June 2022 | The Stanley Report 

The Waltham High School Varsity Co-ed Cheer Team visited the State House. They were recognized on the House floor for winning the State and National championships.  

Rep. Stanley at the Pride Flag Day Raising at the State House

Rep. Stanley met with the Waltham Educators Association to discuss the Fair Share Amendment and funding for public education.

Rep. Stanley joined his colleagues on the National Guard Caucus to discuss priority legislation and to receive an update from Col. Jason Oberton, Director of Strategic Plans and Policy in the Office of the Adjutant General, on the Massachusetts National Guard's recent activity.

Rep. Stanley at

the State House

Rep. Stanley at the Topping Off Ceremony for the new Waltham High School.

Rep. Stanley attends Waltham High School Topping Off Ceremony

Rep. Stanley attended the Topping Off Ceremony for the Waltham High School, a significant milestone in the construction of the new school which featured the raising of the last steel beam. The ceremony celebrates the formation of the new school and signifies the project team’s pride in the construction progress and accomplishments.

The Topping Off Ceremony is a longstanding tradition in the construction industry that occurs when the highest point of steel in a building is finally set. The beam is painted white for the occasion and signed by the attendees. The beam is also decorated with an American flag on one end and an evergreen tree sapling on the other which symbolizes good luck for the future occupants, new growth in concert with the environment and a safe job. Banners from each of the schools signed by the students and staff will be hung from the beam as it is raised. 

Elder Affairs Committee's Long-Term Care Bill Advances

As the co-chair of the Committee on Elder Affairs, Rep. Stanley is pleased to announce that the Heath Care Financing Committee issued a favorable report on H.4780, legislation to improve oversight of long-term care facilities, enhance quality-of-care for residents, and support direct care workers. The legislation, which is now before the House Ways and Means Committee, will:

·       Strengthen Department of Public Health's suitability standards to enhance transparency and accountability for nursing home operators.

·       Establish career ladder grants and student loan forgiveness programs to improve staff recruitment/retention.

·       Increase penalties Attorney General's Office may seek in instances of abuse.

·       Mandate facilities to develop Outbreak Response Plans to better manage future infectious disease outbreaks, protect residents.

·       Require facilities to develop policies to prevent social isolation for those with Alzheimer's Disease and other dementia.

·       Ensure continuity of care for residents in need of medical/non-medical leave of absences.

Waltham Boys and Girls Club Receives DESE Grant

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) recently awarded the Waltham Boys and Girls Club a 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) Summer Enhancement / Pilot Summer Internship Project Grant ($55,000) for their summer program at the Whittemore Elementary School. The funding will help the program add additional staff and resources to provide social emotional supports, enhance academically enriching opportunities, expand the number of students served and provide a full-day experience. 

The purpose of this DESE grant is to help organizations pilot a summer internship program to support high school and college students interested in the education field, and increase access to high-quality, academically enriching summer programming that serve both the academic and social emotional learning needs of students. Interns in the WBGC program will serve as summer teaching assistants - gaining useful skills and making a true impact in their community.  This funding will them add additional staff and resources to provide social emotional supports, enhance academically enriching opportunities, expand the number of students served and provide a full-day experience. Learn more. 

Rep. Stanley Named Outstanding Dignity Legislator

On behalf of the more than 10,000 individuals represented by the thirty-one member organizations of Dignity Alliance Massachusetts, Rep. Stanley was recently nominated as an “Outstanding Dignity Legislator”. Dedicated to securing fundamental changes in the provision of long-term services, support, and care, Dignity Alliance applauds Rep. Stanley’s leadership and support of issues related to older adults, persons with disabilities, and the people that love and care for them.

Dignity Alliance appreciates and recognizes Rep. Stanley’s efforts in the current legislative session and hopes that we can continue to enjoy his support for implementing and expanding access to essential care improvements and living alternatives that will make the Commonwealth a model of care and living choices.

