State Representative John W. Scibak joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives this afternoon in passing a comprehensive piece of legislation that improves the overall quality of life of our veterans. The legislation expands the services offered through the Massachusetts Military Family Relief Fund, assists military families in transitioning in and out of Massachusetts, and increases the efficiency of veterans’ service officers in our communities.
“On behalf of the Legislature, we appreciate the bravery that our veterans have shown, the extreme sacrifices made by their families and loved ones, and the positive impact that they’ve made on our nation and its history,” said House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo. “In passing legislation such as this, we are sending a message to our veterans that we know they are out there and we appreciate their bravery and sacrifice.”
“The Valor Bill addresses several important issues that will promote critical services and continues to enhance the quality of life for veterans in our Commonwealth,” said Chairman James Vallee of the Committee on Veterans and Elder Affairs. “Massachusetts continues to be a real leader in veterans’ services and passage of this legislation will ensure that the men and women who have dedicated their lives to provide for our safety and security will get the attention they deserve. I commend Speaker DeLeo for his continued and long dedication to these heroes.”
This legislation addresses the major problem that families face when trying to transfer their childrens’ education credits from school to school as a result of forced military relocations. This bill will require the Board of Education to adopt a procedure to make the transition easier on students.
Under law, each community in Massachusetts is required to have a veterans’ service officer. This legislation sets up a commission to study and make assessments on the certification process for veterans’ service officers. The commission will also be responsible for developing an improved training and certification process for VSO’s.
In addition, the bill increases the efficiency of the Welcome Home Bill, allows district courts to consider establishing diversion programs for veterans, and requires that only one of veteran status can hold the position of Commissioner of Veterans’ Services.
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State Representative John W. Scibak joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives this afternoon in passing legislation to prevent unlawful and unnecessary foreclosures. The bill establishes a procedure where banks must offer a loan modification option to borrowers prior to foreclosure in cases where the lender knew, or should have known, that the borrower would not be able to repay.
In cases where borrowers hold “certain mortgage loans,” the legislation requires lenders to perform an assessment of the borrower’s financial standing and to consider the value of a loan modification as opposed to the anticipated recovery the lender would gain from foreclosure. If the loan, as modified, is worth more than the amount the lender expects to recover after foreclosure, the lender must offer a loan modification to the borrower.
In addition, this legislation prohibits lenders from foreclosing without proper documentation, including written proof that the foreclosing party currently holds the mortgage.
“I applaud Chairman Costello and the Committee on Financial Services for their efforts in crafting this legislation,” said House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo. “This bill takes an important step to protecting homeowners from the dangers of predatory mortgages by forcing banks to converse with borrowers and evaluate the best possible solution for the family, the bank, and the community.”
“Even banks have acknowledged that it often makes more financial sense to create an affordable payment plan rather than foreclosing and selling a home at a substantial loss,” said Chairman Michael A. Costello of the Committee on Financial Services. “This bill gives us a fair and reasonable approach to do just that for more than 100,000 Massachusetts families. We can keep people in their homes without sacrificing the banks’ bottom lines, and save families and communities.”
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Funding for Easthampton part of $105 million for affordable housing and
job creation across Massachusetts
BOSTON – Wednesday, May 9, 2012 — The Patrick-Murray Administration today announced it has awarded DHCD housing subsidies and federal low-income housing tax credits for the Cottage Square Development in the City of Easthampton. The project is part of a $105 million statewide investment that will build or preserve 2,196 housing units and create an estimated 3,000 construction jobs across Massachusetts.
“Creating affordable housing helps to generate jobs, grow local businesses and strengthen our communities,” said Governor Patrick. “Government’s role is to help people help themselves, and investing in affordable housing will build a better Commonwealth for generations to come.”
“Investing in affordable housing for our veterans, elderly residents and low-income families is critical to strengthening communities like Easthampton and ending homelessness in the Commonwealth,” said Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray, Chair of the Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness. “By partnering with the state’s congressional delegation, we are delivering greater resources and creating significant construction jobs right here in Easthampton as we increase our stock of affordable housing for families and individuals in Massachusetts.”
