星期四, 4月 23, 2020

波士頓台灣抗疫團隊送出1000個布口罩給MBTA員工

左起,林致中,藍凡耘和波士頓經文處副領事王麗芬(右)送布口罩給MBTA。
(波士頓台灣抗疫團隊堤供)

             (Boston Orange)波士頓台灣抗疫團隊再出發,421日拜會麻州灣交通局(MBTA),捐贈1000個布口罩,向不顧自身安危,為民眾提供交通服務的公車司機,維修人員致敬,為保護他們的安全略盡棉力。
             波士頓台灣抗疫團隊代表林致中,藍凡耘,以及波士頓經文處副領事王麗芬這天代表許多不分日夜縫製口罩的義工們,一起把布口罩送到MBTAEverett站,由MBTA的資深主任Dan Barton和副主任Paul Flynn代表接受。
波士頓台灣抗疫團隊還特地製作了一張這樣的圖表,教MBTA員工怎樣正確戴布口罩。
(林致中提供)
             根據維基百科,麻州灣交通局和費城的賓夕法尼亞州東南地區交通局(SEPTA)是美國僅有的,同時營運5種主要地面公共運輸工具的公家機構,包括輕軌(AshmontMattapan高速線和綠線),高運量列車(地鐵藍線,橙線和紅線),區域鐵路列車(波士頓通勤鐵路),無軌電車(銀線)和公共汽車。整個系統的每日載客量高達130萬人次左右。麻州地鐵也因此是美國最繁忙的輕軌系統。   
             波士頓環球報在410日的報導中指出,約有6385名員工,其中至少有2,683人為駕駛的MBTA,已有53人確診,其中包括29名巴士司機,2名地鐵駕駛,2名電車駕駛。
             根據MBTA發言人Joe Pesaturo,有2人因感染COVID-19而逝世。波士頓駕駛員本地工會589則宣佈了57歲,住在昆士市,1998年就加入了MBTASouthampton停車場檢驗員Andrew Wong過世了。
             MBTA總經理Steve Poftak因此宣佈了將在巴士,電車等交通工具上設置臨時障礙,隔開駕駛與乘客的措施,藉以增加員工的安全保障。

HUD awards $1.5 million in funding to support COVID-19-related fair housing activities Submitted

HUD awards $1.5 million in funding to support COVID-19-related fair housing activities Submitted

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Tuesday announced it is awarding $1.5 million in Partnership and Special Enforcement Effort funds to HUD Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP) agencies to support COVID-19 education activities. The funds are being provided through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) of 2020, which President Donald Trump signed into law to provide federal agencies with the resources needed to combat COVID-19.
“The Fair Housing Act embodies the spirit of this great nation where everyone is entitled to equal opportunity and respect,” Secretary Ben Carson said. “As we battle this invisible enemy, we need to be attentive to the heightened protections and needs of family, friends and neighbors who are older, have disabilities, or pre-existing medical conditions. We also need to honor and support, not evict out of fear, the medical professionals and caregivers who selflessly go to the front line to serve and heal. We must be creative and compassionate to keep each other safely sheltered, healthy and prepared. Right now, in the spirit of fair housing, we need to be the best neighbors we can be for one another.”
“Addressing potential fair housing issues related to COVID-19 will require resources that extend beyond the federal government,” said Anna María Farías, HUD’s assistant secretary for fair housing and equal opportunity. “FHAP agencies not only have expertise in conducting a range of fair housing enforcement activities, they are especially attuned to how particular issues are affecting their communities.”
Partnership funds allow FHAP agencies to utilize the services of individuals and/or public, private, for-profit, or not-for-profit organizations that have expertise in enforcing federal, state and local fair housing laws. Similarly, special enforcement effort funds enhance the fair housing enforcement activities of FHAP agencies. 
“New York and New Jersey are the epicenters of COVID-19 in the entire nation. Both states have extremely diverse populations already vulnerable to discrimination in housing,” said Lynne Patton, HUD regional administrator for New York and New Jersey. “It’s imperative that local fair housing organizations in our region apply and take advantage of this additional funding provided by HUD to eliminate any potential victimization of residents during this difficult time.” 
Examples of fundable activities include: Partnering with grassroots, faith-based or other community-based organizations to conduct COVID-19-related education and outreach to people of different backgrounds on how to live together peacefully in the same housing complex, neighborhood or community; or procurement and/or development of up-to-date or advanced technology to do COVID-19 related education and outreach using online platforms and social media.
HUD will issue detailed instructions to agencies regarding the availability of funds and process for application. FHAP agencies are state and local agencies that enforce state and local laws that are substantially equivalent to the federal Fair Housing Act. Currently, there are approximately 75 FHAP agencies operating throughout the nation.
Persons who believe they have experienced housing discrimination may file a complaint of discrimination by contacting HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at 800-669-9777 or visiting “How to File a Complaint” on HUD’s website. Materials and assistance are available for persons with limited English proficiency. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may contact the department using the federal relay service at 800-877-8339.

