reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 23b § 24a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 23b - Department of Housing and Community Development|Section 24a - Fuel Assistance and Weatherization Assistance Programs; Coordination

Section 24A. Subgrantees of fuel assistance programs shall provide written notice of the existence of weatherization assistance programs when such programs are available to all recipients of fuel assistance, and shall provide written notice of the names of said recipients to weatherization assistance program subgrantees.  Subgrantees of the weatherization assistance program shall provide written notice of the existence of said program to all recipients of the fuel assistance program within six months of the receipt of the name of said recipient from the subgrantee providing fuel assistance.
MA Gen L ch 23b § 24b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 23b - Department of Housing and Community Development|Section 24b - Low-Income Sewer and Water Assistance Program

Section 24B. The department shall, subject to appropriation, operate a low-income sewer and water assistance program to provide assistance in paying the sewer and water bills of homeowners earning less than one hundred and fifty percent of the federal poverty level, as defined by the federal government or homeowners who are eligible for one and two household fuel assistance program, so-called. Said program may be administered in coordination with the Low-income Home Energy Assistance Act, 42 United States Code sections 8621 et seq., or any successor acts thereto, subject to the following provisions: shall establish benefit rates and maximum benefits such that total benefits paid do not exceed the amount appropriated for this benefit;  (a) the department shall use the same grantee agencies, similar applications and similar verification procedures as are used in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, to the maximum extent possible. The department may also utilize a reasonable percentage of any funds appropriated, not exceeding 10 per cent of such funds, for administrative costs of the program.  (b) the benefit level provided to any individual household eligible under this program shall not be greater than 25 per cent of the total annual water and sewer bill for the household; provided, however, that the department shall establish benefit rates and maximum benefits such that total benefits paid do not exceed the amount appropriated for this benefit.  (c) households which receive benefits under this program shall not unreasonably refuse to cooperate with any demand-side water conservation programs which are provided at no expense to the household by any local agency or authority.
MA Gen L ch 23b § 26 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 23b - Department of Housing and Community Development|Section 26 - Public Purpose for State Assisted Rental Housing

Section 26. It is hereby found and declared that there now exists in many cities and towns in the commonwealth an acute shortage of decent, safe and sanitary housing for persons and families of low or moderate income and others. That this shortage is inimical to the safety, health, morals and welfare of the residents of the commonwealth and the sound growth of communities therein.  That a large and significant number of commonwealth residents have and will be subject to hardship in finding decent, safe and sanitary housing unless new facilities are constructed and existing housing, where appropriate is rehabilitated. Unless the supply of housing is increased significantly and expeditiously, a large number of residents of the commonwealth, especially low or moderate income persons or families, will be compelled to live in unsanitary, overcrowded and unsafe conditions to the detriment of the health, welfare and well-being of these persons and of the whole community of which they are a part. By increasing the housing supply of the commonwealth, the clearance, replanning, development and redevelopment of blighted areas will be aided, and the critical shortage of adequate housing will be ameliorated.  It is further found and declared that this public exigency, emergency and distress has not been met in any way by private agencies. Private enterprise, without the assistance contemplated in this chapter cannot achieve the construction of decent, safe and sanitary housing at rentals which persons and families of low or moderate income can afford in situations where permanent betterment of living conditions is to be hoped for. Moreover, experience has demonstrated that concentration of low income persons and families even in standard structures built with public subsidy does not eliminate slum conditions. It is, therefore, imperative that private enterprise be encouraged to build housing which will prevent the recurrence of slum conditions and assist in their permanent elimination by housing persons of varied economic means in the same project and neighborhoods, and which will promote the development, or redevelopment of blighted open areas, decadent or substandard areas by eliminating blight, decay or deterioration in such areas, or the imminent threat of such blight, decay or deterioration in such areas.  It is hereby further found and declared that the authority and powers conferred under this chapter and the expenditure of public monies pursuant thereto constitutes a serving of a valid public purpose and the enactment of the provisions hereinafter set forth is in the public interest and is hereby so declared to be such as a matter of determination by the general court.
MA Gen L ch 23b § 29 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 23b - Department of Housing and Community Development|Section 29 - Confidentiality of Community Development Block Grant Application Materials

Section 29. As used in this section, the following words shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise:  ''Community development block grant'', funds designated to promote the development of viable urban communities within the commonwealth and which are distributed by the federal government to the commonwealth pursuant to sections 300, et seq., of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, or its successor.  ''Program'', a program administered by the department pursuant to section 105(a) (17) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, 42 USC 5305(a) (17), as amended, in which loans are made to private, for-profit entities through local communities with community development block grant funds.  Any documentary materials or data made or received by an employee of the department, an employee or official of a city or town or a member of an advisory committee created by the director to make recommendations concerning the use of program funds, to the extent that such materials or data consist of trade secrets or commercial or financial information regarding the operation of a business conducted by an applicant for, or a recipient of, assistance which the program is empowered to render or regarding the competitive position of such applicant or recipient in a particular field of endeavor, shall not be deemed to be public records and shall not be subject to the provisions of section ten of chapter sixty-six. Any discussion or consideration of such trade secrets or commercial or financial information may be held by an advisory committee created by the director to make recommendations concerning the use of program funds, in executive session closed to the public, notwithstanding the provisions of section eleven A1/2 of chapter thirty A.
MA Gen L ch 23d § 1a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 23d - Employee-Ownership Revolving Loan Fund|Section 1a - Declaration of Need for Employment Skills Training and Education; Findings

