MALSCE Government Affairs Update – October 2022

MALSCE Government Affairs Update – October 2022

by Abbie Goodman, MALSCE Chief of External Affairs

- Massachusetts Legislature: 2021-2022 Session 

The Massachusetts Legislature’s formal session for the 2021-2022 legislature ended early in the morning of August 1, 2022. The Massachusetts Senate and the Massachusetts House of Representatives are each meeting in informal sessions each week for the rest of the legislative session, which ends on January 3, 2023.  Lawmakers plan to meet only in informal sessions through the end of this term, meaning any single objection can halt a bill's advancement. As a result, only non-controversial items are handled during the informal sessions.

- Economic Development Bill Negotiations Still underway (from State House News and other sources

As of 10/18/22, the legislature still has not signaled any path forward for the more than $4B economic development and tax relief bill they left unfinished after learning about nearly $3B due back to taxpayers under a 1986 voter-approved law. The focus now is on trying to figure out the right bill and the proper way in which to move this forward during informal legislative session, although the legislature could come back into formal session to finish this and the FY2022 closeout supplemental budget.

The legislative conference committee working on this (H 5034 / S 3030) is expected to delete roughly $1.4 billion in borrowing in the economic development bill because they cannot take the roll call votes for bond authorizations during informal sessions, which are planned until the next term begins in January.

Under state law, State Comptroller William McNamara must file an annual financial report by Oct. 31, but legislators typically need to first approve a closeout supplemental budget to close the books on the prior fiscal year. McNamara had hoped action on that $1.6 billion bill (H 5260) would come by the end of September to give his team time to finish its report, but now he will face a crunch of his own because of the Legislature's delay.

- New MassDOT Infrastructure Site Enables Project Tracking
Project Viewer Site Displays Details on Infrastructure Projects. Including funding source, cost, and category of spending: More >

- State To Address Declining Conditions In Highway Tunnels
$15 Million Effort Will Tackle Leaks, Concrete Repairs: More >

- Ten-Town Energy Pilot Will Straddle Administrations; Electric Vehicle Rebate $$$ Hung Up In Eco-Dev Stalemate: More >

- State Auditor Flags $1.26B Unfunded Mandates Gap: More >

- Division of Occupational Licensure: Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors

Next Board of Registration meeting: October 27, 2022, 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. To connect to the meeting, go to this page and scroll down to the meeting listing  to download the agenda with connection instructions.

The August 2022 public meeting minutes are attached, but are not yet posted on Division of Occupational Licensure website

September 22, 2022, Meeting Summary: these are not minutes, but a summary of what I heard:

• August 30 meeting minutes approved
• 10/27 is next Board meeting
• Board Legal Counsel Jenna Hentoff is reviewing Professional Practice document with Architects Board
• Continuing Professional Competency Regs are under review in Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development with Deputy General Counsel Rob McGovern
• Board Executive Director Jason Wentworth resigned for a different role outside Division of Occupational Licensure; Esther Laine, who oversees all the boards, is now acting Exec. Director, while search is underway. Board praised Eric Funk and Jenna Hentoff for their great work.
• Land Surveyor oral exam report
  • 8 applicants for PLS Principles and Practices and JP Exam. 2 voluntarily withdrew, 1 unable to connect on Teams
  • Committee is not recommending 2 other applicants as they couldn’t demonstrate understanding of legal aspects
  • Committee is recommending 3 to sit for  exam.

• Board reexamined chart on roles of PEs and PLSs that is here: https://www.mass.gov/doc/board-of-registration-of-professional-engineers-and-land-surveyors-advisory-task-list/download.   They recommended one clarifying edit on footnote 2 that needs to be made.
• The board then reviewed some self-reported disciplines and some application questions.
• Board adjourned public session at 9:47 AM.

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