Mass Audubon in Lincoln and Rose Art Museum in Waltham Receive CFF Grants

Rep. Stanley is thrilled that Mass Audubon and Rose Art Museum will receive Cultural Facilities Fund (CFF) grants from the Mass Cultural Council (MCC) and MassDevelopment. The organizations recently announced a total of over $13 million in awards to 115 recipients through the FY22 CFF grant round. The Audubon in Lincoln will receive $130,000 to construct an Outdoor Teaching Pavilion. The Rose Art Museum in Waltham will receive $162,000 for improvements to the Museum's envelope, storage space, HVAC, accessibility, and security and fire protection systems.

The CFF, which is jointly administered by the two agencies, was established to support investments in cultural facilities and projects throughout the Commonwealth with capital and planning grants for nonprofit organizations, colleges, and municipalities that own or operate facilities primarily focused on the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences.

Rep. Stanley supports budget amendment to create commission to study history of state institutions

In a letter to House Ways and Means Chair Michlewitz, Rep. Stanley expressed support for Senate Amendment 863’s inclusion in the FY23 Conference Committee report. The amendment would establish a Commission charged with studying the history of state institutions for people with developmental and mental health disabilities. The Commission would have a disability-majority of eighteen people, with representation by state agencies and disability advocacy groups.

The amendment is identical to legislation cosponsored by Rep. Stanley to establish a special commission to study and report on the history of state institutions for people with developmental and mental health disabilities in the Commonwealth, which is currently before the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery. The amendment references Metropolitan State Hospital and the Fernald School in Rep. Stanley’s district. Many constituents have a deep desire to know the stories of their relatives and family members – uncles, aunts, cousins, parents, or grandparents – whose memory has been lost all these years.

Rep. Stanley Attends MA Civics Day             

Rep. Stanley recently served as a Community Advisor at Generation Citizen's Massachusetts Civics Day at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute. Former state representative and current HUD New England Regional Director, Juana Matias, was recognized as a Community Change Awardee. Rep. Stanley met with a group of students from Fall River and was thrilled to see was thrilled to witness youth embracing the Commonwealth's 2018 civics education law.

Rep. Stanley visits North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters site

Rep. Stanley joined some of his fellow legislative colleagues for a tour of the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters' flagship training (NASCTF) center in Millbury, MA. NASCTF's Executive Director of Training, Tom Fischer, discussed their apprenticeship program and educated lawmakers on the North Atlantic Carpenters Training Fund. Anyone interested in applying for the apprenticeship program is encouraged to attend an information session which are held at 6pm the first Monday of every month. Learn more.

Rep. Stanley Urges Action on Genetic Craniofacial Conditions Bill

In a letter to the Chairs of the Health Care Financing Committee, Rep. Stanley urged favorable action on legislation he sponsored to ensure treatment for genetic craniofacial conditions. The bill received a favorable recommendation from the Joint Committee on Financial Services at the end of March.

The bill would close the “cosmetic” loophole that allows insurers to deny coverage for treatment of rare, disabling genetic defects. Under the bill, all insurance contracts would be required to provide coverage for medically necessary repairs and/or restorations of genetic abnormalities affecting teeth. CHIA’s report estimates that the cost of this bill would be minimal, the typical monthly health insurance premium would only increase between 10-28 cents per member per month. While the affected number of residents in the Commonwealth is small – CHIA estimates 863 insured individuals would be covered - this bill would mean an immeasurable improvement to their lives and health.

Rep. Stanley Supports “I AM Bill”

In a letter to Chair Michlewitz of the House Committee on Ways and Means, Rep. Stanley expressed his support of legislation to increase access to disposable menstrual products. Rep. Stanley is a co-sponsor of the original bill (H.2354/S.1445). S.2730 was approved unanimously by the Senate in March and is now before House Ways and Means.

The I AM Bill would require public schools, homeless shelters, prisons, and county jails to provide free menstrual products to all menstruating individuals. Passage of this legislation would not only improve menstrual equity, but economy inequality, educational inequality, and health inequality as well. 

