[Text of section added by 2020, 227, Sec. 10. See also, Section 35OOO added by 2020, 309, Sec. 1, below.]

Terms Used In Massachusetts General Laws ch. 10 sec. 35OOO

  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
  • Minority leader: See Floor Leaders
  • Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.

Section 35OOO. (a) There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a Summer Camp Stabilization Trust Fund for the purpose of stabilizing licensed summer camps.

(b) The fund shall be administered by the department of public health and credited with: (i) appropriations, bond proceeds or other money authorized or transferred by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (ii) funds from public and private sources, including, but not limited to gifts, grants and donations; and (iii) any interest earned on such money.

Revenues deposited in the fund that are unexpended at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund and shall be made available for expenditure in the following fiscal year. No expenditure shall be made from the fund that causes the fund to become deficient at any point.

(c) Annually, not later than December 1, the commissioner of public health shall file a report detailing expenditures from the fund to the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives, the senate and house committees on ways and means, the joint committee on education and the joint committee on public health.

Chapter 10: Section 35OOO. Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund

[Text of section added by 2020, 309, Sec. 1. See also, 35OOO added by 2020, 227, Sec. 10, above.]

Section 35OOO. (a) There shall be an Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund. Expenditures from the fund shall be made by the executive office of health and human services, without further appropriation and consistent with the terms of settlements made in connection with claims arising from the manufacture, marketing, distribution or dispensing of opioids, as applicable. The secretary of health and human services, in consultation with the Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund advisory council established in subsection (b), shall administer the fund.

The fund shall be expended to mitigate the impacts of the opioid epidemic in the commonwealth, including, but not limited to, expanding access to opioid use disorder prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery options. Amounts credited to the fund shall not be subject to further appropriation and monies remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund, but shall instead be available for expenditure during the next fiscal year. Any fiscal year-end balance in the fund shall be excluded from the calculation of the consolidated net surplus pursuant to section 5C of chapter 29.

There shall be credited to the fund: (i) amounts recovered by the commonwealth and credited thereto in connection with claims arising from the manufacture, marketing, distribution or dispensing of opioids; (ii) transfers from other funds authorized by the general court and so designated; (iii) funds from public or private sources, including, but not limited to, gifts, grants, donations, rebates and settlements received by the commonwealth designated to the fund; and (iv) any interest earned on such amounts.

(b) There shall be an Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund advisory council regarding the expenditures from the fund. The council shall consist of the following members or their designees: the secretary of health and human services, who shall serve as a non-voting chair; 1 person to be appointed by the senate president; 1 person to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; 1 person to be appointed by the minority leader of the senate; 1 person to be appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives; 3 persons to be appointed by the governor, including not less than 1 person qualified by experience with opioid use disorder, either first-hand or as a family member of an individual with opioid use disorder; 3 persons to be appointed by the attorney general, including not less than 1 person qualified by experience with opioid use disorder, either first-hand or as a family member of an individual with opioid use disorder; and 10 people to be appointed by the Massachusetts Municipal Association, Inc., who are officials employed by a city or town and who represent the diversity of the commonwealth’s cities and towns; provided, however, that not less than 2 officials appointed under this clause shall be employed by a city or town that is a gateway municipality, as defined in section 3A of chapter 23A; and provided, further, that no 2 officials appointed under this clause shall be employed by a city or town that is in the same county.

In making appointments, the appointing authorities shall ensure that the council includes: (i) members representing racially and socioeconomically diverse communities; (ii) members with public health expertise concerning opioid use disorder; (iii) members with personal experience with opioid use disorder; and (iv) members who will contribute to reducing disparities in health outcomes for underserved communities experiencing opioid use disorder. The appointing authorities shall also consider having racially diverse representation on the council.

The council shall hold no fewer than 4 meetings annually and the council shall make its recommendations upon a majority vote. The council shall be subject to sections 18 to 25, inclusive, of chapter 30A, Council members shall serve without compensation for terms of 2 years. Members shall be reimbursed for actual expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties. Any member shall be eligible for reappointment. In the event of a vacancy, the original appointing authority shall appoint a new member to fulfill the remainder of the unexpired term. Any member who is appointed may be removed by the appointing authority. The secretary of health and human services shall provide administrative support to the council.

(c) Annually, not later than October 1, the secretary of health and human services shall file a report on the activity, revenue and expenditures to and from the fund in the prior fiscal year with the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives, the house and senate committees on ways and means and the joint committee on mental health, substance use and recovery and made available on the executive office of health and human services’ public website. The report shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the revenue credited to the fund; (ii) the amount of expenditures attributable to the administrative costs of the executive office; (iii) an itemized list of the funds expended from the fund; and (iv) data and an assessment of how well resources have been directed to vulnerable and under-served communities.