MALSCE Government Affairs Update – March 2023
by Abbie Goodman, MALSCE Chief of External Affairs
Update on Governor Healey's Cabinet and Leadership Appointments
Massachusetts Legislature
FY2024 Budget Process: Governor Healey presented her FY2024 Budget Proposal on March 1, 2023.
Governor's FY2024 Budget Recommendation
Healey Budget Shines Light On Transportation Agenda
- Gov. Maura Healey's FY2024 budget proposal is a $55.5B package described as a "downpayment" on the governor's goals of making Massachusetts a more affordable place to live, driving the state's decarbonization push and addressing the impacts of climate change, and preparing students for careers in an evolving economy. Other highlights include:
- The bottom line for fiscal year 2024 spending represents a 4.1 percent increase over the current year's budget as originally adopted last summer, exactly the same growth rate that the administration and lawmakers expect to see from state revenues in fiscal 2024 when accounting for $1 billion from the state's new income surtax.
- That $1 billion from the surtax on income in excess of $1 million will go under Healey's plans towards education ($510 million) and transportation ($490 million) and Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew Gorzkowicz said that some of the investments the new governor's first budget (H 1) proposes in those areas "would be very challenging" to have made without the new revenue stream.
- For transportation, the surtax revenues would go towards $181 million in MBTA capital investments, launching a $100 million municipal partnership program, providing $100 million for highway bridge maintenance and preservation, and making $25 million available in regional transit funding and grants.
- The budget plan also ratchets up funding for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, which sits at the center of the state's efforts to reduce carbon emissions to a net-zero level by 2050 and to electrify buildings, vehicles and more.
- EEA would get $543.6 million under Healey's budget -- an increase of $105.2 million or 24 percent that would allow the secretariat to hire 240 new staff members. The administration said it would be the first time that an annual state budget dedicates at least 1 percent of its total to EEA.
- The next step in the FY2024 budget process is expected around April 10, when the House Ways and Means Committee releases its budget proposal. If they stick to their usual schedule, amendments to that budget will be due by April 14, with House debate during the week of April 24. The Senate Ways and Means Committee would then release its budget proposal in May.
- Reminder: May 11: Engineers and Land Surveyors Day at the State House – in person, with MWWA, UCANE, some MMA, with Water’s Worth It Day at lunchtime.
-
FY2023 Supplemental Budget Update: The House and Senate are expected to initiate a conference committee to hammer out a compromise version of Gov. Healey's fiscal 2023 supplemental budget and bonding bill next week. The House version includes $353 million in spending and $585 million worth of bonding authorizations, while the Senate passed a bill with a $366.7 million bottom line and $814.3 million in bond authorizations. Both versions would extend pandemic-era policies like remote meetings (until March 31, 2025) and outdoor dining, but the branches disagree on whether to continue cocktails to-go (House approved and extension, Senate did not). Bond authorizations in both bills include $400 million for the MassWorks grant program and $104 million for the Clean Water Trust, among other initiatives.
MassDOT Highway Issues 2023 Edition of Standard Specifications
- The MassDOT Highway Division issued the 2023 Edition of the Standard Specifications for Highways and Bridges. This edition combines the previous (2022) edition with all supplemental specifications issued by MassDOT during 2022. The 2023 Edition of the Standard Specifications includes an appendix that provides a full accounting of the changes to the previous (2022) edition. This new edition is provided in four separate files, one for each major Division of the document and one for the appendix.
- The 2023 Edition of the Standard Specifications for Highways and Bridges will be referenced in the contract documents for all projects advertised beginning February 6, 2023. No changes are required for any projects already advertised or under construction. For additional information, refer to Engineering Directive E-23-001.
Division of Occupational Licensure: Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors
Next Board of Registration meeting: March 23, 2023, on Teams. The Board of Registration plans to continue virtual meetings for now, as the Governor and Legislature have extended the law allowing virtual public meetings like this to continue through March 31, 2023, unless the legislature and Governor Healey move forward with extending this to March 31, 2025, as expected in a pending FY2023 supplemental budget. To connect to the meeting, go to this page and scroll down to the meeting listing to download the agenda with connection instructions.
Highlights of the 2/16/2023 Board of Registration Meeting.
Draft Public Session Minutes from 2/16/2023 Meeting
- The Division of Occupational Licensure is now required to record meetings. The Teams recording technology did not work for this meeting, requiring staff to find a tape recorder to record the audio of the meeting, delaying the meeting start.
- The board approved the January 26, 2023 meeting minutes. Draft January meeting minutes.
- Joint Professional Practice document: Board approved a new draft version: https://files.engineers.org/file/Updated-Draft-AR-EN-Prof-Practice-Guide-January-2023-002.pdf
- This version now goes to the Board of Registration of Architects for another vote, but they will not meet again until April. If they make additional changes, this document will return to the PE and LS Board for another vote. Once the final document is approved by both boards, the document will then be reviewed by Division of Professional Licensure staff before it is issued to the public.
- Eventually, the Board of Registration is eager for ACEC/MA, BSCES, and MALSCE to assist in widely distributing this document to design professionals, state officials and municipal officials statewide.
- Draft Continuing Professional Competency Regulations are still in the Executive Office of Housing and Community Development. From there they would go to Executive Office of Administration and Finance.
Highlights of the 1/26/2023 Board of Registration Meeting
- The board approved the November 2022 meeting minutes. They did not meet in December. Draft November meeting minutes
- Kathleen McNally is the new Executive Director for Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors, announced earlier this week.
- Colleen Maloney is the new Deputy Commissioner for Division of Occupation Licensure who will oversee all boards of registration at the division, announced earlier this week.
- The Board Advisory on Tasks that can be performed by Professional Land Surveyors (“PLS”) and Professional Engineers qualified in the Branch of civil engineering (“PE Civil)”) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has finally been updated here: https://www.mass.gov/doc/board-of-registration-of-professional-engineers-and-land-surveyors-advisory-task-list-0/download with a new footnote.
- Board of Registration is eager for ACEC/MA, BSCES, and MALSCE to assist in widely distributing this document.
- For the Fall 2022 Principles and Practices in Land Surveying, including the pencil and paper Jurisprudence Exam, the passing grade rate was 70%. Nine candidates took the exam. Here are the results: three of nine passed for 33% passing rate, two in-state candidates passed; one out-of-state candidate, who was a first-time test-taker passed.
- Draft Continuing Professional Competency Regulations are still in the Executive Office of Housing and Community Development. From there they would go to Executive Office of Administration and Finance.
- Joint Professional Practice document: new draft version: https://files.engineers.org/file/Updated-Draft-AR-EN-Prof-Practice-Guide-January-2023-002.pdf - no vote at this meeting
STEM Opportunities
Help to promote STEM, especially engineering & land surveying careers, to K-12 students & Community College students. Ways for your firm to plug in:
Classroom Visit Presentation Module to Promote #STEM Careers
- For Engineer Visits to Classrooms: As your firm explores STEM activities to provide for K-12 classrooms in 2023, check out this resource from ACEC/MA's Leadership Education Committee: a Module you can use for classroom visits in your community. More >
- For Land Surveyor Visits to Classrooms: MALSCE's PPT on the Land Surveying Profession - You can download this and adapt for school and college presentations. This is a large file that will take a minute to download.
