Bill includes policy changes, capital investments to promote jobs creation
Special to The Advocate
BOSTON – The House and Senate have finalized a $3.96 billion bond bill to promote job creation and economic development throughout the Commonwealth, with investments in capital projects, the life sciences, and other industries. State Representative Donald Wong (R-Saugus) said the bill also contains a series of policy initiatives to support small businesses, alleviate workforce challenges in the healthcare sector, and strengthen local and regional public health systems.
Representative Wong voted in support of House Bill 5100, An Act relative to strengthening Massachusetts’ economic leadership, which was enacted by the House and Senate on November 14. The bill represents a compromise agreement negotiated by a six-member conference committee that had been working since July to resolve the differences between earlier versions of the bill passed by the two legislative branches.
In addition to statewide funding and policy initiatives, the economic development bond bill includes $864.5 million in local earmarks for municipal infrastructure projects. Representative Wong was able to secure funding for several local initiatives in his district but cautioned that this funding is still preliminary and represents only the first step in a multi-year approval process. Because the projects are supported through a bond appropriation, each earmark must be worked under the state’s annual borrowing cap and will be subject to the approval of the executive branch before any funding can be released.
The bond bill invests $500 million in the life sciences sector over the next 10 years while increasing the annual tax credit authorization for the industry from $30 million to $40 million. It also provides $200 million over 10 years to support innovation and deployment of climatetech technologies and an additional $200 million over 10 years to support the state’s offshore wind industry.
In terms of small business support, Representative Wong noted the bond bill creates a 5-year Surety Bond Assistance Pilot Program within the Executive Office of Economic Development designed to encourage economically and socially disadvantaged businesses to bid for contracts for capital projects. The bill also establishes a refundable Internship Tax Credit for Massachusetts employers of up to $5,000 or 50% of wages per new intern, capped at $10 million annually and $100,000 per employer.
House Bill 5100 authorizes Massachusetts to join the Nurse Licensure Compact, which would allow nurses licensed in other states that are part of the compact to also practice in Massachusetts. In addition, the bond bill establishes a pathway to licensure for foreign-trained physicians by allowing individuals who meet certain criteria to practice medicine under a 2-year limited medical license in underserved communities of the Commonwealth. Physicians may renew this license one time and can apply for a full unrestricted license to practice medicine in Massachusetts if they meet certain requirements.
Representative Wong said the bond bill also requires the Department of Public Health, in consultation with municipalities and other stakeholders, to establish a state action for public health excellence program for the purpose of promoting equity and improving municipal and regional public health systems. Boards of health will be required to annually submit a report to DPH by August 31st to demonstrate that they are meeting the standards developed for foundational public health services under the program.
Other statewide capital authorizations contained in the bond bill include:
- $400 million for the MassWorks Infrastructure Program to support public infrastructure projects;
- $150 million in municipal grants to support library construction projects;
- $50 million for the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund for constructing, repairing, renovating, or addressing the deferred maintenance needs of the state’s cultural facilities;
- $9.5 million for a municipal grant program to support the vitality of downtowns and main streets;
- $40 million for a competitive grant program administered by the Office of Travel and Tourism to support the design, repair, renovation, improvement, expansion and construction of facilities owned by municipalities or nonprofit entities;
- $100 million in grants for coastal communities, to be administered by the Seaport Economic Council, to create jobs in the maritime economy sector, and to construct, improve, repair, maintain and protect coastal assets;
- $100 million to support infrastructure improvements in rural communities;
- $30 million for the Brownfields Development Fund;
- $99 million for the Massachusetts Technology Park Corporation for grant programs that support collaboration among Massachusetts-based manufacturers and institutions of higher education, non-profits, or other public or quasi-public entities;
- $90 million to provide assistance to projects that will improve, rehabilitate or redevelop blighted, abandoned, vacant or underutilized properties to increase housing production, support economic
development projects, and increase the number of commercial buildings accessible to persons with disabilities;
- $25 million for a capital grant program to provide grants or other financial assistance to private businesses that are constructing or expanding commercial, industrial or manufacturing facilities in the Commonwealth, including projects that minimize or eliminate the use of fossil-fuel heating and cooling equipment;
- $25 million for competitive grants and financial assistance to support the research and development of robotics technology;
- $85 million for the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA) to help provide students and their families with access to affordable higher education opportunities;
- $21 million for capital grants and other financial assistance administered by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, in consultation with the Department of Agricultural Resources and Division of Marine Fisheries, to promote and support the growth and economic competitiveness of the Commonwealth’s agricultural, commercial fishing and cranberry-growing sectors;
- $103 million for the Applied AI Hub capital grant program to support the adoption and application of AI technology in the state’s tech sectors;
- $252.5 million for a capital grant program to support large, transformational projects to drive economic growth;
- $8 million for units of municipal government and nonprofit organizations for the preservation of historic properties, landscapes and sites; and
- $50 million to address the capital needs of nursing facilities.
House Bill 5100 is now before Governor Maura Healey for her review and signature.