BOSTON– Senator Sal DiDomenico has once again joined forces with anti-hunger organization Project Bread in sponsoring new legislation to provide free school meals to all children in the Commonwealth. SD519/HD1161, An Act relative to universal school meals, would allow every student who wants or needs a school breakfast or lunch to receive it—at no cost to their family and with no requirement to sign up or provide income or other information. Just as no student is required to pay fees at public schools when they enter the classroom, there would be no financial barrier in the school cafeteria.

Senator DiDomenico partnered with State Representative Andy Vargas, his former co-sponsor of Breakfast After the Bell legislation, in filing this legislation to provide universal schools meals. Last week, the legislative duo joined with Project Bread and the Feed Kids Campaign– a state-level legislative campaign comprised of the most influential and dedicated anti-hunger partners in the state– to officially launch the campaign, announce their newly filed bill, and emphasize the need for this critical legislation. 

“Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, too many in our Commonwealth were struggling to meet their most basic needs. Today, the COVID crisis has shed a stark light on the state of hunger in Massachusetts, especially for kids, with twenty percent of households with children being food insecure. That is unconscionable,” said DiDomenico. “We have a moral responsibility to take immediate action to end childhood hunger in Massachusetts, and we simply cannot do so without providing universal school meals to every child, free of charge.”

Right now, 1 in 5 Massachusetts families with kids is hungry, and 27 percent of children experiencing food insecurity in Massachusetts are not eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. However, as a result of flexibilities granted in response to the pandemic, every student in Massachusetts currently has access to free school meals. The barrier presented by cost and paperwork was temporarily removed at the federal level because this crisis put a spotlight on the need to ensure the right to the most basic of necessities—food—for all kids. Consequently, for the past 10 months, thousands more Massachusetts children and teens have been able to get free breakfast and lunch at hundreds of meal sites across the Commonwealth.

Despite this important step forward, without state-level legislation in place, there is a possibility that barriers to school meals will return once the waivers expire post-pandemic. To keep school meals accessible for all students, Senator DiDomenico, Representative Vargas, and the Feed Kids Coalition joined forces seeking a bold solution to end childhood hunger by ensuring that every student receives the nutrition they need while they are in school. 

“Our priority in Massachusetts, must be to feed our kids, full stop, and School Meals for All will do that,” says Erin McAleer, CEO of Project Bread. “Now more than ever, we need to be intentional about meeting the basic needs of students. We’ve seen during the pandemic that it’s possible to expand access to school meals for the benefit of all children. Every child and every community is better off when all students are nourished and ready to learn. Massachusetts has the opportunity right now, to invest in the health and future of our kids, and to lead the nation in providing School Meals for All. It’s a necessary step to solving hunger permanently.”

This is the first legislative session this bill has been filed. More information about the bill and the Feed Kids Campaign can be found at the FeedKidsMa.org. 

BOSTON- On February 1st, Senator Sal DiDomenico testified before the Commonwealth’s Health Equity Task Force regarding health disparities that underserved and underrepresented communities disproportionately experience in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Senator DiDomenico represents one of the hardest-hit districts in Massachusetts, and throughout this pandemic, his Senate office has centered the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable residents and worked to address the fallout from the COVID-19 crisis.

“COVID-19 has offered us tangible and concrete representation of health inequities that have been in existence in Massachusetts for many years but have now been exponentially worsened due to the public health crisis,” said DiDomenico. “Data has clearly illuminated what we have already known—infection rates are highest and most disproportionate in traditionally underserved communities, like those I represent. If we are to comprehensively and holistically solve the health-related inequities in our state, it is my recommendation that we first ensure the stability of the most fundamental necessities of our residents.”

During the virtual Task Force hearing, Senator DiDomenico highlighted policy priorities that he continues to champion in the Legislature; issues that have a direct impact on public health outcomes for Massachusetts residents. These priorities include:

• the disproportionate impact of COVID on environmental justice communities and the need further enfranchise these populations;

• the growing necessity of housing stability during the pandemic and the increased need for a right to counsel in housing court;

• the need to provide financial assistance to those living in deep poverty– i.e., those living below half the federal poverty line; and

• the need to provide comprehensive medical coverage and care to immigrant children living with disabilities.

Senator DiDomenico has filed corresponding legislation to address all of these issue areas and respectfully urged the Task Force to consider these policy priorities in their upcoming recommendations. “Both Dr. Assaad Sayah and Michael Curry have been longtime public health champions in our communities, and as chairs of the Health Equity Task Force, I have no doubt that they will continue to shed light on how on we can further support our most vulnerable populations. I am deeply grateful for their efforts, as well as their invitation to testify on the experiences that my constituents are acutely experiencing throughout this pandemic.”

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Authorizes $627 Million for COVID-19 Recovery prioritizing small business relief, support for workers, and housing development

BOSTON– On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, Senator Sal DiDomenico and his colleagues in the Massachusetts Legislature passed $627 million in funding for a sweeping economic recovery and development bill, providing critical support to businesses, investments in infrastructure, and creation of new jobs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill was signed into law on January 14, 2021. 

An Act Enabling Partnerships for Growth is a COVID-19 relief and recovery package that provides support to the restaurant and tourism sectors, small businesses, and those who have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The bill also creates a Future of Work Commission, establishes protections for student loan borrowers, and ushers in zoning reforms to encourage affordable housing development in our communities. 

