BOSTON— Senator Sal DiDomenico and his colleagues in the Massachusetts State Senate on Thursday advanced three bills that boldly tackle the contributing factors of climate change, chart one of the most aggressive courses of action against global warming in the country, and pave the way for a clean energy future for all of its residents.

An Act Setting Next Generation Climate Policy and two companion bills — one dealing with electrifying fleets and another updating energy efficiency standards for appliances  —  passed overwhelmingly and with bi-partisan support.

“We know that time is running out to take bold action on climate change, and this ambitious package is a direct response to the incredible advocacy we have heard from our constituents, especially young activists,” said Senator DiDomenico. “Combating the climate crisis is an ongoing process, but I am proud of the steps we have taken to reduce emissions and create a more sustainable future for generations to come. We as a Commonwealth owe a big thank you to Senator Michael Barrett, Senate President Karen Spilka and Senate Ways & Means Chair Michael Rodrigues for their dedication to this issue and critical work on this comprehensive climate package.”

Key provisions of the climate policy package include:

• Setting a statewide greenhouse gas limit for the year 2050 of “net zero” emissions.  To achieve this, An Act Setting Next-Generation Climate Policy requires the state to hit near-term limits in 2025, 2030, and every five years thereafter; set sub-limits for transportation, buildings, solid waste, natural gas distribution, and other major sectors; and make implementation plans that are “clear, comprehensive, and specific.”

• Establishing the Massachusetts Climate Policy Commission.  The commission would be a new, independent public watchdog to oversee government’s handling of the unfolding crisis of climate change.  Commissioners will be charged with offering a nonpartisan, science-based view of the problem as it plays out in Massachusetts with its attendant natural, economic, and demographic impacts and risks.

• Reflecting the price of carbon.  Under the bill, the Administration would be free to choose among various market based forms of pricing carbon. Any carbon pricing mechanism must be implemented to minimize the impact on low-income households, disadvantaged communities, and vulnerable manufacturing sectors.

• Jumpstarting efforts to supply low-cost solar electricity to low-income communities.  To reverse the failure of state programs to incentivize solar energy projects in low-income neighborhoods, as well as spur job creation, the bill requires the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) to set aside future solar allocations for such neighborhoods.

• Letting cities and towns adopt a “net zero” stretch energy code.  The bill allows the state to support communities that choose on their own to move away from fossil fuels as the source of heating for new buildings. 

• Nudging natural gas utilities to adapt.  The bill authorizes utilities to test technology and pipelines that generate and transport “renewable thermal energy,” an emissions-free way to heat buildings that draws on the relative warmth of temperatures below ground. 

• Strengthening executive branch oversight of MassSave.  The bill directs the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) to set emissions reduction goals, in advance, for each three-year plan the utilities formulate for MassSave.  It requires the DPU, at the conclusion of each three-year plan, to certify how much the plan actually contributed to meeting the Commonwealth’s greenhouse gas emission limits.

• Tightening the alignment between MassSave and emissions limits.  The bill requires electric utilities to include an explicit value for emissions reductions whenever they calculate the cost-effectiveness of a MassSave offering.

• Setting a deadline for converting MTBA buses to all-electric power.  An Act to Accelerate the Transition of Cars, Trucks, and Buses to Carbon Free Power directs the MBTA to limit bus purchases and leases to zero-emissions vehicles beginning in 2030, and to aim for an all-zero-emissions fleet by 2040, to reduce transportation-related emissions in city neighborhoods. 

• Offsetting the Trump Administration’s efforts to slow progress on efficient appliances.  An Act Relative to Energy Savings Efficiency updates Massachusetts appliance standards to improve energy and water efficiency standards for common household and commercial appliances, helping to conserve energy and save consumers and businesses money.

During debate on the Senate floor, the bill was strengthened through amendments that, among others, requires regional equity in carbon pricing and ensures equity is a component of The Department of Public Utilities mission statement.  

The bills now go to the House of Representatives for consideration.

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BOSTON- Last week, Senator Sal DiDomenico put out a call to his constituents and residents across the Commonwealth to respond to the 2020 Census. Wednesday, April 1st was Census Day, a day to raise awareness and promote participation in the 2020 Census.

“Now more than ever, it is critical that we ensure everyone is counted in the 2020 Census,” said Senator Sal DiDomenico. “Our district and the entire Commonwealth depend on your household to respond so our communities get the fair share of federal funding and representation that we need and deserve. Furthermore, now is the perfect time for families who are spending a lot of time at home to fill out the census online, and I encourage them to respond to their questionnaire today.”

Preparations for the 2020 Census has been a top priority for Senator DiDomenico this legislative session. He has worked closely with the Massachusetts Census Equity Fund to secure funding needed in advance of the 2020 Census and to spread awareness on the importance of a complete and accurate census count. Throughout the legislative session, he has partnered with advocacy organizations to host legislative briefings at the Massachusetts State House to secure support for census funding in the state budget and help legislators and staff understand what is at stake in the 2020 Census.

