Charlie Bakersaid in late October that he's generally supportive of the bonuses, saying that "this is something that is the right thing to do." For legislation to establish medicare for all in Massachusetts. An advisory panel will determine which essential workers qualify for the bonuses. Maritime transportation workers, including dredgers, port workers, mariners, ship crewmembers, ship pilots and tug boat operators, equipment operators (to include maintenance and repair, and maritime-specific medical providers), ship supply, chandler, and repair companies. Workers who support the production and transportation of chlorine and alkali manufacturing, single-use plastics, and packaging that prevents the contamination or supports the continued manufacture of food, water, medicine, and other essential products, including glass container manufacturing. November 18, 2021 / 10:10 AM Charlie Baker's desk. Relative to preserving preventative services without cost sharing. / CBS Boston. WebTo the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General Court assembled: The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: An Act relative to providing a COVID-19 retirement credit to essential public-sector workers. Workers providing personal and household goods repair and maintenance. An official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Customer service and support staff, including managed and professional services as well as remote providers of support to transitioning employees to set up and maintain home offices, who interface with customers to manage or support service environments and security issues, including payroll, billing, fraud, logistics, and troubleshooting. Baker's administration and an advisory panel would determine who exactly qualifies as an "essential worker." But there were reportedly differences in priorities for spending in areas such as public health, youth jobs, education and water and sewer infrastructure. This includes construction of new facilities and deployment of new technology as these are required to address congestion or customer usage due to unprecedented use of remote services. Workers who produce, process, ship and handle coal used for power generation and manufacturing. Workers responsible for operating and dispatching passenger, commuter and freight trains public transportation and buses and maintaining rail and transit infrastructure and equipment. Workers who maintain, ensure, or restore, or are involved in the reliable development, transportation, fuel procurement, expansion, or operation of the generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power, including call centers, utility workers, engineers, retail electricity, constraint maintenance, and fleet maintenance technicians- who cannot perform their duties remotely. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. However, unemployment compensation in 2019 or 2021 does not affect eligibility for a round 1 check, so long as you are otherwise eligible based on residency and income, according to the Baker administration. An Act relative to providing a COVID-19 retirement credit to essential public-sector workers By Representative Zlotnik of Gardner and Senator Velis, a joint petition Workers supporting groceries, pharmacies, convenience stores, farmers markets and farm stands, nurseries, greenhouses, garden centers, and agriculture supply stores, and other retail (including unattended and vending) that sells human food, animal/pet food and pet supply, and beverage products (including liquor stores), including retail customer support service and information technology support staff necessary for online orders, pickup and delivery. Similar Bills. Environment and Natural Resources. Thank you for your website feedback! Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. "The panel shall also consider factors including, but not limited to, an essential worker's increased financial burden and increased risk of exposure to the 2019 novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, due to the nature of their work and any bonuses or hazard pay a worker has already received for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic and the amount thereof.". IT and OT technology for essential energy sector operations including support workers, customer service operations; energy management systems, control systems, and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition SCADA systems, and energy sector entity data centers; cybersecurity engineers; and cybersecurity risk management. 1195) of Paul R. Feeney for legislation to provide hazard pay and protection for essential workers during a "State of Emergency" declaration. Relative to creating the executive office of housing and livable communities and to rename the Executive Office of Economic Development. Chemical and equipment suppliers to water and wastewater systems and personnel protection. Thank you for your website feedback! Please visit. Operational staff at wastewater treatment facilities. The Administration urges lawmakers to move quickly on this issue. Central office personnel to maintain and operate central office, data centers, and other network office facilities, critical support personnel assisting front line employees. External Affairs personnel to assist in coordinating with local, state and federal officials to address communications needs supporting COVID-19 response, public safety, and national security. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. "The Baker-Polito Administration believes the Legislature's original decision six months ago to freeze these funds and subject them to the legislative process created a massive delay in putting these taxpayer dollars to work," Press Secretary Terry MacCormack said in a statement. Manufacturers and distributors (to include service centers and related operations) of packaging materials, pallets, crates, containers, and other supplies needed to support manufacturing, packaging staging and distribution operations. The bill, which has drawn broad support in the state Legislature, would credit workers with three extra years of service for their pensions when they retire if they AP NEW! Postal, parcel, courier, last-mile delivery, and shipping and related workers, to include private companies. Environment and Natural Resources. December 3, 2021 / 4:31 PM Any questions can be directed to [email protected]. Food service workers in residential schools with students who are unable to leave campus. Workers performing information technology and cybersecurity functions at healthcare and public health facilities, who cannot practically work remotely. H.1935 193rd (Current) An Act providing hazard pay and protection for essential workers during a declared public health state of emergency . "I'm glad it's here," Baker said at a Friday news conference. And, again, 126 state representatives and 23 state senators were willing to sign onto this because the symbolism of the gesture was more important than assessing whether it was a financially responsible decision. COVID Essential Pay Program: Some 500,000 Mass. Workers responsible for handling property management, maintenance, and related service calls who can coordinate the response to emergency at-home situations requiring immediate attention, as well as facilitate the reception of deliveries, mail, and other necessary services. Workers to ensure continuity of building functions, including but not limited to security and environmental controls (e.g., HVAC), the manufacturing and distribution of the products required for these functions, and the permits and inspections for construction supporting essential infrastructure. It is possible that neither spouse, or only one spouse, or both spouses would be eligible for a payment.. Relative to ensuring transparent ticket pricing. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. Dispatch and control rooms and emergency response and customer emergencies, including propane leak calls. It is not even clear whether he would have pursued any cost analysis, had he not been called out on this. Both chambers were in agreement on allocating $500 million for the state's unemployment trust fund and another half a billion dollars for the bonuses in the $3.8 billion package. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Please enter valid email address to continue. Farmers, farm workers, support service workers, and their supplier employees to include those engaged in producing and harvesting field crops; commodity inspection; fuel ethanol facilities; biodiesel and renewable diesel facilities; storage facilities; and other agricultural inputs. Half a million low-income workers will be the first to get the payments, which are being mailed out over the next week. The Senate Wednesday night unanimously approved a $3.82 billion package that aims to spend billions in federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act. Around 500,000 Massachusetts low-income residents dealt some of the toughest financial blows at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic should start receiving $500 payments from the Baker administration within the next week. "Massachusetts was already behind most of the country in utilizing these funds before the latest setback, and further delay will only continue to leave residents, small businesses and hundreds of organizations frozen out from the support the rest of the country is now tapping into to recover from this brutal pandemic. Workers who staff natural gas, propane, natural gas liquids, and other liquid fuel security operations centers, operations dispatch and control rooms/centers, and emergency response and customer emergencies (including leak calls) operations. Workers providing electronic point of sale support personnel for essential businesses and workers. Workers performing mortuary funeral, cremation, burial, cemetery, and related services, including at funeral homes, crematoriums, cemeteries, and coffin makers. An Act providing hazard pay and protection for essential workers during a declaration of a state of emergency H.4739 191st (2019 - 2020) An Act creating a Workers who support client service centers, field engineers, and other technicians and workers supporting critical infrastructure, as well as manufacturers and supply chain vendors that provide hardware and software, support services, research and development, and information technology equipment (to include microelectronics and semiconductors), and HVAC and electrical equipment for critical infrastructure, and test labs and certification agencies that qualify such equipment (to include microelectronics, optoelectronics, and semiconductors) for critical infrastructure, including data centers. The household income of those essential workers must not exceed 300% of the federal poverty level. Please limit your input to 500 characters. Workers supporting the sanitation and pest control of all food manufacturing processes and operations from wholesale to retail. For legislation relative to pesticides. Support required for continuity of services, including commercial disinfectant services, janitorial/cleaning personnel, and support personnel functions that need freedom of movement to access facilities in support of front-line employees. WebThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office for Administration and Finance (A&F) Federal Funds Office (FFO) is responsible for maximizing federal revenue and minimizing compliance risks associated with federal grants in the Commonwealth. This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. _____ PETITION OF: WebWorkers supporting essential maintenance, manufacturing, design, operation, inspection, security, and construction for essential products, services, and supply chain and Trade Officials (FTA negotiators; international data flow administrators). Workers for onshore and offshore petroleum drilling operations; platform and drilling construction and maintenance; transportation (including helicopter operations), maritime transportation, supply, and dredging operations; maritime navigation; well stimulation, intervention, monitoring, automation and control, extraction, production; processing; waste disposal, and maintenance, construction, and operations. Manufacturing and distribution of equipment, supplies, and parts necessary to maintain production, maintenance, restoration, and service at energy sector facilities (across all energy sector segments). H.3900. Bill No. Eligible employees may include health care, long-term care and home care workers, childcare workers, educators and education staff, farm workers, grocery store workers, food production facility workers, social workers, transportation workers, utility workers and technicians and foster parents. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. In fact, regardless of ones opinions on the various proposals to give teachers, for instance, bonuses for their year of remote teaching, it is nonetheless a far more fiscally responsible choice to make, than this proposal, which is no different than borrowing money for the same purpose. Use this button to show and access all levels. How Healthy Are Your Aging Parents Right Now, Truthfully? Workers necessary for the manufacturing of metals (including steel and aluminum), industrial minerals, semiconductors, materials and products needed for medical supply chains, and for supply chains associated with transportation, energy, communications, information technology, food and agriculture, chemical manufacturing, nuclear facilities, wood products, commodities used as fuel for power generation facilities, the operation of dams, water and wastewater treatment, processing and reprocessing of solid waste, emergency services, and the defense industrial base. Workers supporting communications systems and information technology- and work from home solutions- used by law enforcement, public safety, medical, energy, public