Massachusetts Senate unveils $3.66 billion coronavirus relief bill with bonuses for essential workers, investment in mental health

A $3.66 billion plan by state senators to spend about half of the remaining federal coronavirus relief dollars mirrors many of the priorities laid out in a House bill passed last week — setting the two branches up for quick action as they scramble to finalize the package before lawmakers break for the holidays in two weeks.

Senate President Karen Spilka said the Senate proposal would cover, “immediate and critical needs” in mental health care, food security, the struggles of small businesses and access to housing while building up the state’s investments in local boards of health.

“At this critical juncture, we must not lose sight of the big picture,” Spilka said, plugging the Senate’s “careful planning” in allocating the $5.3 billion in federal aid at the Legislature’s disposal.

The bill, which was released Wednesday afternoon by Senate Ways and Means, proposes to put about $1 billion into health care, $1.7 billion into economic and workforce development, $600 million into housing and $450 million to combat climate change.

Senators are also seeking to establish commissions tasked with oversight of the spending to ensure the cash gets distributed equitably and reaches those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Senate bill comes on the heels of the House passing it’s own $3.82 billion version of a coronavirus spending bill that similarly relies on ARPA cash and surplus tax dollars.

The Senate version includes many of the same spending priorities after leaders from both branches collaborated in the interest pushing out a bill ahead of the looming mid-November recess when lawmakers break for about seven weeks.

The biggest ticket items in both bills are a proposed $500 million in unemployment insurance relief for businesses and $500 million in bonus pay for essential workers who remained on the job throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Qualified public- and private-sector workers who earned up to 300% of the federal poverty limit — or $79,500 for a family of four — during the pandemic will be eligible for the essential worker bonuses. Checks will be cut for $500 to $2,000 depending on how many workers qualify for the payout, lawmakers said.

Both bills would also make $200 million in tax relief available to small business owners who had to pay personal income taxes on previous state and federal relief grants.

Lawmakers say they would pay for these and other proposals in the bill with a combination of $2.5 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funds and up to $1.45 billion of surplus tax revenue.

The Senate bill also proposes $400 million for a “mental and behavioral health reserve,” according to the summary, which has been a major priority for Spilka.

The House passed its $3.82 billion version of surplus-ARPA spending last Friday night, with the bill ultimately growing by about $170 million after lawmakers considering more than 1,000 amendments.

The much-anticipated Senate COVID relief spending bill comes five months after the feds deposited nearly $5.3 billion in unrestricted coronavirus relief funds for Massachusetts and as Gov. Charlie Baker and administration officials have repeatedly pushed legislators to get the money out the door quickly.

Senators can file amendments to the Senate Ways and Means recommendations until Friday. The full Senate will then debate the ARPA spending bill in formal session next Wednesday.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3BMW9Mt