Governor Baker Signs Health Care Legislation Increasing Access to Quality, Affordable Care, Promoting Telehealth and Protecting Access To COVID-19 Testing, Treatment

Governor Baker Signs Health Care Legislation Increasing Access to Quality, Affordable Care, Promoting Telehealth and Protecting Access To COVID-19 Testing, Treatment

New Law Also Expands Scope of Practice, Increases Access to Urgent Care, Addresses Surprise Billing

BOSTON –  Governor Charlie Baker today signed comprehensive health care legislation that promotes key priorities initially included in the Administration’s health care legislation filed in 2019. The new law increases insurance coverage for telehealth services, expands the scope of practice for nurse practitioners, other specialized nurses, and optometrists, and takes steps to protect consumers from surprise medical bills. Recognizing the continuing impacts of COVID-19, the law also extends requirements for all insurance carriers in Massachusetts to cover COVID-19 testing and treatment.

The legislation signed today contains several priorities initially included in the Baker-Polito Administration’s health care legislation which was introduced in the fall of 2019, including requiring coverage of telehealth services and expanding the scope of practice for Advanced Practice Nurses. The legislation also extends, and in some instances codifies, critical measures taken through executive action throughout the pandemic to ensure timely access and coverage for COVID-19 treatment and services. 

In addition to the provisions enacted today, the recently signed Fiscal Year 2021 budget includes several provisions that correspond to proposals initially introduced in the Administration’s health care legislation. These proposals require all Massachusetts insurers to use a standard credentialing form, and prohibit additional costs for same-day billing for multiple primary care and behavioral health visits.

The key provisions of the new law include:

• Requiring coverage of telehealth services including behavioral health care
• Expanding Scope of Practice for Advanced Practice Nurses and Optometrists
• Increasing disclosures around provider costs and network status to protect consumers from surprise medical bills
• Removing barriers to urgent care centers for MassHealth members
• Extending insurance coverage and access to COVID-19 testing and treatment
• Directing a study and report of the impacts of COVID-19 on the health care system

“Massachusetts has long been a leader in ensuring health care quality and access and with this new law, we are making further progress in building a strong, accessible and affordable health care system, a goal that is more important now than ever,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “I am proud to sign this legislation which promotes telehealth services that have become vital during this pandemic, expands access to high-quality, affordable care, takes steps to protect consumers from surprise medical bills, and preserves access to COVID-19 testing and treatment. We look forward to working with our partners in the Legislature and the health care community to build on these reforms in the future.”

“The legislation signed today will increase access to high quality, affordable health care for residents and families across the Commonwealth, and we thank our legislative partners for their collaboration on these important issues,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “We were pleased that many of the shared priorities that we introduced in our health care legislation were enacted as part of the final legislation and look forward to this law strengthening the Commonwealth’s health care system for years to come.”

“The COVID-19 public health emergency required immediate changes to our health care system to maintain health care capacity and help our residents cope during this extraordinarily challenging time. We’re pleased to now codify policies that help people access the treatment and services they need in our fight against COVI-19, and look forward to seeing them in action,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders. “Now more than ever do we need to ensure access to behavioral health care services, as the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the need and urgency to increase behavioral health care access across the state. I applaud the Legislature for addressing several proposals to increase coverage and address barriers to necessary behavioral health services. We plan to release our behavioral health roadmap in the coming weeks and look forward to partnering with the Legislature to implement overdue reforms to ensure we have a true behavioral health system.”

“This pandemic has brought an urgency to the need to make quality healthcare more accessible to all,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D – Ashland). “By eliminating barriers to care, protecting patients from surprise billing practices, and advancing our state’s support for community hospitals, testing sites and medical staff, this comprehensive legislation will equip healthcare providers to truly put patients first. I am particularly happy that rate parity for telehealth services will remain a permanent option for Massachusetts patients – thereby expanding efficiency in care while reducing stress for everyone involved. I want to offer my thanks to Senator Friedman, Speaker Mariano and their fellow conferees for their hard work, as well as former Speaker DeLeo for his partnership in advancing these significant reforms, and Governor Baker for signing this important bill."