星期三, 4月 22, 2020

聯邦紓困補助款 哈佛大學不拿了


(Boston Orange編譯) 聯邦紓困方案旨在幫助小企業度過難關,結果小企業還沒拿到錢,3490億元經費已經用光了,然後有人發現不少大機構已領得超過千萬元,引出一片韃伐聲。美國總統川普也拿哈佛大學當箭靶,揚言要追回860萬元撥款。
哈佛大學今(22)日立即發表聲明,澄清聯邦政府CARES法案的高等教育緊急救濟基金,分配給哈佛大學一筆款項,哈佛大學既沒有申請,索要,也沒有收到這筆款項。
現在哈佛決定不去要,也不接受聯邦政府已經分配給該校的款項,同時仍會繼續支援有需要的學生。
根據聯邦政府CARES法案高等教育緊急救濟基金的收款名單,新英格蘭有不少學校分配到的款額,其實比哈佛大學還多,包括波士頓大學1500萬元,東北大學1160萬元。
新英格蘭地區的其他常春藤學校,達特茅斯學院(Dartmouth College)分配到3400萬元,布朗大學480萬元,耶魯大學680萬元。
分配款項的公式,是以每所學校經由貝爾獎金(Pell Grants)領取聯邦政府財務援助的低收入學生數目,以及整所學校的註冊學生數目來計算。
美國財政部長Steve Mnuchin表示,全美有100萬家員工人數在10人以下的公司,以及一些大公司,已經收到補助貸款。其中以漢堡、奶昔聞名的連鎖餐廳Shake Shack,已經表態要退還該公司收到的1000萬元補助款。
421日時,臉書上有人貼文,稱讚Shake Shack表示要退還政府發給的1000萬元紓困金。然後馬上有人指出,其實該公司在被人批評後,才說要退,接著有網友繼續稱讚,說這總比那些默默把錢收下,當作什麼事都沒發生過的大企業好。

COVID-19 Rate for Latinx and Black Residents Three Times That of White Residents, According to New Analysis


COVID-19 Rate for Latinx and Black Residents Three Times That of White Residents, According to New Analysis
Despite Progress, State-Reported Data Obscure Inequities and Hinder Action

Boston, MA – The Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA) today released an updated analysis of state COVID-19 data, showing that, per capita, cases for Latinx residents are more than three times that of White residents, while per capita cases for Black residents are more than two-and-a-half times that of White residents.