Last budget cycle, DiDomenico played a key role in securing funding in the state budget that will help to ensure a complete and accurate count in the 2020 Census. The Senator and his House colleague Representative Michael Moran were the lead sponsors of an amendment in the Fiscal Year 2020 budget that provided $2.5 million to establish a grant program for statewide census outreach. This grant program will help to support trusted community organizations and grassroots leaders reach historically hard-to-count communities.

“With $16 billion in federal funding to Massachusetts for programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and SNAP on the line, it is critical that we do everything we can to get an accurate Census count,” DiDomenico said. “More than half of my district’s population lives in hard to count neighborhoods, which is why I know how important it is that we work with community based organizations that have trusted messengers to get out the count in 2020.”

While the COVID-19 crisis has created new obstacles to 2020 Census outreach, there are many ways that households can respond to the census without anyone having to come to their door.

Massachusetts residents can respond to the census today:

·       Online at my2020census.gov

·       Over the phone at 1-844-330-2020

·       Or via mail (census forms were mailed to households across the nation last month) 

Online responses and those done over the phone are available in over 13 languages.

The Census is a national population count that occurs once every decade. The results of the Census are used to make critical decision that will impact Massachusetts over the next ten years, such as federal funding for local communities, political representation throughout the Commonwealth, and even civil rights laws.

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BOSTON-- Last week, Senator Sal DiDomenico and his colleagues in the Massachusetts State Senate passed legislation that will provide additional Unemployment Insurance (UI) relief to low-income families, non-profit institutions and employers.

An Act Providing Additional Support to Those Affected by the Novel Coronavirus Through the Unemployment Insurance System builds on UI legislation passed by the Senate and signed into law waiving the one-week waiting period to receive benefits.  It also follows the passage last week of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which significantly increases UI benefits and expands eligibility during the coronavirus pandemic.

“While the COVID-19 pandemic is without question a public health emergency, this is of course already having severe financial consequences for our Commonwealth’s working families, small businesses, and nonprofit community,” said Senator DiDomenico. “My colleagues in the Senate and I remain fully committed to addressing the short-term and long-term needs of all our residents as this crisis continues to unfold, and I am proud of the action we have taken with this bill to provide relief for our workers during these trying and unprecedented times.”

"The Senate remains focused on taking quick action to help our workers, and this bipartisan bill is the latest in our series of efforts to do so," stated Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). "We are facing a unique situation, but we are taking steps to ensure that Massachusetts workers and employers can maximize the benefits available to them through both state and federal actions as this pandemic unfolds.

Building off the Senate’s ongoing efforts to address the COVID-19 public health crisis and its impacts on workers, the bill includes four components to enhance the state’s UI system:

·       Uncapping the UI dependency allotment;

·       Extending the grace period for non-profit contributions;

·       Protecting employers from increased UI costs due to coronavirus; and

·       Ensuring 30 weeks of unemployment compensation during unemployment spikes.

The components of the bill are as follows:

Lifting the Cap on Dependency Allotment.  This bill eliminates the 50% cap for the dependency allotment providing additional benefits to low-income families. This increase will be in addition to the $600 per week benefit add-on provided for in the CARES Act for all workers eligible for state or federal benefits.

Currently, UI recipients are entitled to an additional $25 per week for each child in the family, capped at 50% of a recipient’s base allotment. The result is that workers with particularly low allotments, such as low wage workers, can easily be capped out of receiving these additional amounts.

Non-Profit Contribution Grace Period.  Presently, many non-profits self-insure for unemployment claims. This means that when layoffs in the sector occur, non-profits pay the cost of those benefits dollar for dollar at the next billing period. This bill provides a 120-day grace period for non-profits to make these contributions. This delay will allow the state to review additional changes that are warranted to mitigate the impact on non-profits. The CARES Act provides 50% reimbursement for self-insured benefit payments during the Coronavirus crisis.

Protection for Employers.  Employers who participate in UI pay contributions based on their layoff experience. Like other forms of insurance, employers that are more likely to have workers use unemployment compensation are asked to pay more in the system. The system does not anticipate a situation where employers across a number of sectors have been forced to significantly reduce their workforces due to situations outside of their control. This bill prevents layoffs related to coronavirus from negatively impacting employer’s future UI contributions.

Extending Unemployment Benefit Period.  The number of weeks of unemployment compensation available in Massachusetts is tied to unemployment rates around the state. This trigger did not anticipate a situation, however, in which unemployment grows rapidly in a very short period of time. This bill ensures that the 30-week benefit period is triggered by a significant uptick in weekly unemployment claims.

An Act Providing Additional Support to Those Affected by the Novel Coronavirus Through the Unemployment Insurance System now moves to the Massachusetts House of Representatives for consideration.

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