“This legislation applies lessons learned during the pandemic to make long-lasting changes in the way people access health care services,” said House Speaker Ronald Mariano (D – Quincy).  “I want to thank Governor Baker and his Administration for signing this bill into law and for the emergency measures they implemented during the pandemic to stabilize our health care system. I also want to thank Senate President Karen Spilka and Senator Cindy Friedman for their cooperation and partnership.”

“This conference committee report embraces the best of both the Senate and House bills to create comprehensive and necessary healthcare reforms,” said Senator Cindy Friedman (D — Arlington), co-chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. “While there is still more to do to improve patient outcomes and access to care, this bill takes a meaningful step forward by ensuring that the Commonwealth’s healthcare system can continue to meet the needs of patients during this unprecedented time, and long after the COVID-19 pandemic has ended. I am grateful to the House for their collaboration and to Senate President Spilka and Chair Rodrigues for their leadership, and I want to thank Governor Baker for recognizing the importance of this legislation by signing it into law today.” 

"This legislation continues to advance our shared goal of transforming mental health care access and delivery in Massachusetts," said Senator Julian Cyr (D – Truro), co-chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery. "This legislation will do so much good, but particularly it will expand mental health care access for rural residents, people of color, working families, and young people.”

“I would like to thank Speaker Mariano, Governor Baker, and my colleagues on the Conference Committee for all of their hard work to get this incredibly important and timely piece of legislation across the finish line,” said Joint Committee on Public Health House Co-Chair Representative John J. Mahoney (D – Worcester). “As we enter these difficult months ahead in the midst of the pandemic, it is imperative that health care be as accessible and affordable as possible across the Commonwealth, and this legislation solidifies that ongoing commitment.”

“The legislation addresses several key factors in making healthcare more accessible and medical bills less surprising,” said Representative Randy Hunt (R – Sandwich). “Telehealth is here to stay and, combined with expansion of practice responsibilities, more people in more places will receive quality medical care. I especially applaud mandatory coverage for PANS and PANDAS and my heart goes out to all of the families dealing with these devastating conditions.”

"Health care is critical to the physical and mental well-being of our residents. This historic legislation will allow and expand access to Telehealth, reform the healthcare workforce, provide assistance to eligible community hospitals, increase cost transparency, provides coverage to PANDAS/PANS, eliminate barriers to urgent care facilities for MassHealth patients, and provide access to COVID-19 testing and treatment," said Senator Dean Tran (R – Fitchburg). "It was a privilege to be on the conference committee and worked closely with my colleagues in the Senate and House, as well as with the Governor and Lieutenant Governor on this legislation to become law."

Key provisions of the law signed today include:

Strengthening Telehealth Coverage: At the start of the COVID-19 public health emergency, the Baker-Polito Administration, through emergency order, required insurers to immediately cover telehealth to ensure the continuity of services remotely  when it was not safe to do so in person. This led to a rapid shift to remote delivery and significant uptake in telehealth services. The legislation builds on these emergency flexibilities, and requires coverage parity for telehealth services and implements permanent telehealth rate parity for behavioral health services.  Additionally, it requires rate parity for telehealth coverage for primary care and chronic disease management services for two years, and rate parity for all services for 90 days past the state of emergency.

Expanding Scope of Practice: During the public health emergency, the Administration implemented emergency orders to increase health care system capacity, including temporarily expanding the scope of practice for several types of practitioners, and streamlining licensure requirements before independent practice. The new law makes permanent certain measures to expand scope of practice for nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, psychiatric nurse mental health specialists and optometrists.

Taking Steps to Address Surprise Billing: The new legislation takes steps to protect consumers from surprise bills, including a provision that requires providers to notify patients in advance as to whether a procedure is in or out of network. Additionally, it directs the Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to work with the Health Policy Commission, Center for Health Information and Analytics, and Division of Insurance to recommend a default rate for out of network billing by September of 2021.