“While there are still gaps in the data that should be addressed, we have enough data to say with a high degree of confidence that Black and Latinx residents of Massachusetts are suffering from COVID-19 infections at rates far higher than Whites,” said Carlene Pavlos, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Public Health Association. “The Baker Administration should release data in a way that makes this reality clear, and more importantly, should act aggressively and urgently to address these staggering inequities.”
“We’ve long known that people of color are more vulnerable to illness and disease because of the social determinants of health—jobs, housing, access to preventative health care. Now that these inequities are clear for all to see, we need and expect action from state government,” said Helena DaSilva Hughes, Executive Director of the Immigrants Assistance Center. “We all want fresh, affordable seafood from the legendary fish houses of New Bedford, but look who makes that possible—mostly black and brown people who are “essential workers” but who don’t get paid sick leave and whose wages aren’t enough for anything but shared and crowded living spaces. We must act now to ensure that all people have access to safety during the pandemic and equal opportunities for health afterwards.”
“The public release of clear and transparent demographic data is essential if Massachusetts' public health interests are to make meaningful and rapid progress in fully addressing this pandemic crisis.” said Juan Cofield, President, NAACP, New England Area Conference. “Such data will better inform the communities most affected and it will be instructive of their need to implore better protective measures.  Additionally, it will provide a road map for all to understand where more resources are needed to eliminate the pandemic crisis.”
Clear and transparent data is critical for environmental justice communities like Chelsea to advocate for themselves, organize and create change,” said Maria Belén Power, Associate Executive Director at GreenRoots. “It is no surprise or mystery that Latinx, Black and Brown communities are suffering at disproportionate rates. The class and racial disparities and inequities have existed for decades and generations, COVID19 has only exacerbated them and exposed them. 
Last week, the Task Force on Coronavirus and Equity, coordinated by MPHA, called for better public data and action plan on inequities in COVID-19 impact, and has previously called on the Legislature, Attorney General, and Governor to take a series of actions to address equity in the face of the outbreak.
The analysis from MPHA uses data beginning April 8th (the day of the Public Health Order requiring collection of race/ethnicity data) and calculates per capita rates for each racial/ethnic group. Although a considerable number of reported cases are missing race/ethnicity, the differences between the per capita rates for cases in which race/ethnicity is recorded reveal serious inequities that are likely to persist as additional data is collected. Per capita cases among Asian residents appear to be approximately 60% that of White cases, according to the analysis. However, data do not allow an analysis of variability between subgroups of Asian residents, which likely conceal inequities among some subgroups.

波士頓韌性基金再撥170萬元支持20機構

MAYOR WALSH AND FUND STEERING COMMITTEE AWARD $1.7 MILLION IN EMERGENCY GRANTS THROUGH BOSTON RESILIENCY FUND

BOSTON - Wednesday, April 22, 2020 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Boston Resiliency Fund Steering Committee today announced the distribution of an additional $1.7 million in funds to support 20 organizations that provide critical services and support to residents, vulnerable populations, and Boston families whose wellbeing is most immediately impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency. This round of funding is aimed at providing continued support for community health centers, individuals experiencing homelessness, persons with disabilities, community-based organizations in neighborhoods experiencing higher rates of COVID-19, and Boston's Muslim community during Ramadan, which begins this week. The funding will also support the personal protective equipment (PPE) needs of Boston's frontline and essential workers. To date, including this most recent funding award, the Boston Resiliency Fund has distributed $13.8 million in 76 emergency grants to 135 organizations. 

"Through the Boston Resiliency Fund, we are harnessing the generosity of Boston's residents and businesses and we're making sure those resources go where they will make the biggest, most immediate impact for our residents," said Mayor Walsh. "I am incredibly proud and thankful for everyone's generosity as we come together to support one another during these difficult times."

Since its creation in March, the Boston Resiliency Fund has raised over $26 million from over 4,200 individual donors. The Fund will continue accepting donations from individuals, organizations and philanthropic partners who wish to contribute and offer their support, and 100 percent of donations will be awarded to local organizations, with the majority of future grants to be made through the rest of April and May. Organizations are encouraged to complete a statement of interest to be considered for future grants.

Today, 21 organizations will receive grants to expand their capacity or adjust their service model to meet the immediate needs of Boston residents during this public health emergency. 29 percent of the organizations receiving grants today are led by a person of color and 52 percent are women-led organizations. 

"This second round of support from the Boston Resiliency Fund will be critical in helping to ensure continuity of care -- from testing to treatment -- for thousands of city residents during the COVID-19 crisis," said James W. Hunt, Jr., president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. "We are grateful to Mayor Walsh and city health leaders for making these critical investments in some of Boston's most vulnerable communities."

