Legislative Updates

Senator Markey’s Office Provides Massachusetts Legislation Updates

Senator Ed Markey’s staff provided the following legistlation updates regarding local transportation and environmental resources:

  1. The Biden-Harris Administration announced the first round of applications for two programs to help build electric vehicle charging infrastructure in communities across the United States. The deadline to apply for this first round of funding is May 30, 2023. More information about the application process can be found here. Eligible applicants include: county governments, municipal governments, state governments, public housing authorities, public/state institutions of higher education, and Native American tribal governments. 
  2. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has provided a list of the 16 grant programs funded by the BIL/IRA. The EPA will be managing in the 2023-2024 grant cycle, and plans to update this list on a monthly basis, to keep the status of each program current.

For more information and any questions, email [email protected] or visit Senator Markey’s website below for more from his office.

Congressman Moulton Secures 1.36 Million for Community Improvement Projects in 2 M3 Communities

Passed as part of the final Government Funding Package for FY2023

Projects with secured funding in M3:

$1,000,000 for the Town of Burlington for the Mill Pond PFAS Filter Facility

The Town of Burlington will install a new filter facility at the Mill Pond water treatment plant to remove chemical compounds known as PFAS6 from the water supply as required by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection). The project will improve water quality for all residents of the Town, along with the commercial properties that utilize Town water.

$363,400 for Middlesex Community College’s Bedford Biotech Labs

Middlesex Community College will develop a specialized Life Sciences Center in Bedford to offer biotechnology classes and expand offerings in new areas such as bioinformatics. The project aims to develop a high level genetics lab course and short-term industry training in quality assurance, microscopy, as well as providing research opportunities.

Funds for HS STEM Internship Program Awarded to the GLWFB

The Greater Lowell Workforce Board has been awarded a STEM- Focused Internship grant in the amount of $150,000.

“The purpose of these grants is to provide stipend support to increase high school students’ (9-12th grade) access to highly engaging STEM internships, particularly in schools enrolled in schools with high concentrations of low-income and historically disadvantaged student populations, to explore and prepare for a STEM Career in the Commonwealth.

Through this grant, the Commonwealth hopes to expose students to exciting career opportunities in STEM while also
building the pipeline of talent in potential employees in the Commonwealth.”

The Greater Lowell Workforce Board (MassHire) will administer the funds to businesses that hire an intern to work on STEM projects in 2023 (approximately 100 hours/student). 

For more information on eligibility and how to apply for the Internship funds, please contact, Katy Gentile at the Greater Lowell Workforce Board, [email protected].

MA State House

Updates from the State House

OUTDOOR DINING & “TO-GO” COCKTAILS

Earlier last month, the Governor signed a FY22 supplemental budget that extends outdoor dining and “to go cocktails” provisions to April 1, 2023. I know this topic has been on our collective minds for some months, so I did want to offer this update as we all gear up for the summer season.

SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

Small Business Week is May 1-7, 2022! This year, SBA will hold a 4-day virtual summit – folks can register here. In addition, SBA will hold an in-person breakfast to celebrate the National Small Business Week Awards – register here.

Finally, SBA has announced its 2022 THRIVE Emerging Leaders Reimagined program. This 6-month intensive program helps CEOs and Executives get unstuck and take their business to the next level. Participants will learn leadership skills through an MBA-level curriculum, receive tailored business coaching, and build relationships with a community of business owners, advisors, and experts. Learn more here.

WORKFORCE ROAD SHOWS

This week, we kicked off the Regional Workforce Road Shows at Keefe Technical High School and Bridgewater State University. It’s not too late for employers to register for these sessions! Register or pre-register here. We look forward to seeing you out “on the road.” 

Baker-Polito Administration Launches New $75 Million Small Business Relief Program

The Baker-Polito Administration announced the launch of the MGCC grant programs and these opportunities are now accepting applications atempoweringsmallbusiness.org. The $75M appropriated by the Legislature and signed by the Governor will be deployed in two programs:

$25M for the New Applicant Grant Program,a program for small businesses that did not qualify for the prior round of MGCC grants due to a lack of documented revenue loss

$50M for the Inclusive Grant Program, a program for businesses that reach underserved markets and historically underrepresented groups, or are minority-, women-, or veteran-owned businesses, or are owned by individuals with disabilities, or who identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community

The deadline to apply isApril 4, 2022. Read more about these programs on MGCC’s website

You can also review other small business support programs offered by MGCC, includingBiz-M-Power(a crowdfunding matching grant program) andEmpower Digital(a grant program to help businesses do more online), which are offered withSmall Business Technical Assistanceproviders.

Massachusetts Legislative Update

October was one for the books as the Senate made history with the passage of the VOTES Act! On October 6th, we voted and passed this major election reform bill known as the VOTES Act. We now wait for the bill to be brought to the floor in the House. As Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Election Laws, I’m proud to have led the work on this landmark election reform bill, which makes vote-by-mail, early voting, and same-day registration permanent in Massachusetts. With the record voter turnout in the 2020 election, we must build on this momentum and have as many people as possible exercise their fundamental right to vote. While other states across the country are making it harder for people to cast ballots, our state is striving to protect and expand voting rights.

We continued to keep busy with two major hearings for the Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet, and Cybersecurity. Our hearings largely focused on data privacy, an important issue before the committee. We heard testimony from key stakeholders and experts on ways that Massachusetts can be protecting its citizens from data misuse. We also have several bills before the committee on broadband and digital equity, which has become a priority over the past couple of years as so much of our lives have moved online. We look forward to continuing working with experts, advocates, and organizations to find ways to improve digital equity so that all residents may have internet access.