Increasing Access to Urgent Care for MassHealth Members: Retail clinics and urgent care centers provide important access points to health care beyond the traditional hours and sites of physician offices, community health centers, and hospitals. This legislation takes several steps to increase MassHealth member access to urgent care sites, including eliminating referral requirements before urgent care visits and requirements for care coordination with the member’s primary care physician.

COVID-19 Related Provisions: The bill extends requirements for insurers in Massachusetts to cover COVID-19 testing and treatment. Under this legislation, insurers, including MassHealth, are required to cover all COVID-19 related emergency, inpatient, and cognitive rehab services. Additionally, coverage is required for medically necessary outpatient COVID-19 testing, including for asymptomatic individuals under specific circumstances outlined by the Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services. The legislation also directs the Health Policy Commission and Center for Health Information and Analytics to analyze and report on the effect of COVID-19 on healthcare accessibility, quality and fiscal sustainability in both the short and long term as well as those effects on long term policy considerations, including an examination of existing healthcare disparities due to economic, geographic, racial or other factors.

2021年麻州4項新法生效 家事就醫假 12至20週 最低時薪提高至13.5元

             (Boston Orange 編譯)跨入2021年，麻州勞工及薪資法有4項新法生效，1. 有薪家事、就醫假，2. 最低時薪資提高至13.5元，3. 週日優惠薪資降低為1.2倍，4.六月節成為麻州州定假日。

             2021年1月1日起，麻州在2018年時通過的前述3項工人權益法案開始生效。慶祝非洲裔美國人解放，已有155年歷史的六月節(Juneteenth)，也從今年起被正式認可為麻州州定假日，在這天工作的人，可以享有假日費率薪資。

             家事及就醫假部分，在麻州工作的所有人將可享有最高12週的家事假，20週的就醫假，而且休假結束可回到相同或相等職位上，保有相同狀態，薪資，以及就業福利。

             這項目的費用將由薪資稅資助，平均而言，累計約每名員工每週4.5元，由員工和雇主各分攤一半。各企業去年已開始繳交這項計畫的費用，以俾法案今年開始實施，員工可以開始想用這一福利。

             這家事假是為過去12個月中，無論是因為生育，領養，或是收養(fostering)，而家有新生兒的人設計的。這家事假也適用於受重傷或生重病的人。

             因為照顧家人而須請假的人，得等到7月1日以後，才能使用這家事假法。

             麻州的家事及就醫假法和聯邦的相似，但麻州版本是有薪，而且適用於所有公司，但聯邦版本只適用於有員工50人以上的公司。

             「麻州扶養會(Raise UP Massachusetts)」發言人Andrew Farnitano指出，只要在過去12個月內迎接了新嬰兒，就適用這新法案，因此即使是在今年1月1日前迎接了新嬰兒的家長，都可申請使用此法。

             至少有2700家大公司已選擇不參加州政府的家事及就醫假計畫，但新法案中的一項條文，容許這些公司找私營保險來提供相同或更好的保險方案。

             最低薪資增加部分，1月1日起，麻州最低時薪將從12.5元調升為13.50元。賺小費的侍應生，最低時薪將從4.95元調漲為5.55元。

             這是麻州要在2023年時把最低時薪調漲為15元的分多年進行計畫。這最低時薪明年還會再調漲。

             週日優惠薪資降低部分，1月1日起，零售業工人在週日工作的薪資，將從平日薪資的1.3倍降為1.2倍。

             任何在週日工作了的員工，如果在一週之內已工作40小時以上，還有資格領加班費，就不適用這週日優惠新資法。但如果是一週之內只工作了20小時，也在週日工作了，就適用這法案。