Rep. Stanley Attends Partnership for Youth Celebration

On May 25th, Rep. Stanley attended Waltham Partnership for Youth's (WPY) Partner Appreciation Celebration. WPY recognized AstraZeneca, which provides students with summer internships at their BioHub in Waltham, as this year’s Equity Partner. 

This event brings together over 100 business and community stakeholders in Waltham and focuses on recognizing impactful relationships between local companies, organizations, and community members. These relationships tackle critical challenges youth face, including a lack of workforce development opportunities, substance misuse and mental health issues, and disparities in educational success.

Rep. Stanley Addresses Waltham Summit on Healthy Aging Meeting

Rep. Stanley addressed attendees at the Waltham Summit on Healthy Aging organized by Waltham Connections for Healthy Aging. Hosted by Waltham Connections for Healthy Aging (Connections), the Waltham Summit on Healthy Aging further develops the way for Waltham to join the WHO/AARP Age-Friendly city program. The Summit will bring together Connections’ partner agencies and diverse seniors to examine how City and private agencies are serving seniors.

Connections is a coalition of Waltham agencies (City and private) and Waltham seniors working to make Waltham more age-friendly, supporting Waltham seniors in experiencing healthy aging, and promoting a vibrant and inclusive community. Seniors lead Connections, raise funds, support programs, create events, and more.

Massachusetts to Compete for New Federal “High Risk-High Reward” Biomedical Research Agency

A new effort was launched to rally support for locating the newly-funded federal Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) in Massachusetts. The effort includes top leaders from Massachusetts higher education, industry and government convened by Governor Baker, U.S. House Committee on Ways & Means Chair Richard E. Neal, UMASS President Marty Meehan, and MassBio CEO Joe Boncore.

ARPA-H was created by the Biden Administration to accelerate research aimed at preventing and curing diseases ranging from infectious disease, chronic disease, Alzheimer’s, and cancer. The March 2022 omnibus passed by Congress and signed into law by the President invested $1 billion to launch ARPA-H. The President’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget proposal includes an additional $6.5 billion in funding for ARPA-H for the next three years. The agency is modeled after the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and is designed to be more agile than the National Institutes of Health (NIH). ARPA-H does not yet have an agency headquarters.

Baker Administration Launches Summer Learning Programs

The Baker Administration announced nearly $60 million in state and federal funding available to school districts and community organizations to offer summer learning and recreational programs designed to help students grow academically and socially. Students at every grade level will have opportunities to take part in a mix of academic and enrichment programs offered at schools, after-school and early education programs and recreation sites.

Last summer, approximately 46,000 students across the Commonwealth participated in a summer learning program supported by the Baker-Polito Administration. The administration will once again support schools and community organizations that offer programs including Acceleration Academies, Summer Learning Partnerships, Summer Step Up and Summer Acceleration to College.

MCC Grants Helping Waltham and Lincoln

Rep. Stanley believes in the power of culture and is a proud supporter of the programs and services offered by Mass Cultural Council that invest in Massachusetts artists, communities, cultural organizations, and youth arts education programming.  

Mass Cultural Council has just released its FY22 Grant Making Reports. As a state agency, the funding to support these grant awards comes through the state budget, which the Legislature builds each year. View the most recent investments made by Mass Cultural Council in the Waltham and Lincoln communities: Stanley_FY22.pdf (massculturalcouncil.org) If you are interested in learning more about Mass Cultural Council and its programming, please visit MassCulturalCouncil.org. 

Seasonal Highway Labor Program

MassDOT is excited to announce the creation of the Seasonal Highway Labor Program for 16 and 17-year-olds. This new program is an addition to its traditional summer program that offers seasonal jobs for individuals 18 and older. This new program will run from June 6, 2022, through August 26, 2022. The standard work week is full-time Monday through Friday and start times for shifts will vary depending upon placement. Positions are available at MassDOT Districts and Depots throughout the state of Massachusetts.