"Eastie Farm is delighted to be part of an innovative solution that helps ensure food security in East Boston and Chinatown, while supporting our partners Bon Me Restaurant and Tawakal Halal Cafe in sustaining themselves through this economic crisis," said Kannan Thiruvengadam, director of Eastie Farm. "We thank Bon Me and Tawakal for providing much needed culturally sensitive meals at cost and with utmost attention to the health and safety of all involved, and we thank Mayor Walsh for this generous support for Eastie Farm's work in resiliency, and for his tireless and diligent leadership during this challenging time."

The grants range in size and will be awarded to the following organizations:

Continued support to community health centers and healthcare systems:
·  Expanded COVID-19 Testing for Community Health Centers that will allow the Harvard Street and Dimock Community Health Centers increase neighborhood-based testing. So far, the Boston Resiliency Fund has supported nine community health centers in neighborhoods that are seeing higher incidences of COVID-19. To view a map of testing sites in the City of Boston, please visit here
·  Mass. League of Community Health Centers will pilot telehealth expansion with nine community health centers in Boston. This pilot will allow community health centers to screen for testing virtually and conduct follow up appointments at home with those who test positive. It will also give patients access to virtual visits and health monitoring devices for better management of chronic disease. 
·  Personal Protective Equipment that will protect Boston's frontline and essential workers at health centers, long-term care facilities, shelters, and other non-profit providers across the City. This additional funding from the Boston Resiliency Fund matches the $500,000 MAPFRE Foundation grant awarded to the City of Boston last week. 
Ensuring Boston's children, families, and seniors have access to food and basic needs:
·  African Community Economic Development of New England, in partnership with ISBCC's Ascia Foods, will provide Iftar (sunset) meals to Boston's Muslim community during Ramadan.
·  Boston Public Market Association will work with the Market's local vendors to prepare and deliver nourishing, safe meals for various senior centers and meal sites and to homeless guests and residents at the Pine Street Inn
·  Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester will provide 'grab & go' bags of groceries and baby formula to low-income families with young children in Dorchester.
·  Hope & Comfort supplies basic hygiene items to under-resourced youth and families via meal sites, including those run by the Boston Public Schools and the YMCA of Greater Boston.
·  More Than Words will buy and deliver food and hygiene supplies to over 300 youth and young adults who are facing food insecurity.
Support for organizations doing work in East Boston, a neighborhood experiencing higher rates of COVID-19:
·  Center for Cooperative Development and Solidarity will offer financial relief for East Boston families in need who are ineligible to receive support from other resources. 
·  East Boston Soup Kitchen will continue distributing grocery gift cards to families in need in the East Boston community.
·  Eastie Farm will work with East Boston Mutual Aid, East Boston Soup Kitchen, Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, and Chinese Progressive Association to identify families in need of food. Two local restaurants, Bon Me and Tawakal Halal Cafe, will then prepare and distribute safely prepared meals to families in East Boston and Chinatown. 
·  Maverick Landing Community Services, in partnership with The Harborside Community Center, Neighbors United for a Better East Boston, and Veronica Robles Cultural Center, will offer food, supplies and financial assistance to East Boston families who do not have access to stimulus dollars, unemployment assistance, or who do not qualify for public benefits.
·  Salesian Boys and Girls Club distributes meals from the Club and provides home delivery of  breakfast, lunch, hygiene products, and at-home art activities to children and families. 
Support for Boston's most vulnerable populations, including those experiencing homelessness and persons with disabilities:
·  Commonwealth Land Trust will support vulnerable residents with HIV/AIDS in their supportive housing programs by providing increased frequency and extent of cleaning and enhancing social distancing policies.
·  Developmental Evaluation and Adjustment Facilities, Inc. will adapt their service delivery to provide deaf-accessible essential health information relating to COVID-19, how to access basic needs online, and more.
·  Haley House will prepare 500 additional hot take-out meals and expand their food pantry services at their South End soup kitchen.
·  Health Care Without Walls will staff screening stations at Rosie's Place to promote the health and safety of guests and will provide gift cards to vulnerable clients in need of basic supplies.
·  Home for Little Wanderers will provide extra meals for children and youth living at their group homes and residential sites and grocery assistance to families and individuals identified by their clinicians.
·  New England Paralyzed Veterans of America will continue transporting disabled veterans to the VA Boston Healthcare System, help veterans combat feelings of isolation and loneliness, and assist home-bound veterans with their food needs.
·  Rosie's Place will continue to be a safe space where vulnerable and homeless women can access services such as medical screening, showers, both daytime and overnight shelter, prepared to-go meals and snacks, and groceries.
As the effects of the coronavirus pandemic are quickly evolving and potentially long-lasting, the City and the Steering Committee will work closely with non-profit partners and service providers to understand how their needs will change. As a result, the priorities of the fund may change as the needs of Boston residents evolve.