             六月節明訂為州定假日部分，麻州從今年起認可六月節為州定假日，6月19日這天員工可放假，如果這天工作，就可賺取1.2倍的假日優惠薪資。

             6月19日是一名聯邦將軍在1865年通知德州Galveston居民，被奴役的黑人自由了的日子。這比林肯簽署宣佈解放令晚了2年半。1866年人們在德州首次慶祝這節日，之後才慢慢擴散到全美各地。

2020年最後一日 美國新冠病毒確診人數打破2000萬大關 新增確診麻州6887 美國230,337 世界 675,313 新增死亡麻州81 美國 3764 世界 12,450

 

羅德島華人基督教會音樂會Sandra Wright Shen談彈莫札特，貝多芬等名作曲家靈感泉源

史坦威鋼琴藝術家Sandra Wright Shen(右) 和羅德島華人
基督教會開遙距音樂會。(周菊子攝)

羅德島華人基督教會遙距聚會，共期來年平安健康。

 

波士頓市議員Ed Flynn 向華埠居民拜年

 

波士頓公校系統前華裔家長感覺隱形 亞裔/華裔在少數族裔中消失

             (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓綜合報導) 亞裔，或者更應該說華裔在波士頓的處境，到底如何? 波士頓環球報12月29日所刊登文章的標題，”亞裔家庭說和波士頓公校系統打交道時，他們彷彿成了隱形人(Asian families say they feel invisible in dealing with BPS)”，把華裔，亞裔多年來避而不談，甚至不想的問題，暴露在更多人面前。

               波士頓公校系統(BPS)是因為今年新冠病毒大流行，因此提出三所考試學校慣例的以考試招生做法暫停一年，改為按照郵遞區號及學校成績分配名額。

               波士頓公校有5萬多名學生，亞裔學生僅佔約10%，但在三所考試學校中的拉丁學校(Latin School)約佔三分之一，在拉丁學院(Latin Academy)及奧布萊恩數學及科學學校(the O’Bryant School of Math and Science.)各約佔五分之一。一旦考試改分配，許多亞裔學生將失去上這三所好學校的機會。

亞裔家長們為此格外積極地參加了波士頓學校委員會就此提案召開的會議。學校委員會主席Michael Loconto在這網路會中模仿、嘲笑華裔家長姓名發音，不慎從視頻流露出去，引發批評，自行辭職。波士頓市議員愛德華費林(Ed Flynn)批評Loconto的行為不可接受，其後邀請波士頓公校總監Brenda Cassellius和亞裔家長座談。在這會議中，Cassellius承認會議未適當的提供翻譯，家長們，以及一名公校老師指出，波士頓公校多年來一直忽視亞裔家庭，教育者，社區領袖們的顧慮，經常讓他們覺得不受尊重，或有如隱形人。

也有家長指波士頓公校習慣性的把所有亞裔學生都當成優異生，不需特別照顧，尤其是那些需要特殊教育的亞裔學生，於是處境格外艱難。

但是亞裔在波士頓公校有如隱形人的情況，在整個美國社會也差不多。

            今年五月，黑人George Floyd在明尼蘇達州(Minnesota)明尼阿波利斯(Minneapolis)被白人警察殺死，全美各地掀起的”黑人的命也重要(Black Life Matters)”抗議，暴動一連持續數個月，呼籲削減警察經費，譴責種族歧視，要求改革警察制度等行動，一波又一波。

                 麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)今(12月31)日才簽署了警察改革法案。波士頓市市長馬丁華殊(Martin J Walsh)10月份也宣佈同意”波士頓警察改革工作小組”提的所有建議，還成立了一個”公平包容內閣(equity and inclusion cabinet)”，指派女性黑人Karilyn Crockett博士擔任該內閣首長，另外還設了一個初步1000萬元，目標5000萬元的”波士頓族裔平等基金(Boston Racial Equity Fund)”。

                  無論是麻州州長，波士頓市市長，英文媒體，或是一個又一個的民間社團組織，在談到這BLM運動，說起族裔歧視時，都在一遍又一遍的說，要平等對待”黑及棕色社區(Black and Brown community)”，也就是黑人和西班牙語系，拉丁裔人。