Arch Street Development will use $2.5 million in DHCD housing subsidies and $981,271 in state and federal low-income housing tax credits to create 50 units of affordable family housing. Five units will be reserved for extremely low-income households. It is expected to create 111 jobs
“The Cottage Square project is very exciting as it promises to bring more families to the heart of Easthampton’s downtown,” Knapik said. “Over the past decade, Mayor Tautznik and the City of Easthampton have made a conscious effort to reintroduce both a residential presence and small business to the City’s historic industrial core and the combination of the two has reaped significant benefit,” he continued.
“Arch Street Development has been a willing and capable partner in Easthampton’s revitalization,” Scibak added. “The re-use of the City’s former mill buildings should serve as a model around the Commonwealth,” he added.
The $105 million investment includes more than $23 million in federal low-income housing tax credits; $20 million in state low-income housing tax credits and $61 million in state and federal housing program subsidies.
Of the 2,196 units, 2,062 of which will be affordable to low and moderate income working families and individuals — including 279 for extremely low-income families and individuals. Funding from today’s announcement will support projects in: Agawam, Amherst, Barnstable, Beverly, Boston, Brewster, Brockton, Brookline, Carlisle, Danvers, Easthampton, Hudson, Lawrence, Lowell, Ludlow, Newburyport, Orange, Orleans Paxton, Somerville, Springfield, Stow, Sudbury, Taunton, Truro, Westhampton, Worcester and Yarmouth.
Since the beginning of their first term, Governor Patrick and Lieutenant Governor Murray have worked with the state legislature and Congress to direct over $700 million in federal and state tax credits and state housing program subsidies to projects that improve the state’s affordable housing, create jobs and build stronger communities. These investments have generated more than 14,000 jobs and 10,000 housing units; 9,000 of which are affordable.
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(BOSTON) – House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo and Chairman Steven Walsh of the Committee on Health Care Financing announced today a comprehensive plan aimed at curbing health care costs and empowering patients.
The bill, released by the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, comes six years after Massachusetts passed the nation’s first universal health care law. The bill provides a responsible way to curb health care costs by attempting to build on existing incentives and market forces.
“Our goal with this bill has been to limit cost growth while maintaining high quality health care and innovation,” said House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo. “This bill is an economic development tool. Lowering health care costs will place Massachusetts in a stronger fiscal position for the future with the ability to maintain and attract jobs.”
“Our current health care system rewards high-volume, expensive care that is not necessarily higher in quality,” said Chairman Steven Walsh, Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. “Under this legislation, providers will be incentivized to practice the best possible care at a reasonable price, and consumers will be provided with the necessary information to actively participate in making personal health care decisions. This bill strikes the right balance in controlling our rising health care costs while improving the quality of care that our patients receive.”
The bill empowers patients by giving them information they need to make informed decisions about health care. For the first time, patients will have online access to detailed comparative price and quality information, categorized by medical procedure, provider and payer. Likewise, it gives providers the cost and quality of health care services and patient-specific data to aid doctors in treating patients.
In preparing the bill, Chairman Walsh visited 54 hospitals, held 800 meetings with physicians, patients and others, and held high-level discussions with a dozen of the world’s most-renowned academic experts on the subject.
The bill comes as health care spending takes up a larger and larger percentage of the state’s budget; Premiums for a family average over $15,000 annually and each year health care costs comprise a greater percentage of our state budget.
The bill, among other things, also:
- Creates an electronic health record system to allow patients and providers readily accessible information. This will save money and improve quality;
- Establishes the Health Care Workforce Trust Fund to better prepare workers for the health care jobs of the future;
- Puts a premium on prevention and wellness (businesses are eligible for a $10K tax credit by establishing a wellness program);
- Simplifies payer coverage and claims information;
- Allows for providers to make use of an ‘apology’ provision to reduce litigation and cut costs;
- Streamlines health care governance bringing all state agencies under the Division of Health Care Cost and Quality;
- Sets a predictable goal for health care cost growth, Gross State Product -0.5% in three years;
- Facilitates the use of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and Patient-Centered Medical Homes to improve treatment;
The bill now moves to the House Committee on Ways & Means.