works, critical manufacturing, food & agricultural production, financial services, education, and other critical industries and businesses. Married filers can each be eligible, provided each independently qualifies, according to the Baker administration. The order was extended on March 31, April 28, and May 15. People must also have been Massachusetts residents in 2020, or part-year residents in the commonwealth between March 10-Dec. 31, 2020. Relative to parental rights in education. If you do not receive a check, you may be eligible for a future round of premium payments, according to the Baker administration. Workers for crude oil, petroleum and petroleum product storage and transportation, including pipeline, marine transport, terminals, rail transport, storage facilities and racks and road transport for use as end-use fuels such as gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, and heating fuels or feedstocks for chemical manufacturing. Workers providing disinfection services, for all essential facilities and modes of transportation, and supporting the sanitation of all food manufacturing processes and operations from wholesale to retail. In a statement posted on their website, they criticized the broad coverage acting as an unfunded mandate for municipalities, including workers even if they had worked outside their home for a single day, encompassing both blue collar and white collar workers. Essential support personnel for electricity operations. Please visit mass.gov/reopening for full details on the reopening plan. Please do not include personal or contact information. WebBill No. Workers supporting essential maintenance, manufacturing, design, operation, inspection, security, and construction for essential products, services, and supply chain and COVID-19 relief efforts. Employees who repair and maintain motor vehicles, subway and rail vehicles, rolling stock, buses, aircraft, rail equipment, marine vessels, bicycles, and the equipment and infrastructure that enables operations that encompass movement of cargo and passengers. Network Operations staff, engineers and/or technicians to include IT managers and staff, HVAC & electrical engineers, security personnel, software and hardware engineers, and database administrators that manage the network or operate facilities. Factors that A&F considers in matching spending with Health Care Financing. Maintenance of communications infrastructure- including privately owned and maintained communication systems- supported by technicians, operators, call -centers, wireline and wireless providers, cable service providers, satellite operations, Internet Exchange Points, Points of Presence, Network Access Points, back haul and front haul facilities, and manufacturers and distributors of communications equipment. Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity. All rights reserved (About Us). Residents slated to receive checks will have earned at least $12,750 in employment compensation in 2020, with their total household income at or below 300% of the federal poverty level in 2020. Drilling, production, processing, refining, and transporting natural gas for use as end-use fuels, feedstocks for chemical manufacturing, or use in electricity generation. Workers supporting the safe transportation of chemicals, including those supporting tank truck cleaning facilities and workers who manufacture packaging items. Relative to opportunities for improving pollinator health. Massachusetts essential workers will soon receive $500 payments from the commonwealth. Workers necessary for the installation, maintenance, distribution, and manufacturing of water and space heating equipment and its components. "The panel shall also consider factors including, but not limited to, an essential worker's increased financial burden and increased risk of exposure to the 2019 novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, due to the nature of their work and any bonuses or hazard pay a worker has already received for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic and the amount thereof.". Workers providing electronic security, fire, monitoring and life safety services, and to ensure physical security, cleanliness and safety of facilities and personnel, including temporary licensing waivers for security personnel to work in other States or Municipalities. Warehouse operators, including vendors and support personnel critical for business continuity (including HVAC & electrical engineers; security personnel; and janitorial staff) and customer service for essential functions. BOSTON (CBS) -- The Massachusetts Senate on Friday followed the lead of the House and unanimously passed a $4 billion spending bill that includes half a billion dollars for essential worker bonuses. Workers at hotels, motels, inns, and other lodgings providing overnight accommodation, but only to the degree those lodgings are offered or provided to accommodate the COVID-19 Essential Workforce, other workers responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency, and vulnerable populations. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Factors that A&F considers in matching spending with funding sources include eligibility rules,spending deadlines,the availability of new funding sources, and compliance risks. Workers who support steam distribution companies provision of district heating and any electric generation, Workers who support steam distribution companies dispatch and control rooms and emergency response and customer emergencies, including steam leak calls, Workers who support steam distribution companies service maintenance and restoration, including call centers, Workers who support steam distribution companies storage, transmission, and distribution centers. msn back to msn home money Skip To Navigation Pharmacy employees necessary to maintain uninterrupted prescription filling. H.2042 192nd (2021 - 2022) Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). 126 out of 160 Massachusetts state representatives have done the same. Workers necessary for mining and production of critical minerals, materials and associated essential supply chains, and workers engaged in the manufacture and maintenance of equipment and other infrastructure necessary for mining production and distribution. Workers in animal diagnostic and food testing laboratories in private industries and in institutions of higher education. In subsequent reporting, government watchdog group The Pioneer Institute voiced its opposition. Workers including contracted vendors - who support the operation, inspection, maintenance and repair of essential public works facilities and operations, including roads and bridges, water and sewer, laboratories, fleet maintenance personnel, construction of critical or strategic infrastructure, traffic signal maintenance, emergency location services for buried utilities, and maintenance of digital systems infrastructure supporting public works operations.