亞裔呢? 完全被他們遺忘了。

亞裔自己，也有部分亞裔認為當年馬丁路德金倡議平權運動，亞裔才得以擺脫受壓抑困境，所以亞裔欠了黑人社區人情，應該支持BLM，至於談及少數族裔，只說Black and Brown，完全沒反應，或是認為很應該。

在美國社會中一直以來是模範少數族裔的”啞裔”，如果不是因為波士頓公校要改考試制度，如果不是因為學校委員會主席嘲笑華裔家長姓名的發音，在波士頓的亞裔，可能還繼續是”啞裔”。

波士頓學校委員會曾經有華裔阮浩鑾牙醫師，一名陳姓律師擔任委員，但自從他們兩人先後卸任以來，迄今已逾10年無華人擔任委員。Loconto辭職後，波士頓市府曾發佈通知，有兩個委員席缺，但並未聽聞有人申請。

有125所學校的波士頓公校系統，在最高峰時期有5名華裔校長，但現在大概只有昆士小學的司徒玉英，以及昆士中學的張可仁兩人。

亞裔，華裔在美的處境，還是得靠華裔，亞裔自己來爭取。

Governor Baker Signs Police Reform Legislation

 Governor Baker Signs Police Reform Legislation

 BOSTON –  Governor Charlie Baker today signed “An Act Relative to Justice, Equity and Accountability in Law Enforcement in the Commonwealth,” which creates a mandatory certification process for police officers, increases accountability and transparency in law enforcement and gives police departments a greater ability to hire or promote only qualified applicants.    

 “This bill is the product of bipartisan cooperation and thanks to the Black and Latino Caucus’ leadership on the hugely important issue of law enforcement accountability, Massachusetts will have one of the best laws in the nation,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Police officers have enormously difficult jobs and we are grateful they put their lives on the line every time they go to work. Thanks to final negotiations on this bill, police officers will have a system they can trust and our communities will be safer for it.”

 “This legislation will bring Massachusetts in line with forty-six other states by adopting a mandatory certification process for police officers, creating more accountability and transparency while providing departments the ability to make more informed hiring and recruitment decisions,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “We are grateful to the Legislature for their commitment to getting this significant legislation passed and believe this bill will help best serve all 351 Massachusetts cities and towns.”

 “In a deeply challenging year for the dedicated men and women in law enforcement, this reform will create meaningful opportunities for us to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the values of honesty, integrity and accountability,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Thomas Turco. “As we implement these measures, our work remains focused on strengthening preparedness, preventing crime at every level and building positive relationships in the communities we serve.”

 “I am proud that the House lived up to its vow of listening to folks with lived experience in enacting one of the most comprehensive approaches to police reform in the United States since the tragic murder of George Floyd,” said former House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo. “My unyielding gratitude to Speaker Mariano and Chairs Cronin, Michlewitz and González for their persistent effort to improve our law enforcement system. I am confident that the House of Representatives will build on this achievement in the time ahead and am humbled that legislation which promotes fairness and equality are part of the House’s legacy.”

 “The effort to dismantle institutional and structural racism that exists in our Commonwealth must be both a sprint and a marathon,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D – Ashland). “This bill was a necessary first step towards achieving systemic change through law enforcement accountability and transparency, but I recognize that we must continue to address barriers to racial equity in a comprehensive way. I am proud of everyone who marched for equity and justice, who continued to raise their voices throughout the process of getting this bill finalized, and who will hold us accountable as we continue this work. I am also extremely proud of my partners in government who felt the gravity of the situation we faced, and who worked hard to meet the moment. Thank you to the members of the Senate and the House, especially Senators Chang-Diaz and Brownsberger and Representatives Cronin and González, as well as Speakers DeLeo and Mariano, and Governor Baker for ensuring this landmark bill became law.”