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State Representative John W. Scibak joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives on April 26, 2012 in passing a balanced FY ’13 budget aimed at increasing government efficiency, cutting costs and preserving essential services across the Commonwealth. The budget, which passed with bipartisan support, closes a projected $790 million budget gap through cuts and adjustments to state spending, one-time revenues, and a $400 million withdrawal from the Rainy Day fund.
The budget for fiscal year ’13 once again shows the House’s commitment to the citizens of Massachusetts by including no new taxes or fees. Conversely, the House budget makes a significant investment in Local Aid to help lessen the burden of the recession on municipalities. Thanks to such sound fiscal management, Standard and Poor’s increased Massachusetts’ bond rating from AA to AA+.
“The House budget for fiscal year ’13 maximizes the value of every last state dollar and strives to implement sensible reforms to position Massachusetts for a bright economic future,” said House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo. “Although we are still challenged by this downturn, we’ve produced a budget that preserves essential services, aids municipalities, strengthens our community colleges and reforms the use of our EBT system so that it serves the most in need.”
“By passing this budget the House has made clear that despite the continued pressure on our financial resources, our commitment to our partners in municipal government and the people of Massachusetts is a responsibility that must continue to be prioritized,” said House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Brian Dempsey. “This budget contains $899M in unrestricted local aid for cities and towns, $168M in new support for every school district in the State, and a new $11.3M source of support for municipalities transporting homeless students. In addition to local aid, I am proud of the commitment the House has made to support the programs that millions of people and businesses rely on every day, and that it was done without shifting the burden of balancing the budget onto the shoulders of the people and businesses of the Commonwealth through any type of new fees or taxes.”
This budget fully funds the Unrestricted General Government Aid that municipalities rely on to balance their budgets each fiscal year. It includes an additional $65M that was sent out last year in the form of a supplemental budget, essentially guaranteeing that money for municipalities up front.
The House budget also places a high priority on education funding by increasing Chapter 70, special education circuit breaker, McKinney-Vento, and regional transportation funding.
This budget guarantees all municipal, vocational and regional school districts an increase over Fiscal Year 2012 Chapter 70 funding for a total increase of $164M. It will assist districts in meeting their special education obligations by funding circuit breaker at $221.5M and for the first time, the House has appropriated funds to offset the expense of the federal mandate (McKinney-Vento) requiring communities to incur the costs of transporting their homeless student population. Furthermore, the House was able to prioritize regional school transportation, funding it at $45.4M.
In an effort to create jobs and help cities and towns, the House budget strengthens the Community Preservation Act, a law passed in 2000 that allows Massachusetts cities and towns to establish a fund to support local needs. Over the past decade, the CPA has promoted cost savings and job creation. By increasing the funding available for the statewide CPA Trust Fund in this year’s budget, the House will provide more local aid and support for local jobs. This legislation diversifies the allowable funding sources that cities and towns can use to fund their local CPA fund. And it will support the small businesses in our state by allowing municipalities to exempt commercial and industrial properties from a portion of the CPA local surcharge.
This budget also places the Commonwealth’s community colleges in the best position possible to respond to the changing needs of Massachusetts and its residents, particularly in workforce development and continued higher education. The House budget includes increased coordination among the 15 separate community colleges and the Board of Higher Education in order to provide flexibility to adapt to new opportunities for the Commonwealth. This is accomplished while still retaining the local involvement in the administration of the schools that has been a critical part of the success of the community colleges.
In a demonstration of the House’s commitment to serving elders and the disabled, this budget preserves programs such as elder nutrition enhanced home care services and elder protective services. Recognizing the high cost of our home services, this budget increases in-home supports for families of the developmentally disabled and makes investments in the areas of transportation and Turning 22. These significant investments ensure there will be a continuum of services to these populations.
