the books that cruelly prohibits spouses from receiving the annuity if they remarry,” said Senator Velis. “Think about how archaic and unfair that is, that we would penalize husband and wives, who have lost their loved ones and sacrificed so much themselves, from trying to continue on with their lives.”

“It is so frustrating to see: if Gold Star spouses find love again, that it must come at this steep price. These benefits cease when that marriage certificate is signed, and that impacts the children of the service members as well,” said Maggie Brothers, a Gold Star widow who has advocated for repealing the restriction. “The triggering event for all these benefits is the loss of your service member, so that the fact that those benefits are then tied to your behavior afterwards doesn’t make sense. For Massachusetts to recognize how patriarchal and unfair this is, that’s a huge step, and I am so appreciative of Senator Velis working with Massachusetts Fallen Heroes to effect this important change.”

Nearly 2,000 Gold Star Parents and Spouses receive an annuity from the Massachusetts Department of Veterans’ Services annually. Senator Velis noted that many spouses do not remarry or have lost out on the annuity because of the current restrictions, and that he has filed the legislation as a stand-alone bill alongside Massachusetts Fallen Heroes for many years.

“Gold Star family members are some of the most courageous individuals I have ever met. Their loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, and it is our duty as a Commonwealth to support them,” said Senator Velis. “I am grateful that the Senate has taken this huge step to repeal this draconian restriction and do right by all of our Gold Star families.”

With the House of Representatives having previously passed its own Economic Development bill, the amendment will be considered in conference committee as differences between the two versions are reconciled.

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Hello Everyone,  

I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful weather and trying to stay cool.  

The end of this legislative session on July 31st is quickly approaching — meaning we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us to finalize important bills and get them to the governor’s desk!  

This week in the Senate we passed our transportation bond bill, which makes critical funding authorizations for projects around our Commonwealth. One of the highlights of the bill was $275 million that the Western Mass delegation secured together for West-East Rail, a huge step towards making this project a reality. Several pieces of funding for projects in our district were also adopted, including $5 million for the replacement of the Main Street sewer in Agawam. 

Also this week, the Senate passed some critical animal welfare bills. Among other things, the bills passed improve kennel conditions for puppies and kittens, provide a path to adoption for retired research lab dogs and cats, and officially adds Massachusetts to the Interstate Wildlife Violators Compact! Protections like these are so important but they are just the beginning. Thank you to the animal rights organizers, my fellow legislators, and everyone in between who helped make this legislation possible!  

Meanwhile, in human-related news, Barbara Bernard turned 95 over the weekend! Barbara has been a trailblazer for women in local media for over 70 years out of Holyoke. Her birthday and admirable career were celebrated on Sunday morning in Holyoke, joined by so many from around the region.  

This week I was also able to present the Jachym family of Westfield with a citation ahead of the American Legion Post 124 baseball game in recognition of their pivotal role in the organization.  For over 4 generations the Jachym family has been involved in the post baseball team as well as Westfield youth baseball.  Thank you for your dedication to coaching, youth mentorship, and your community!  

My team held in-person office hours this week in Agawam and Chicopee on Monday morning at their respective Councils on Aging.  We appreciate any opportunity to help our community, so please do not hesitate to stop by! Next week we will be holding them in Holyoke at the Holyoke Council on Aging on Monday from 10:00-11:00am.  

This Friday I was thrilled to join the Westfield Council on Aging for their Bingo night.  It is an honor to be entrusted with the responsibility of calling Bingo. This is event is such a great way to get out into the community and one that I dearly missed during the events of the last two years.  I’m so happy that it’s finally back.  Hope to see you all there at the next one.  

As always, if there is anything I can do to assist you, please never hesitate to reach out to my office. I can be reached at my email: john.velis@masenate.gov or by phone: (413) 572-3920 and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com where you can also sign up for my newsletter!  

Sincerely,  

John Velis 

(BOSTON – 07/14/2022) The Massachusetts State Senate on Thursday passed legislation that authorizes more than $10.84 billion in bonds for a wide array of transportation infrastructure projects and initiatives to make the Commonwealth’s transportation system more modern, safe, environmentally sound, and accessible. An Act relative to Massachusetts transportation resources and climate, also known as MassTRAC, ensures that Massachusetts is well-positioned to compete for federal grant opportunities, particularly those dollars available from the federal bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

“While repairs to our transportation infrastructure will be beneficial to many communities across the Commonwealth, this bill goes much further than merely repairing but will instead actively transform our infrastructure to be more modern, environmentally sustainable, and regionally equitable,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “The support for electric vehicles, regional transportation authorities, low-income fares on public transit, expanded East-West connectivity, and many other initiatives included in this bill will bring benefits to residents, visitors and businesses throughout Massachusetts.”