 “This legislation is a bold step forward in the modernization of our law enforcement standards," said House Speaker Ronald Mariano (D – Quincy). “I want to thank Speaker DeLeo and Senate President Karen Spilka for guiding the House and Senate as we answered the calls for reform that filled the streets this summer. I also want to thank Governor Baker and the members of the conference committee, particularly Chairwoman Claire Cronin and Representative Carlos González, who worked so diligently on an incredibly complex and emotional issue.” 

 “For the first time, Massachusetts will have an independent agency for the statewide certification of law enforcement officers. This will ensure accountability in law enforcement,” said Representative Claire Cronin (D-Easton), House Chair of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary. “This legislation is about justice and fairness. Fairness for those that interact with law enforcement, and fairness for our law enforcement officers.”

 “I am grateful to the Governor and key leaders in the House and Senate for their wisdom in coming together to carry this bill across the finish line,” said Senator William N. Brownsberger (D – Belmont). “I believe that within five years, the Commonwealth will be a significantly better place as a result of this legislation.” 

 “Today begins to address decades of demands to bring reform & accountability to law enforcement institutions,” said Representative Carlos González, Chair of the Black & Latino Caucus (D – Springfield). “Today will go down in history as a necessary step to begin the healing process between the police and the Black and Latino communities.  Building consensus is not always easy, but Massachusetts has always had Patriots ready to take the first steps on national issues. Governor Baker, Senate President Spilka, Speaker DeLeo, the Black and Latino Caucus and the thousands who took to the streets are our modern day Patriots.”

 

"This law represents a mile-marker, not an end,” said Senator Sonia Chang-Díaz (D – Boston). “Among the 50 states, it will create the first civilian-led police oversight board with subpoena power and decertification authority; it will ban chokeholds and limit no-knock warrants; it will create a duty-to-intervene for police officers and a duty to de-escalate; it will ban racial profiling and put enforcement powers behind that ban; it will end the requirement of police officers in schools. But no one bill will dismantle structural racism—in policing, or in all the other places it exists. As much as we celebrate these hard-won steps forward today, we must equally resolve to keep walking the road of racial justice in 2021." 

 “This legislation is an important step toward realizing the urgent action demanded by the movement that was energized this summer by marches in the streets and speeches in front of the State House,” said Representative Russell Holmes (D – Mattapan). “For too long, Black and Latino communities have been demanding change and accountability when it comes to policing in our communities and across the Commonwealth. While we are glad this bill is now signed into law, we must now also reflect on the importance of this fight, and resolve to build on these reforms in the future.”

 “The members of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association are eager to turn the page on what has been an unprecedented and incredibly difficult and enduring year on so many different levels,” said Chief Edward A. Dunne, President of the Massachusetts Chief of Police Association. “We are extremely confident that this comprehensive legislation signed into law by the Governor today will serve to renew an elevated sense of faith, confidence, and trust that the residents of the Commonwealth will have in their law enforcement agencies across the state. The MCOPA fully realizes and wholeheartedly agrees that the general public deserves nothing less than the highest level of professionalism, accountability and transparency in their respective police departments and this legislation will assist in enhancing our long-standing position as what are viewed by many national experts as model police departments across the entire country.”

 “2020 was a year unlike any other in our lifetime, marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and growing calls for police reform after the prominent deaths of several Black men and women at the hands of police officers,” said Eddy Chrispin, President of the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers. “As an organization of people of color, we know all too well the need for reform in policing. The landmark legislation passed by the legislature and the governor begins to address the historic negative interactions between people of color and the police. It is our hope that this legislation is the first step in addressing systemic racism in this country.”

 This legislation will, for the first time, create a mandatory certification process for police officers through the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST). The Commission, through a majority civilian board, will certify officers and create processes for decertification, suspension of certification, or reprimand in the event of certain misconduct. The 9-member commission will include six individuals from outside of law enforcement, and will also be responsible for investigating and adjudicating claims of misconduct, maintaining databases of training, certification, employment, and internal affairs records for all officers, and certifying law enforcement agencies. By creating a central entity to oversee officer certification, the Commission will ensure that those officers’ training and misconduct records are available both to the Commission and to those officers’ current and future employers, improving accountability.

