Gregoire Joins House Colleagues in Advancing Several Measures

For Immediate Release: Contact: Alicia DelVento 08/13/2020 Alicia.Delvento@mahouse.gov

Gregoire Joins House Colleagues in Advancing Several Measures
Economic Development, Healthcare and Climate Change Legislation Move Forward

(BOSTON) – Representative Danielle W. Gregoire (D-Marlborough) joined her colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in finishing the month of July by advancing critical legislation relative to economic development, the Commonwealth's healthcare system, and our state’s climate change agenda. Additionally, Governor Baker signed into law legislation addressing the state's IT infrastructure and youth hunger.

The House first began work on House Bill 4879, An Act Enabling Partnerships for Growth, which legalizes sports betting and makes key financial investments in the Commonwealth. This legislation would dedicate more than $450 million in state funding to initiate growth across the Commonwealth, and would allocate 15% of future revenue generated through sports betting, as well. This revenue would fund a variety of programs including a workforce development fund for at-risk youth in low-income and minority communities, a Distressed Restaurant Fund which would help over 1,000 restaurants over the next two years, as well as funding for scholarships, after-school programs, local aid and efforts to combat gaming addiction. Additionally, this legislation increases the state’s low-income housing tax credits, invests in women and minority-owned businesses, and creates a rural jobs tax credit to encourage job growth in our small communities. As the House and Senate passed two different versions of this legislation, the bill is now before a conference committee to reconcile the differences.

Following economic development, the House took up House Bill 4888, An Act Putting Patients First, which expands access to care in the Commonwealth by requiring coverage of telehealth services for one-year at the in-person rate for primary care and chronic disease management. Additionally, this bill would require coverage of behavioral telehealth services permanently at the in-person rate. This legislation would also mandate that insurers cover COVID-19 related services, including all professional, diagnostic, and laboratory services. Furthermore, this legislation authorizes enhanced Medicaid payments for community hospitals serving low-income, COVID-19 patients and expands access to urgent care centers for those insured by MassHealth. Finally, this legislation grants independent prescriptive practice for nurse practitioners.This legislation is also in the process of being reconciled before a conference committee.

Finally, the House put forth House Bill 4912, An Act Creating a 2050 Roadmap to a Clean and Thriving Commonwealth. This legislation sets the state on a path to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. Additionally, this bill creates new solar incentive programs that prioritize low-income communities and establishes environmental justice protections, by requiring those developing in environmental justice communities to incorporate the environmental and public health impacts into the planning and development of projects. Furthermore, this bill increases access to energy-saving programs for small businesses, creates a commission to study the utility grid's future, and mandates that gas companies develop efficiency investment plans. House and Senate conferees are also working through the differences in these two bills.

Also of note, Governor Baker signed both House Bill 4932, An Act Financing the General Governmental Infrastructure of the Commonwealth and House Bill 4218, An Act Regarding Breakfast After the Bell, into law. House Bill 4932, is a $1.8 billion information technology bill that invests in improvements to the Commonwealth’s IT infrastructure, and is the result of a House and Senate Conference Committee on which Representative Gregoire served. The agreed-upon version includes almost $200,000 for local projects of which Representative Gregoire advocated for in the House's version of this bill, as well as the conferenced version. This includes $110,000 for upgrades and repairs to the Northborough Free Library, $50,000 for a lighting project for the Marlborough District Court House Clock Tower, and $30,400 for access and technology advances at the Westborough Public Library. Also signed by the Governor was House Bill 4218, which addresses systemic barriers that prohibit students, specifically in lower-income neighborhoods, from accessing breakfast. This legislation grants schools the ability to obtain nearly $30 million in federal funding, ensuring 150,000 additional students have access to a healthy meal.

"These last few months have been quite busy for my colleagues and I, and July was no different,” said Representative Danielle Gregoire, (D-Marlborough), House Chair of the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight. “We have worked tirelessly to advance measures that our residents have requested we make a priority. This includes increasing our investment in affordable housing, addressing food insecurity barriers, creating an aggressive climate change agenda for our state, and improving the Commonwealth's healthcare system. I am proud of the work we are doing to address the important issues affecting our communities each and everyday, especially in such difficult times.”

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