The Boston Resiliency Fund exists within the Boston Charitable Trust, an existing 501(c)(3) designated trust fund managed by the City of Boston's Treasury Department. For more information on how to make a donation, please visit: boston.gov/resiliency-fund. For general inquiries, please email brf@boston.gov.

To learn more about other funds serving Boston nonprofits, please visit Philanthropy Massachusetts' resource page. In addition, the COVID-19 Response Fund at The Boston Foundation and the COVID-19 Family Support Fund at the United Way are working to rapidly distribute resources to organizations and individuals in Greater Boston that are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

Baker-Polito Administration Issues Letter Establishing Net Zero Emissions Target

Baker-Polito Administration Issues Letter Establishing Net Zero Emissions Target

BOSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration today issued its formal [mass.gov/doc/final-signed-letter-of-determination-for-2050-emissions-limit/]determination letter establishing net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as the Commonwealth’s new legal emissions limit for 2050.  The release of the letter follows a month-long public comment period during which the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) received input and engagement regarding the details of the state’s new net zero limit. Later this year, the Commonwealth will release a 2050 Roadmap outlining pathways to achieve the emissions limit.

“On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, we are proud to continue Massachusetts’ national leadership on climate change by formally committing the Commonwealth to an ambitious net zero emissions limit,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “This limit will guide our efforts to combat climate change, protect residents and communities, and ensure Massachusetts’ natural resources are protected and preserved for future generations.”

“Communities in all parts of the Commonwealth are already feeling the impacts of climate change and now is the time to take bold steps towards addressing it,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “The theme of Earth Day this year is climate action, and our Administration is proud to mark the day with an ambitious commitment to address climate change and protect the Commonwealth for generations to come.”

Governor Baker announced the new net zero target during his State of the Commonwealth address in January. In 2018, the International Panel on Climate Change called for countries to achieve net zero emissions by mid-century in order to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. The 2008 Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) requires the EEA Secretary to adopt a statewide GHG emissions limit for 2050 that is at least 80 percent below the state’s 1990 emissions level, as well as interim limits for 2030 and 2040. 

The formal determination letter issued today sets the legal limit under the GWSA as a level of statewide greenhouse gas emissions that is equal in quantity to the amount of carbon dioxide or its equivalent that is removed from the atmosphere and stored annually by, or attributable to, the Commonwealth; provided, however, that the level of emissions will not be greater than a level that is 85 percent below the 1990 level.

“Adopting a more aggressive, science-based emissions limit for 2050 and backing it up with a plan to get there sets us on the best path to avoid the worst impacts of climate change while investing in our communities and growing our clean energy economy,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides. “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with experts and stakeholders to create a 2050 Roadmap, which will outline the most effective pathways to achieve our emissions reductions goals.”

The Commonwealth is working to determine how best to achieve this emissions limit through its 2050 Roadmap, a nation-leading quantitative and qualitative planning effort that will chart multiple technical and policy pathways by which the Commonwealth can equitably and cost-effectively achieve net zero emissions by 2050, and will conclude with the publication of a long-range 2050 Roadmap report. The state’s 2050 Roadmap analysis will directly inform the state’s 2030 emissions limit, which will be set at the end of this year together with the publication of a second report detailing the state’s plan to achieve that limit, the Massachusetts Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2030.
  
EEA held public meetings and a webinar on the draft determination letter and the 2050 Roadmap throughout March and April, and received comments from over 1,000 people and entities on the draft letter.

