BOSTON-- Senator Sal DiDomenico and his colleagues in the Massachusetts State Senate have passed legislation that will help protect residents from Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), a mosquito-borne arbovirus that is rare, but can be fatal. The legislation comes as the state prepares for what is expected to be another active season for mosquitos across the state.

“Mosquito season has already begun, which is why my colleagues in the Senate and I felt it was critical we take preventative measures now to safeguard our residents from EEE and its dangerous effects,” said Senator DiDomenico. “This bill will establish a comprehensive and coordinated approach to controlling mosquitos, and I am confident that these actions will not only help to protect public health, but also ensure environmental protection.”

Last year, Massachusetts saw a resurgence of EEE, with more than two hundred communities designated as moderate to critical risk by the Department of Public Health (DPH). The virus is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito and can impact humans of any age as well as animals. Massachusetts typically experiences outbreaks every 10-20 years, and the outbreak can last for two to three years. In late September 2019, the DPH confirmed three people died due to EEE. Prior to 2019, the most recent outbreak, according to state health officials, began in 2010.

The bill authorizes the State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board (SRMCB) to take actions to reduce the mosquito population if the Department of Public Health determines there may be an elevated risk of EEE.

These actions include public education, surveillance of the mosquito population, elimination of standing water and application of larvicides that safely prevent mosquitoes from becoming adults. The SRMCB would also be authorized to conduct aerial pesticide spraying, subject to notifying the public and putting in place procedural safeguards.. Certain landowners, such as owners of organic farms, may apply to opt-out of spraying, and a municipality may opt-out of spraying if the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs approves an alternative mosquito management plan provided by the municipality. The bill also creates a Mosquito Control for the 21st Century Task Force to recommend reforms to modernize and improve the state’s mosquito control system.

The bill now moves to the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

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BOSTON – Senator Sal DiDomenico recently announced that the Massachusetts State Senate and House of Representatives passed legislation to provide governance and fiscal flexibility for municipalities grappling with public health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. This legislation has now been signed by Governor Baker. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for our local communities, and delivering for our cities and towns has remained a top priority for all of us in the Legislature,” said Senator DiDomenico. “I am proud that my colleagues and I in the Senate and House have taken action to pass this bipartisan bill and give our municipalities additional flexibility to ensure they can continue serving the immediate need of our residents.”

Building off of other legislation that gave municipalities operating flexibility during the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis, the bill further protects public health and preserves the town meeting structure from continued disruptions caused by the state of emergency. 

The bill includes the following provisions:

• Permits representative meetings to take place virtually;

• Permits quorum reduction for open meetings to no less than 10% and extends the quorum reduction to representative town meeting;

• Allows meetings to be held outside the geographic limits of the municipality; and

• Permits a municipal election scheduled through June 31 to be extended to August 1 at the latest.

By providing our municipalities with this much-needed flexibility, the bill preserves public access to the proceedings of town governance and protects the public from the continued health risks associated with the COVID-19 outbreak. 

The bill also provides our city governments with fiscal relief by allowing mayors to delay their normal budget submission deadline for FY 2021 in light of the state of emergency.

Finally, among other provisions, the bill strengthens the prohibition on terminating essential services for residents during the COVID-19 emergency and provides municipalities and regional school districts flexibility in paying school bus and other vendor contracts. 

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BOSTON- Senator Sal DiDomenico has once again partnered with the Lift Our Kids Coalition to sponsor legislation to help the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable children and families. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, DiDomenico filed alongside his House partner Representative Marjorie Decker bill H.4622, An Act to provide short-term relief for families in deep poverty. This legislation would provide one-time supplemental assistance to 30,000 Massachusetts families with children who receive Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) benefits and 19,000 elders and persons with disabilities who receive benefits under the Emergency Aid to Elders, Disabled and Children (EAEDC) program.

TAFDC and EAEDC assistance is already very low-- the maximum TAFDC benefit for a family of three with no countable income is $593 a month. The maximum EAEDC benefit for an elder or disabled person with no countable income is $303 a month. These families and seniors were already struggling to pay for basic necessities like toilet paper, food, and medicine before the COVID-19 pandemic, and this crisis has only exacerbated their financial struggle. 

“During my years the Senate, I have been working to lift families out of poverty, and this legislative session those efforts have centered around lifting families out of deep poverty, meaning helping those living below half the federal poverty line,” said Senator DiDomenico. “In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, I once again partnered with the Lift Our Kids Coalition to provide families living in deep poverty with additional assistance. While everyone is under additional stress during these unprecedented times, without question, this pandemic has hit our Commonwealth's low-income families and individuals the hardest. While many people have needed additional help and assistance during these trying times, it is critical we do not overlook our most vulnerable families and elders.”

After months of quarantine, families who were already living far below the poverty level before the crisis are suffering from the accumulated strain of trying to meet the added costs of the pandemic. When people are home all day, they use more utilities and basic supplies like toilet paper and soap.  Feeding meals and snacks to kids who are home all day also puts significant strains on families.  Laundry and cleaning products, already a stretch for many, are more critical than ever. Additionally, with schools now remote, many low-income households have had to pay for internet access so children can learn virtually.

On Monday, April 13th, the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities held the Commonwealth’s first ever virtual public hearing on this legislation. Senator DiDomenico and advocates from across the state testified to the increased need and importance of this legislation during COVID-19 crisis. This legislation received a favorable report from the Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities and is now pending before the House Committee on Ways & Means. Additionally, DiDomenico, Decker and the Coalition are working to include additional funding in the state budget to provide one-time additional assistance-- $593 for a family of three or $303 for an elder or disabled individual--using funds from the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund.

Cash assistance such as TAFDC AND EAEDC is one of the most effective and fastest forms of economic stimulus because it quickly injects money into the economy and benefit increases can be implemented virtually immediately. Low-income individuals generally spend all of their income to meet daily needs such as shelter, food, and transportation; by providing more resources for basic necessities, TAFDC & EAEDC assistance can help to free up cash for poor households to buy other essential items that they previously may not have been able to adequately afford, like diapers and medication. 

This is the second legislative session that Senator DiDomenico has partnered with the Lift Our Kids Coalition. This coalition, comprised of 127 organizations, began in late 2016 to advocate for Senator DiDomenico and Representative Decker’s bill to repeal the state’s family cap law, which barred assistance for children conceived while or soon after the family began receiving assistance. The Legislature repealed the family cap in 2019 by a nearly unanimous vote. Because of Senator DiDomenico, Representative Decker, and the Lift Our Kids Coalition’s efforts, about 11,000 previously excluded children are now receiving benefits.

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