The MassTRAC bill invests billions of dollars in improving, maintaining, and modernizing the Commonwealth’s bridges, roads, and other critical infrastructure, including sidewalks, curbs, parking spaces, and airport improvements. The legislation also takes crucial steps to make the state’s transportation system more environmentally sustainable and resilient to climate change by making investments in emission reduction, low or no emission vehicles for Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs), climate adaptations for Massachusetts roads, and support for multimodal transportation such as bike lanes alongside roads. Building on the Drive Act, passed by the Senate in April this year, the MassTRAC bill increases support for electric vehicles for personal, commercial, and governmental use, as well as for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

The breakdown of the bond authorizations included in the bill is as follows:

• $3.5 billion for discretionary federal grant projects
• $2.8 billion for federal highway systems projects
• $1.375 billion for Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) modernization
• $1.27 billion for non-federally aided roads and bridges
• $407.7 million for local and regional transportation projects
• $400 million for MBTA safety projects
• $275 million for the East-West rail project
• $225 million for emissions reduction initiatives, including $50 million to support access to electric vehicle charging infrastructure
• $114 million for airport improvements
• $85 million for state-numbered routes road pavement improvements
• $82 million for the industrial rail access program
• $64.9 million for Regional Transit Authorities’ (RTAs) capital projects
• $25.5 million for the mobility assistance program
• $25 million for municipal road pavement improvements
• $20 million for the Complete Streets program
• $10 million for the public realm improvement program
• $1 million for local and regional transportation projects

The legislation marks another step towards implementing East-West passenger rail in Massachusetts. In addition to the more than a quarter of a billion dollars that is granted for the project itself, this legislation creates a commission to investigate and report on creation of an East-West rail passenger authority. To promote regional equity and smart, sustainable financing of the transportation system, the bill creates a mobility commission to investigate, study, and make recommendations on the development of regionally equitable transportation pricing, roadway pricing and congestion pricing.

In addition to $1.375 billion for modernization of the MBTA, the bill authorizes $400 million for MBTA safety projects and tasks the MBTA with creating and annually updating safety improvement plans.

During the debate several notable amendments were adopted. Significantly, one amendment would create a low-income fare program to provide free or discounted transit fares to qualifying riders. Another amendment would require the MBTA to develop and implement short-, medium-, and long-term plans for electrifying the commuter rail fleet. Finally, an amendment was adopted to provide regulatory oversight for electronic bicycles, or e-bikes, to help spur their adoption.

A version of this legislation having previously been passed in the House of Representatives, a conference committee will now be appointed to reconcile any differences between the versions of this bill.

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(Boston 7/14/2022) Yesterday, Senator John Velis (D-Westfield) was appointed as the Senate Lead of the conference committee tasked with resolving differences between the two Veterans’ omnibus bills passed by the House and Senate. Both omnibus bills are based off the SPEED Act, a bill that Senator Velis filed to support military families in their transition to Massachusetts.  

“I am honored to have been appointed by Senate President Spilka to lead this conference committee and look forward to working with my colleagues to get a finished bill to the Governor’s desk that will improve the lives of our Commonwealth’s service members and their families,” said Senator Velis, who is also Senate Chair of the Legislature’s Veterans Committee.  

“The House and Senate bills are both based off the SPEED Act, which is really a recognition of the challenges that military families face. Among other pieces, both bills include important policies that will ensure that military spouses can continue their jobs and military children can continue their education without disruption. These supports for military families are something that the Department of Defense is specifically looking for when they consider whether a state’s military installations are staying relevant and should remain open.  

I was proud to file the SPEED Act and am thrilled that it is the core of the House bill. There are many strong additional pieces in the final House bill as well, from increasing supports for Veterans affected by toxic burn-pit exposure, to allowing National Guardsmen to transfer education benefits to dependents, and beyond. I believe that there is plenty of room for us to build on and I look forward to getting to work on all these pieces, while ensuring that the main piece, the SPEED Act, gets to the Governor’s desk this session.” 

The House passed its version, H.5000, on July 7th and the Senate passed its version, S.2559, on October 21st. Conference committees meet privately to resolve differences and produce a final report. That legislation is then sent back to each branch and subsequently to the Governor’s desk for his signature.  

The other Senate conference committee members appointed are Senator John Cronin and Senator Ryan Fattman. The House conference committee members are Representative Paul McMurtry, Representative Sarah Peake, and Representative Donald Berthiaume.  

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(BOSTON – 07/11/2022) The Massachusetts State Senate on Monday passed three bills which promote animal welfare. S.2994 An Act protecting the health and safety of puppies and kittens in cities and towns ensures the safety of puppies and kittens during breeding, sale, and boarding. S.2992 An Act Protecting Research Animals, previously passed by the Senate in 2018 and commonly known as the ‘Beagle Bill’, encourages research facilities that use dogs and cats to offer these animals up for adoption after finishing research, rather than automatically euthanizing them. Finally, S.2993 An Act further regulating the enforcement of illegal hunting practices takes measures to discourage the illegal hunting and sale of game animals, including endangered species.