Baker-Polito Administration Announces Increased Community Health Center COVID-19 Testing Capacity, Access to High-Speed Internet

Baker-Polito Administration Announces Increased Community Health Center COVID-19 Testing Capacity, Access to High-Speed Internet

BOSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration today announced an initiative to expand COVID-19 testing at Community Health Centers throughout the Commonwealth. The Administration also announced new WiFi hotspots to provide high-speed internet to unserved municipalities.

Community Health Care Center COVID-19 Testing: In partnership with Quest Diagnostics and the Mass League of Community Health Centers, the Baker-Polito Administration announced further efforts to increase COVID-19 testing through community health centers.

In rolling out increased testing, community health centers in areas of high need that have the ability to increase their testing capacities will be prioritized. Since Friday, Quest has sent over 2,255 kits to community health centers in Boston and Brockton. Quest Diagnostics will ship additional COVID-19 test kits today and tomorrow to 12 community health centers, with a commitment to add additional health centers. By Friday of this week, Quest Diagnostics has committed to ship an additional 5,000 COVID-19 test kits to the 12 community health centers.

Today’s announcement provides increased testing capacity for community health facilities located in Boston, Brockton, Lowell, Quincy, Fall River, Provincetown, and Worcester.

WiFi Hotspots: The Baker-Polito Administration announced expanded access to high-speed internet for unserved cities and towns throughout Massachusetts that do not yet have a completed last-mile broadband network. The Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) at MassTech, KCST and local internet service providers will offer communities new WiFi hotspots, building off the Commonwealth’s MassBroadband 123 fiber-optic network.

These WiFi hotspots will provide unserved communities with a temporary 250 megabit per second wireless hotspot, allowing increased broadband access for residents, families and students impacted by COVID-19. This program will be offered free of monthly charge to eligible communities until September 1, 2020.

Citizens who use these hotspots must continue to follow social distancing protocols, and the towns and ISPs will post clear signs with the DPH guidance. MassBroadband is providing support to local ISPs as needed, and is tracking these hotspots as they come online and posting them online here. 

AG HEALEY CALLS ON TELECOM COMPANIES TO EXTEND PHONE AND BROADBAND CONNECTIONS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

AG HEALEY CALLS ON TELECOM COMPANIES TO EXTEND PHONE AND BROADBAND CONNECTIONS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Bipartisan Coalition of AGs Asks FCC for Help in Urging Companies to Extend Policy of Not Cancelling Services

              BOSTON – Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey today joined a bipartisan coalition of 27 attorneys general in urging the telecommunications industry to protect consumers who are struggling financially as a result of the COVID-19 public health crisis and asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for support.


            In a letter sent to the FCC today, the attorneys general ask the commission to join them in urging the companies to extend a limited policy of not cancelling phone and broadband services. The FCC announced on March 13 that many companies  including all Massachusetts providers  had pledged for 60 days not to terminate service to residential or small business customers for nonpayment, to waive late fees, and to open Wi-Fi hotspots to anyone who needs them.

Today’s letter asks for this pledge to be extended through Aug. 11 and for the companies to additionally agree to reconnect customers who may have been disconnected before the policy took effect, establish fair and reasonable payment plans, expand data caps, and educate customers about COVID-19 related services they are providing and scams related to the pandemic.

AG Healey’s Energy and Telecommunications Division represents consumers in matters involving the price and delivery of natural gas, electricity, and telecommunications services before federal and state regulators. In recognition of the financial hardship families are facing as a result of the COVID-19 public health crisis, the Division is looking for ways to save the state’s gas, electric and telecommunications customers money and has called on the state’s Department of Public Utilities (DPU) to delay an upcoming gas rate increase.

The AG’s Energy and Telecommunications Division also successfully called on the DPU to issue an order preventing utilities from shutting off service during the public health crisis. The Division reached out to municipal light plants across the state and they have agreed not to shut off residential service.

The AG’s Office has taken a number of steps to increase consumer protections during the pandemic, including calling on the state’s Division of Insurance to immediately reduce auto insurance premiums, and filing emergency regulations to prevent harmful debt collection practices and price gouging of essential goods during the public health crisis.


Joining AG Healey in sending today’s letter are the attorneys general of North Carolina, Tennessee, California, Colorado Connecticut, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin, as well as the District of Columbia.