Baker-Polito Administration Files $5 Billion General Government Bond Bill
Proposal seeks critical authorization for investments in cybersecurity, public safety, workforce skills
The proposal, titled An Act Financing
the General Governmental Infrastructure of the Commonwealth, includes
$4.15 billion to maintain, repair, and modernize assets that serve those
most in need across the Commonwealth, help educate the future workforce,
deliver on key environmental objectives, and keep the Commonwealth’s
communities and workers safe. It also includes $841 million to continue
existing, successful grant programs that support Massachusetts communities, to
improve cybersecurity and other technology infrastructure, and to acquire
critical public safety equipment.
“The proposed investments in this bill
continue our Administration’s work to improve a wide range of critical infrastructure
and foster growth and development across Massachusetts,” said
Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “These funds will ensure the continuity
of proven programs and enable impactful future economic, health and safety
initiatives that will benefit the Commonwealth’s communities, businesses and
residents.”
The bill filed today makes authorization
available through Fiscal Year 2028 that would support $2.4 billion in existing
maintenance and resiliency projects through the Division of Capital Asset Management
and Maintenance (DCAMM). DCAMM maintains nearly 1,700 major buildings covering
60.8 million gross square feet of property across the Commonwealth, including
higher education buildings, health and human services facilities, public safety
facilities, and trial courts. It also leads decarbonization and resiliency
efforts in accordance with Executive Order 594, Leading by Example:
Decarbonizing and Minimizing Environmental Impacts of State Government, which
was issued by Governor Baker in April of 2021 and directs efforts to reduce gas
emissions in Massachusetts facilities. The bond bill proposes $400 million in
energy efficiency initiatives at facilities statewide.
An additional $1.8 million in DCAMM
authorization is proposed to meet new facilities’ needs and mitigate future
risks. This includes an increased focus on incorporating lessons from the
COVID-19 pandemic related to the physical space and layout of facilities.
The bill also proposes $185 million in
authorization for the Executive Office of Technology Services and Services
(EOTSS) to support a variety of cybersecurity, IT infrastructure, and
application modernizations initiatives. This includes projects that would
modernize the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Online system and build out an integrated
eligibility and enrollment system to streamline the benefits application
process across multiple state agencies. $50 million is proposed to improve
virtual and physical security infrastructure at the Trial Courts facilities,
including intrusion detection and video monitoring. Further public safety
investments include $60 million for equipment for fire services, corrections,
and communications towers, and $100 million for the replacement of
approximately 300 Massachusetts State Police vehicles per year, half of which
will be hybrid vehicles.
“This $5 billion bond bill reflects the
Baker-Polito Administration’s dual commitment to supporting the Commonwealth’s
assets and making sustainable, fiscally responsible capital investments,” said
Secretary of Administration and Finance Michael J. Heffernan. “The projects
proposed are key to maintaining core government operations and will keep the
state moving forward, and we are looking forward to working with the
Legislature to pass this bill into law.”
The bill seeks to support Massachusetts’
communities by authorizing $496 million for established and successful grant
and community programs that have a track record of providing valuable resources
for workforce development, economic development, housing, and more to communities
across the state. This includes the Workforce Skills Capital Grants Program,
the Community Compact IT Grants Program, the Cultural Facilities Fund, the
Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, the Housing Stabilization
Fund and the Housing Choice Capital Grants Program.
In June 2021, the Baker-Polito
Administration finalized its Capital Investment Plan for
Fiscal Years 2022-2026, and the authorizations in this bond bill would support
investments and initiatives in the upcoming annual update to the Capital
Investment Plan, which will include capital spending for Fiscal Years
2023-2027.
Highlights of the bond bill include:
- $185 million for various cybersecurity and IT
infrastructure initiatives,
including:
- $100 million for cybersecurity investments and to
support existing large business applications modernization projects
- $50 million for virtual and physical security
infrastructure at the Trial Courts facilities, such as intrusion
detection, duress, physical screening, access control, video monitoring,
and communications
- $35 million to upgrade Lottery gaming systems, decommission
end-of-life equipment, and address cybersecurity vulnerabilities
- $160 million for public safety investments, including:
- $100 million for the replacement of approximately 300+
vehicles per year, half of which will be hybrid
- $60 million for public safety equipment for fire
services, corrections, state police & parole vehicles, and
communications towers
- $100 million to continue support for the Workforce
Skills capital grants program,
which provides grants to high schools, community colleges, training programs,
and non-profit organizations to purchase equipment that will help expand
access to career technical education programs
- $100 million for municipal grants to support a broad range of local infrastructure
improvements and projects
- $64 million to support the Massachusetts State
Revolving Fund (SRF) –
specifically, for the Commonwealth’s matching funds required to secure
federal dollars for the Fund, which helps cities and towns in improve
water supply infrastructure and drinking water safety
- $60 million for the Housing Stabilization Fund, which provides funding for municipalities,
non-profit, for-profit developers and local housing authorities in support
of affordable rental housing production and rehabilitation
- $51 million for the continuation of the Food Security
program, which improves food
security for the people of the Commonwealth through grants aimed at
enhancing access to and production of local food for the next two
years at current funding level
- $50 million for the Cultural Facilities Fund to continue providing grants for planning,
acquisition, rehabilitation and construction of cultural facilities
administered through Massachusetts Cultural Council and
MassDevelopment
- $30 million for the Community Compact IT competitive
grant program aimed at
driving innovation at the local level and available to any municipality
that is part of Community Compact Cabinet Initiative
- $25 million for Housing Choice grants to municipalities that receive a Housing Choice
designation through high housing production and/or demonstration of best
practices
- $16 million for MassVentures START grants, which help businesses commercialize ideas that have
been backed with federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and
Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) funding
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