“I was proud to join my colleagues in voting to pass these bills to protect animals throughout our Commonwealth,” said Senator John C. Velis (D-Westfield). “Throughout my legislative career, I have worked to expand protections and funding for our animal friends, and am thrilled that the Senate has taken these important steps with these bills today.”

“As a lifelong animal lover and owner, I am acutely aware of the importance of protecting the Commonwealth’s animals, whether in our homes, in kennels and shared facilities, or in nature,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “I am also grateful for the advocates and Senators who worked to get these bills to the Senate floor.”

Protecting Puppies and Kittens

An Act protecting the health and safety of puppies and kittens in cities and towns addresses inhumane practices relating to the transfer of pets. As separating puppies and kittens from their mother and litter prior to completion of their eight-week developmental socialization stage prevents them from learning important behaviors such as bite inhibition and the development of proper social relations with other members of their species, this bill prohibits the sale of puppies and kittens under eight weeks of age. To promote continued wellbeing of puppies and kittens in group settings, this legislation tasks the Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) with creating Massachusetts’ first state-wide oversight regulations and licensure requirements of breeders, doggie daycare, and boarding facilities. The bill also ends the sale of animals on roadsides, parking lots, flea markets, or in other public spaces.

Beagle Bill

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nationally more than 60,000 dogs, almost all beagles, and nearly 20,000 cats are used each year to advance scientific research and to test cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and other household products. Currently, many research labs choose to automatically euthanize these cats and dogs once their experiments are over. An Act Protecting Research Animals, commonly known as the ‘Beagle Bill’, facilitates a relationship between animal research laboratories and registered non-profit animal rescue organizations and requires that when these animals are no longer needed, the research facilities make every effort to place animals up for public adoption.

Illegal Hunting

Massachusetts is currently experiencing historically unprecedented losses of species diversity, with much of the state’s wildlife increasingly vulnerable to human activities like climate change and illegal hunting. An Act further regulating the enforcement of illegal hunting practices aligns Massachusetts poaching regulations with other states, to better protect fish, birds, mammals, and endangered or threatened species. This bill also brings Massachusetts into the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, which helps states to work together to prevent illegal hunting across state lines.

Having passed the Senate, An Act protecting the health and safety of puppies and kittens in cities and towns now goes on to the House of Representatives for further consideration. As An Act further regulating the enforcement of illegal hunting practices and An Act Protecting Research Animals have passed both branches of the legislature, a conference committee will be appointed to resolve differences between the bill’s two versions, if any.

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(BOSTON–07/07/2022) Today, the Massachusetts State Senate unanimously passed S.2973 An Act to expand access to high-quality, affordable early education and care. This bipartisan legislation will transform early education and child care in the Commonwealth by making it more accessible and affordable for families, providing high-quality care for young children, strengthening early education providers, improving compensation and professional development for the early education workforce, and addressing the workforce needs of Massachusetts employers. The bill draws from the recommendations made by the Special Legislative Early Education and Care Economic Review Commission, which was created by the legislature in 2020 and issued its final report in March 2022.

“Just as the Senate led on transforming the Commonwealth’s K-12 education system through the Student Opportunity Act, today’s bill would similarly transform the early education system,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “Unfortunately, high-quality early education remains out of reach for most Massachusetts families, and our providers struggle to keep their doors open. This bill will address those issues and make our Commonwealth stronger by making early education more affordable, investing in our early educators, and ensuring the sustainability of our providers.”

High-quality early education helps young children to develop stronger communication, social, and cognitive skills. Investments in early education have been shown to yield considerable long-term benefits, such as higher academic achievement and greater lifetime earnings. Many families in Massachusetts, however, lack access to high-quality, affordable early education. This impacts the ability of parents, especially working mothers, to enter or remain in the workforce. The financial strain of child care on families is a contributing factor to workforce shortages and threatens to hamper the state’s economic recovery.

The Senate bill would improve access to high-quality and affordable care for Massachusetts families in several ways. The bill would:

• Increase subsidy eligibility over time from the current level of 50% of state median income ($65,626 annual household income for a family of four) to 125% of state median income ($164,065 annual household income for a family of four)
• Make it easier for subsidized providers to offer scholarships or discounted tuition for their private pay families
• Require the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) to evaluate and eliminate barriers to subsidy access for families on an annual basis
• Require parent fees for subsidized families to be affordable and updated at least every five years
• Require EEC to assess the extent of the current supply of licensed child care availability across the state and the unmet needs of families

Even though child care is expensive for families in Massachusetts, early education and child care providers are themselves in crisis. Given the low wages and poor benefits that providers can afford to pay their staff, providers face chronic challenges with attracting and retaining early educators, almost all of whom are women and many of whom are women of color. Federal pandemic relief funding has been a lifeline for the early education and care sector, but these funds are one-time.

