Representative Meschino Files Priority Legislation for 193rd Legislative Session

This term, I filed several bills to advance a wide range of policy initiatives, including legislation to drive the transition to clean energy, to secure sustainable revenue for community media centers, to foster permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless people, and to minimize trauma on children in the foster care system, among others.

Our first of three pieces of priority legislation this term is HD.3005, An Act creating a climate bank in Massachusetts. A climate bank or “green” bank develops ways to finance clean energy adoption, which would drive the shift toward a clean energy future. This work builds on the Legislature's passing of my previous bill The 2050 Roadmap.

The second priority legislation that I filed is An Act to modernize funding for community media programming (HD.215). This bill would ensure that local cable and community media centers continue to be financially sustainable. Last session, the legislation gained widespread bipartisan support from over 60 legislators and received further praise from community media centers and advocates across the Commonwealth.

The final major bill, An Act to create and implement a Massachusetts Flexible Supportive Housing Subsidy Pool Program (HD.216), would braid public and private funding streams to better meet the needs of homeless individuals, families, and unaccompanied youth. Cosponsored by 18 lawmakers last session, the legislation made it out of both the Housing and Healthcare Financing Committees in the 192nd Session.

All bills will soon be assigned to a committee for review and initial disposition. Each and every bill will have a public hearing. Hearings are scheduled by subject matter, typically beginning in the spring, and will be conducted throughout the 193rd Session.

If you would like to track specific bills and their progress through the Legislature, please visit https://malegislature.gov/ and make an account at the top right corner of the webpage. My staff is able to help track bills as well--feel free to contact our office with any questions.

Starting February 16, 2023, the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) Connect mobile app and online portal are aligning. This change expands the number of clients who may be able to utilize the app now. In addition, there are currently some features that are only available online that are not available on the app.

Additional features that will now also be available on the mobile app include checking SNAP eligibility, applying for SNAP and cash benefits, and completing SNAP recertifications. Finally, the agency is also launching a new webpage at Mass.gov/DTAConnectHelp. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office staff with any questions.

As part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, the federal government has ended the continuous coverage requirements that prevented a member’s MassHealth coverage from ending during the COVID-19 emergency. Beginning April 1, 2023, all current MassHealth members will need to renew their health coverage to ensure they still qualify for their current benefits. These renewals will take place over 12 months. In order to reduce the number of qualified members that lose their coverage, MassHealth is working with the Massachusetts Health Connector, Health Care For All, and other partners to make sure members know how to renew their coverage and are aware of other affordable health coverage options if needed.

Again, please feel free to contact my office with any questions about the renewal process.

The recently passed Congressional Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 also ends the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) extra temporary benefits, known as SNAP Emergency Allotments, as of February 2023. This means that households who collect this extra SNAP benefit will receive their last payment on March 2, 2023.

Households can tell DTA about changes in personal circumstances by uploading information via the agency’s free mobile app and online portal DTA Connect, calling the DTA Assistance Line at 877-382-2363, visiting a local DTA office, or working with one of the department’s over 100 SNAP outreach partners. My Legislative Aides also have a strong understanding of the resources available to SNAP beneficiaries; please reach out with any questions in this time of transition.

Save the Harbor and the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will be granting more than $300,000 to groups and creatives with fun, unique ideas to bring free public events to our region’s beaches this summer. In 2022, Save the Harbor’s Better Beaches Program leveraged nearly $270,000 to 68 organizations in nine waterfront communities from Nahant to Nantasket. In turn, those organizations ran 188 events, including festivals, movie nights, concerts, beach parties, fitness classes, sailing and kayaking sessions, speaker series, and summer programs.

Save the Harbor will be accepting Requests for Proposals (RFP) via a Google Form until March 13th at https://www.savetheharbor.org/better-beaches. Organizations and individuals are both eligible to apply. The Better Beaches Grants Committee will review the proposals and notify you of their decisions by April 7th, 2023.

Please contact Maya Smith at smith@savetheharbor.org with any questions or to talk about your great idea!