“I am very pleased that this legislation is now law so that we can provide much-need relief to our small business community and the parts of our economy that have been hardest hit by this pandemic,” said Senator DiDomenico. “While the capital investments in this bill will reach every part of our Commonwealth, this legislation will have a profound impact on our district in particular. I was proud to vote for this COVID relief package, and I look forward to continue working with my colleagues in the Legislature to ensure that our communities receive the support and resources that we need and deserve during these trying times.”

Included in this economic development law is critical language limiting the fees charged by third-party delivery services, like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and GrubHub. From the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Senator DiDomenico began advocating for a cap on delivery fees to protect local restaurants during the COVID-19 state of emergency. 

“I heard from many restaurant owners on this specific issue, especially as the industry has transitioned to take-out and delivery service during the COVID emergency,” said DiDomenico. “My district is a hub for independently owned restaurants and these small businesses are in large part what make our community so vibrant. The restaurant industry throughout the Commonwealth has taken a terrible hit during this crisis, and it is the very least we can do to protect them from predatory practices.” 

The new law limits fees charged by third-party delivery services for restaurants to 15% during the COVID-19 state of emergency and prohibits third-party delivery service companies from reducing rates for delivery drivers or garnishing gratuities as result of the limitation.

An Act Enabling Partnerships for Growth also includes the following bonding authorizations and policy changes:

COVID-19 pandemic relief and recovery

Bonding Authorizations

• $30 million for the state’s COVID-19 Payroll Protection Program

• $20 million for restaurant COVID-19 recovery grants

Policy Changes

• Creates a commission to examine and make recommendations on addressing the recovery of the cultural and creative sector, including the arts, humanities and sciences, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic

Housing

Bonding Authorizations

• $40 million for a program to redevelop blighted buildings

• $50 million for transit-oriented housing developments

• $10 million for climate-resilient affordable housing developments

• $5 million for a Gateway Cities housing program

Policy Changes

• Implements zoning reform to help cities and towns approve smart growth zoning and affordable housing by lowering the required vote threshold for a range of housing-related zoning changes and special permits at the local level from a two-thirds supermajority to a simple majority

• Requires designated MBTA communities to be zoned for at least one district of reasonable size, in which multi-family housing is permitted as of right and requires such housing to be suitable for families with children

• Increases the state low-income housing tax credit program cap from $20,000,000 to $40,000,000

Employee protections, business growth, and equity

Bonding Authorizations

• $35 million for a Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation matching grant program to community development financial institutions for small business loans and grants

• $27.7 million for a new Employment Social Enterprise Capital Grant Program

• $20 million for a Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation small business grant program

• $14M million for travel and tourism grants

• $10 million for regional and community assistance planning grants

Policy Changes

• Enables, via local option, the creation of tourism destination marketing districts ("TDMDs"), made up of hotels, motels, and bed and breakfasts, for the purpose of generating local revenue dedicated solely for the promotion and marketing of specific regions of the Commonwealth

• Amends the statutory definition of wait staff employee to include a person in a quick service restaurant who prepares or serves food or beverages as part of a team of counter staff

• Provides that the taking of family or medical leave shall not affect an employee's right to accrue vacation time, sick leave, bonuses, advancement, seniority, length-of-service credit or other employment benefits, plans or programs

• Exempts natural hair braiding from the definition of hairdressing, and exempts natural hair braiding from rules and regulations pertaining to aesthetics, barbering, cosmetology, electrolysis, hairdressing and manicuring

• Encourages the PRIM Board to use minority investment managers to manage PRIT Fund assets, where appropriate, and to increase the racial, ethnic, and gender diversity of Fund investments

• Establishes a commission of experts, industry members, academics, and elected officials to research and propose policy solutions that ensure the future and sustainability of local journalism in Massachusetts

Student protections

• Establishes a Student Loan Borrower Bill of Rights regulating the licensing and operation of student loan servicers by the Commissioner of Banks

• Creates a Student Loan Ombudsman within the Office of the Attorney General for the purpose of receiving, reviewing and assisting in the resolution of complaints from student loan borrowers; authorizes the Ombudsman to assist with repayment options, applying for federal loan forgiveness programs, ending wage and tax refund garnishments, resolving billing disputes, and obtaining loan details

Agriculture and rural support

Bonding Authorizations

• $20 million for rural community development and infrastructure grants

• $2 million for an urban agriculture grant program

Policy Changes

• Expands the Food Policy Council to include an expert in healthy soil practices; codifies the definition of ‘healthy soils;’ gives the Commission for Conservation of Soil and Water the ability to establish a Massachusetts Healthy Soils Program and Fund

Technology and innovation

Bonding Authorizations

• $52 million for the Technology Research and Development and Innovation Fund

• $15 million for lottery IT infrastructure

• $10 million for the expansion of the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2)

• $5 million for the Massachusetts Broadband Incentive Fund

Policy Changes

• Creates a special commission on the future of work to conduct a comprehensive study relative to the impact of automation, artificial intelligence, global trade, access to new forms of data and the internet of things on the workforce, businesses and economy.

• Clarifies that car sharing platforms may obtain insurance coverage from non-admitted carrier and that car sharing platforms do not need their own insurance-producer or broker licenses to offer or maintain insurance policies for carsharing vehicles or drivers.

Other bonding authorizations include  

• $102,304,000 for local economic development projects;

• $12.5 million for the Commonwealth Zoological Corporation;

• $15 million for trial court virtual mediation services;

• $6 million for Massachusetts Cultural Council grants;

• $5 million for Mass Cultural Council public school grants;

• $20 million for Mass Cultural Council cultural facilities grants;

• $15 million for vocational technical school expansion grants; and

• $15 million for higher education workforce grants.

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