Finally, the House seeks efficiencies and re-procurements in many areas of state government, such as Mass Health and the Department of Corrections, in order to achieve savings and maximize our investments. In addition, the budget provides the tools needed to seek out fraud, waste and abuse in state funded programs. The budget includes a provision banning any individual from knowingly using, transferring, acquiring, altering or possessing an electronic benefit transfer card or access device in any manner not authorized by federal or state law.
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Posted Apr 20, 2012 @ 08:00 AM
Municipal leaders called on the Legislature to enact reforms to the way towns and cities pay for unemployment insurance, asking lawmakers to go further than the plan offered by Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration to address the problem.
“It’s important for us to broaden this bill and bring together some additional solutions beyond just this one that’s being proposed,” said Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, who appeared on a panel with other municipal officials and Massachusetts Municipal Association executive director Geoffrey Beckwith.
The Committee on Public Service heard testimony from municipal leaders and Patrick’s top labor adviser during a public hearing on Patrick’s proposal to block public sector retirees from collecting unemployment benefits while at the same time receiving a pension.
Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Joanne Goldstein described the administration’s work on the issue for the panel, chaired by Rep. John Scibak (D-South Hadley) and Sen. William Brownsberger (D-Belmont). In addition to the governor’s bill (H 3980), Goldstein said that a newly-formed task force dedicated to the issue held its first meeting Wednesday and will gather input from municipal and labor officials before offering additional recommendations.
“I am pleased to report that all members of the task force take this very seriously and are committed to quick, effective resolution of the issues raised,” Goldstein said.”
Apr 05
ELDER LAW Seminar
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
At 6:30PM
At the Emily Williston Memorial Library
9 Park Street,Easthampton,MA
413-527-1031 ewmlibrary.org
What are they?
What is it? Do I need one?
Why do you need one?
When would I use it?
What can be done to protect my family?
Susan A. Mielnikowski works for Cooley Shrair in the Estate Planning department. An Agawam native, Susan brings a diverse background of legal experience assisting people in their personal and business planning. She is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (B.A., English) and the Western New England College School of Law (JD, 1996, cum laude). To contact her directly please call: (413) 735-8025 or email: smielnikowski@cooleyshrair.com
“State and congressional leaders will focus on the state’s strategic location, its base sharing by different military units and community support in their effort to protect the Baystate’s military installations and jobs from federal Defense Department budget cuts… State Rep. John W. Scibak, D-South Hadley, said the pending defense cutbacks present “serious national security and economic concerns…”
“Although it was too cold for syrup to flow, Paul’s Sugarhouse held a ceremonial tree-trapping Friday to mark the start of the maple syrup season.
Massachusetts is the country’s sixth largest producer of maple syrup, generating about $2 million and 50,000 gallons annually. It is among the state’s most commercially popular resources.
In attendance were State Rep. John W. Scibak, D-South Hadley, and state Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner Scott Soares.
“This really signifies the beginning of the agricultural season,” Soares said after tapping the tree. “It’s the beginning of maple season, our first harvest of crops here in Massachusetts.”
Soares said the 350 syrup-producing farms in the state are the backbone of the industry.”
Representative John W. Scibak joined his colleagues in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon in passing supportive community housing legislation.
This legislation requires that the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, among other agencies, enter into a community housing and services memorandum of understanding (MOU). The MOU would include an action plan to coordinate the procurement and availability of community-based supportive services and subsidies for new and existing housing for residents with very low incomes.
“I commend Chairman Honan and the Joint Committee on Housing for their efforts in crafting this supportive housing legislation,” House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo (D – Winthrop) said. “Three years into the worst economic downturn that we have seen since the Great Depression, it remains so critical that legislators keep in mind the most basic needs of our citizens.”
“Supportive housing ensures that our residents have safe, decent, affordable homes matched with services to remain independent and active in the community,” Representative Kevin Honan (D – Brighton), Chair of the Joint Committee on Housing, said. “Coordinating housing with these services will conserve resources across all agencies as well as improve the lives of thousands of Massachusetts residents.”
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