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Ms. Barber of Somerville, thus the presence of a quorum.
Chair can ascertain that a quorum is now present.
Court office will summons the members
and tell them that a quorum roll call is in progress
and will remain open for three minutes.
Ms. Barber of Somerville withdraws her request
for a roll call vote-- quorum roll call.
Chair objection?
Chair hears none.
Members will please take their seats.
Court officers will clear the aisles.
Members will please take their seats.
At the request of representatives Barber
of Somerville, Connolly of Cambridge,
Provost of Somerville, and Miceli of Wilmington,
will the members and guests and employees please
rise for a moment of silence in respect
to the memory of Somerville police officer Louis
Remigio, a 30-year veteran of the Somerville Police
Department.
Officer Remigio passed away Monday
at Portsmouth Regional Hospital after being
involved in a motor vehicle accident in New Hampshire
Sunday morning.
Officer Remigio, a Tewksbury resident,
was a dedicated officer known for his empathy
both on and off duty.
He'll be remembered for his tremendous contributions
to public safety in the community of Somerville.
Officer Remigio is survived by his two daughters, Alexandra
and Danielle.
Thank you.
The House will be in a brief recess.
All engrossed bills have been rightly and truly prepared
and are now before the House for final passage.
Senate 2161, an act establishing a town manager
in the town of West Newbury.
House 3788, an act authorizing the city of Peabody
to grant 20 additional licenses for the sale
of all alcoholic beverages.
House 3791, an act authorizing the town of Whately
to continue the employment of John Lasalle
as a call firefighter.
House 3843, an act authorizing the town of Milford
to grant one additional license for the sale
of all alcoholic beverages to be drunk on the premise.
If the question is passed, then the bill will be enacted.
All those in favor, say aye, all those opposed, nay.
The ayes have it.
The bills are passed to be enacted.
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House will be in order.
Chair has been informed that House 3951--
Mr. Sanchez of Boston moves suspension of the rules.
All those in favor, say aye, all those opposed, nay.
The ayes have it.
Rules are suspended.
Third reading of the bill.
An act making appropriations for the fiscal year
2017 to provide for supplementing certain existing
appropriations and for certain other activities and projects.
House number 3951.
If the question now is then passed,
then the bill will be engrossed.
Chair recognizes Mr. Sanchez of Boston.
Chair will ask the members to please take your seats.
Thank you.
Members will please take your seats
and subdue your conversation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker and, through you, to the members.
Members, please take your seats.
Chair recognizes Mr. Sanchez of Boston.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker and, through you, to the members.
Today we are taking up the fiscal year '17 close out
supplemental budget.
And this budget will ensure balance for FY '17
and stems from working with so many of you
and with the administration to make sure
that we understood all of our fiscal and available resources.
To achieve that balance, we're authorizing $123.2 million
in spending, which includes the $76.3 million
to close the books on FY '17 spending and $46.6 million
previously appropriated in FY '17
that will be carried over into FY '18.
So many of those accounts, we're aware of--
the sheriff's snow and ice from the beginning of the year
and other priorities of the membership,
as well as $4.75 million to ensure
full funding of the safe and successful youth grant
program, which is a community-based initiative that
combines public health and public safety
approaches to eliminate serious violence among high-risk youth
throughout the Commonwealth.
The supplemental budget also contains a number
of outside policy sections as well, many of which
are needed to close the FY '17 books.
Some of these sections are time sensitive,
like the EMAC compliance form and the gaming service employee
change form.
As so many of you know, in the FY '18 budget,
we included a two-tier employer contribution to health care.
This assessment must be implemented by January of 2018
in order to collect the $200 million
necessary to balance the FY '18 budget.
This contribution applies to every employer
in the Commonwealth with six or more employees.
Tier one is an increase of the existing EMAC,
while the second tier is targeted
at employers with employees on public programs.
In order to implement tier two, certain information
must be collected from employers.
The administration made it clear to us
that they needed to understand where folks were.
This EMAC compliance form will be
used to determine an employer's liability,
as indicated by the number of employees
receiving MassHealth benefits or subsidized insurance
through the Connector.
This information will not be used to deny or terminate
MassHealth benefits.
And it can only be used to implement
tier two of the employer contribution,
of which will be setting a sunset on the EMAC compliance
form due December 31 of 2019 to live up
to our commitments in the budget.
Another time sensitive section is the gaming service employee
change.
This language provides the Mass Gaming Commission
with the discretion to determine which gaming service employees
may be disqualified for employment due to certain CORI
offenses.
Currently, all gaming service employees
are automatically disqualified from service
if they have a CORI.
This change was necessary because both MGM
Casino in Springfield and Wynn Boston Harbor in Everett
are currently beginning their hiring processes,
and current restrictions could impact their ability
to be adequately staffed and to fulfill our statutory goal
to encourage casino employment of the unemployed,
underemployed, and also the hard to employ.
As we begin to address criminal justice reform,
employment opportunities are an important tool in the fight
to reduce recidivism.
And this language will help us accomplish that.
All FY '17 books must be closed by October 31.
And therefore, Mr. Speaker, I asked through you
for the membership of everyone to support
this supplemental budget.
Question is done.
Pass, and the bill will be engrossed.
House will be in a brief recess.
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