This Senate legislation will help stabilize providers, improve program quality, and expand capacity in several ways. The bill:

• Makes permanent the operational grants to providers that were first distributed during the pandemic and requires that a provider must be willing to enroll subsidized children in order to qualify for a grant
• Requires EEC to use an actual cost-of-quality-care methodology for setting subsidy reimbursement rates and calculating operational grants
• Requires EEC to reimburse subsidized providers based on quarterly enrollment rather than daily attendance of children
• Takes steps to strengthen the recruitment and pipeline of early educators

Early educators with bachelor’s degrees earn far less than their counterparts who teach in public elementary schools, and one in six early educators lives in poverty.

To improve compensation, benefits, and professional development opportunities for the early educator workforce, this legislation:

• Requires EEC to develop a career ladder that links educational attainment and work experience to compensation and benefits and recommends that compensation levels be commensurate with public school teachers who are similarly credentialed
• Establishes early educator scholarship and loan forgiveness programs to provide greater access to higher education and professional development opportunities
• Enables subsidized providers to offer free or discounted seats for the children of their own staff

Other provisions would further improve and strengthen early education and child care in Massachusetts. The bill:

• Creates a commission to study and recommend to the legislature ways that employers could provide more support to their workers to help meet their early education and child care needs
• Requires EEC to report to the legislature on ways to expand successful local partnerships, such as the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI)
• Requires EEC and the Children’s Investment Fund to report to the legislature on ways to improve and expand the impact of the Early Education and Out of School Time (EEOST) Capital Fund for making improvements to early education facilities
• Requires EEC to create a plan to pilot and scale shared service models that can improve the efficient delivery of high-quality care
• Creates a data advisory commission to work with EEC on expanded data collection and reporting, and the improved use of data to inform the cost and quality of care

Having passed the Senate, An Act to expand access to high-quality, affordable early education and care now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration.

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Hello Everyone,  

I hope everyone was able to enjoy a safe and happy Fourth of July on Monday! The Fourth is one of my favorite holidays.  Being a major in the U.S Army Reserves, I took the time to reflect on the hard-won American ideals that this holiday represents. Celebrations were in full swing around the district, honoring our nation’s independence.  And this year was my newborn son, Carson’s, first Fourth of July, and we attended his first parades in both Hampton Ponds and Wyben. 

After the holiday weekend, there have been some exciting events happening in the district.  This past Tuesday, I attended the swearing-in ceremony at the Easthampton Fire Department. It was an honor to help celebrate new Deputy Chief Kevin Benson and new Captain Jason Dunham, along with new firefighters Tyler Colby and Nathan Cowan.  Congratulations to you all!  We also recognized the lifesaving actions of Easthampton resident Paul Galotti.  Paul rescued a fellow resident from a building fire in May before emergency personnel arrived at the scene.  Your community and I commemorate you for your bravery, Paul! 

On Wednesday, I presented the Westfield American Legion Post 124 with $20,000 that I secured for the organization from the American Rescue Plan Act. This funding will help improve the condition of their facility and allow them to continuously create a community for Veterans and active members in the district.  

I would also like to congratulate Kathi Cotungo for receiving the Mass Heroine Award for her work with the opioid epidemic in the community.  This award is given to women who have made big difference in their communities and have displayed extraordinary acts of service. The dedication that you have exemplified does not go unnoticed, Kathi! Congratulations Kathi!  

On Thursday, the Senate passed funding to fulfill the Commonwealth’s obligation to fund the settlement with the families of the Veterans affected by the COVID-19 outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home. No amount of money will ever make up for the devastating loss and heartbreak that these families have been through, but this settlement does ensure that the families no longer need to suffer the painful and long process of litigation. 

This week the House also passed the SPEED Act, a bill I filed to support military families in their transition of the Commonwealth. This passage is an important step for the bill, which will lead to increased federal investments in our military installations, and I look forward to getting it to the Governor’s desk!  

Yesterday, my staff held office hours at the Russell Council on Aging from 11:30am to 12:30pm. Next week, we will hold office hours at the Chicopee Council on Aging on Monday from 10am to11am. Hope to see you there! 

As always, if there is anything I can do to assist you, please never hesitate to reach out to my office. I can be reached at my email: john.velis@masenate.gov or by phone: (413) 572-3920 and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com where you can also sign up for my newsletter! 

 Sincerely,  

John Velis