 Governor Baker amended the bill to strengthen its due process protections for law enforcement, added police labor representation on the commission, and strengthened the bill’s facial recognition provisions ensuring law enforcement agencies can continue to access these potentially lifesaving tools responsibly.  

 The new law identifies the general circumstances under which police officers can use physical force, and specifically bans the use of chokeholds and prohibits firing into a fleeing vehicle unless doing so is both necessary to prevent imminent harm and proportionate to that risk of harm.  The bill also generally precludes officers from using rubber pellets, chemical weapons, or canine units against a crowd.  Violations of any of these provisions may provide grounds for an officer to have their certification suspended or revoked.

 The bill places strict limits on the use of so-called “no-knock” warrants, requiring such warrants to be issued by a judge and only in situations where an officer’s safety would be at risk if they announced their presence and only where there are no children or adults over the age of 65 in the home.  The legislation provides for an exception when those children or older adults are themselves at risk of harm.  In addition, the bill requires law enforcement to seek a court order when conducting a facial recognition search except in emergency situations.

 The legislation includes key provisions of the State Police reform legislation the Administration filed in January that provide new tools to improve accountability and discipline within the Department and to enhance diversity in the Department’s recruitment and promotional practices.  Those key provisions include establishing a State Police cadet program, enhancing the Colonel’s ability to address and correct misconduct, updating rules governing promotions of uniformed members to officer positions, removing the requirement that the Governor look exclusively within the State Police when appointing a colonel, and creating a new criminal offense for police officers who knowingly receive payment for a fraudulent claim of hours worked.

Baker-Polito Administration Awards $67.4 Million in Additional Grants to 1,366 Businesses Most Impacted by the Pandemic

Baker-Polito Administration Awards $67.4 Million in Additional Grants to 1,366 Businesses Most Impacted by the Pandemic

Applications for new relief program targeting specific industries now being accepted

BOSTON – Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced $67.4 million in awards to 1,366 additional small businesses in a second round of grants through the COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program administered by the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation (MGCC). Additionally, the new Sector-Specific Small Business Relief Grant Program, also administered by MGCC, is now accepting applications from businesses from sectors most impacted by the COIVD-19. Both grant programs are part of a new $668 million relief package announced last week.

The businesses being notified today of their successful grant application include many that are owned by minorities (50%) and women (48%). Restaurants and bars, beauty and personal services, health care and retail are among the top sectors receiving relief in this second round of awards. The first round of grants announced last week totaled nearly $49 million in support of 1,158 Massachusetts small businesses

MGCC is continuing to review existing applications and will make awards over the coming weeks to companies that meet demographic and industry preferences. Businesses that have already applied to MGCC’s Small Business Grant Program do not need to reapply to the new program. 

New Grant Program Accepting Applications

In addition to providing grants to businesses within the existing pool of applications for the Small Business Grant Program, applications are now being accepted for a new Sector-Specific Small Business Relief Grant Program that targets industries experiencing the most significant economic hardship and a loss of revenue. Industries given preference in this new program include:

• Restaurants, bars, caterers, and food trucks
• Indoor recreation and entertainment establishments
• Gyms and fitness centers
• Event-support companies (photographers, videographers, etc.)
• Personal services (nail salons, barbershops, independent pharmacies, etc.)
• Independent retailers 

This new business relief program will offer grants up to $75,000, but not more than three months’ operating expenses, to be used for payroll and employee benefit costs, mortgage interest, rent, utilities and interest on other debt obligations.

The online application portal for the new program opened today, and will close on Friday, January 15. Awards are expected to be announced in February.

Program details, application instructions, eligibility and documentation requirements, and more are available at www.empoweringsmallbusiness.org.