Section 1A. It is hereby found and declared that:  There exists in the commonwealth a critical shortage of training and education programs necessary to meet the growing needs of business and industry for skilled employees and the corresponding needs of our people for opportunities for new or more rewarding employment.  As a result of this shortage, business and industry is unable to obtain sufficient numbers of qualified employees for continued operation and expansion within the commonwealth, of our people, particularly those who are victims of economic dislocation, and those minority and economically disadvantaged groups, are denied significant and substantial employment opportunities.  The loss of economic and employment activity from the commonwealth contributes to a decline in the tax base, leads to unemployment and underemployment of our people, causes an increase in welfare and unemployment costs, and constitutes a threat to the general welfare of the entire commonwealth.  This shortage is occasioned by the inability of educational institutions to secure the resources necessary for the development and substantial expansion of programs of skills training and education which are consistent with employment need;  Business and industry is the primary source of employment information, technical assistance and financial support required for such program development and expansion;  Business and industry supports educational institutions, through increased and more comprehensive relationships of cooperation and assistance, is necessary to enable educational institutions to meet the needs of business and industry for skilled employees and the needs of our people for new or more rewarding employment opportunities;  Educational institutions are unable to attract sufficient support from business and industry within the limits of their existing resources and through the normal operation of the private enterprise system.  It is an important function of government to increase opportunities for gainful employment, to assist in promoting a productive and expanding economy, to encourage the flow of business and industry support to educational institutions, and otherwise to improve the prosperity and general welfare of the inhabitants of the commonwealth.  Therefore, it is found that it is in the public interest of the commonwealth to promote the prosperity and general welfare of its citizens, a public purpose for which public money may be expended, to encourage and facilitate the formation of comprehensive cooperative relationships between business and industry and educational institutions which provide for the development and significant expansion of programs of skills training and education consistent with employment needs, and to make interested individuals aware of the employment opportunities presented thereby.
MA Gen L ch 23d § 2 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 23d - Employee-Ownership Revolving Loan Fund|Section 2 - Industrial Service Program; Rules; Procedures

Section 2. A Massachusetts industrial service program shall be established in the executive office of economic development, under the joint supervision of the director of business and technology, the director of the department of labor, and the director of workforce development.  The secretary, in consultation with the director of business and technology, the director of labor, and the director of workforce development, shall issue rules, regulations and procedures governing the application for and delivery of the services provided for in this section and sections 3 to 7, inclusive, and sections 24 to 26, inclusive, as necessary to carry out this chapter.
MA Gen L ch 23d § 3 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 23d - Employee-Ownership Revolving Loan Fund|Section 3 - Executive Director; Employees; Utilization of Other Agencies' Resources

Section 3. Subject to appropriation, the director of economic development and the director of labor and workforce development shall hire an executive director and such other employees as they may from time to time find necessary for the proper performance of the duties of the program; provided, however, that in the hiring of the executive director said director of economic development and the director of labor and workforce development shall consult with the board of trustees of the economic stabilization fund. At least one such employee shall be hired for the purpose of packaging and reviewing applications for financing by the economic stabilization fund, as provided in section thirteen, and the board of said fund shall have the right to approve the hiring of any persons for this purpose.  The executive director shall be the executive and administrative head of the program and shall be responsible for administering and enforcing the provisions of law relative to the program.  The executive director of the industrial services program may utilize the offices, staff, and resources of other agencies of the executive branch including, but not limited to, the Bay State Skills Corporation, the Massachusetts office of business development, the department of labor and workforce development and the department of housing and community development, the Massachusetts community development finance corporation, the Massachusetts government land bank, the Massachusetts industrial finance agency, the Massachusetts Product Development Corporation, the Massachusetts Economic Stabilization Fund, and the Massachusetts Technology Development Corporation and such voluntary and uncompensated services as may from time to time be necessary for the proper performance of the duties and purposes of the program.
MA Gen L ch 23d § 5 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 23d - Employee-Ownership Revolving Loan Fund|Section 5 - Private Consultants; Contracts

Section 5. In performing the duties pursuant to clause (a) of section four the director may contract with private consultants either for the purpose of assessing the viability of a business likely to experience a large loss of employment, plant closure, or failure, and developing an adjustment strategy to keep the business viable and maintain employment, or for the purpose of securing new ownership or new management or both necessary to keep the business in operation as a viable business and maintain employment; provided, however, that before contracting for such services, the director shall determine: (a) that business is unable to pay for these services; and (b) the director cannot obtain such services of sufficient quality and with sufficient speed from an existing state agency, department, office or quasi public corporation to properly perform said duties.  To perform the duties pursuant to clause (h) of section four, a technical assistance fund is hereby established to be used by the director to contract with private consultants solely for the purposes of assessing the feasibility of converting an existing business to an employee-owned business or for assessing the feasibility of establishing a start-up employee-owned business, and for providing other technical assistance to employee-owned businesses and employee-ownership projects including, but not limited to, legal assistance, marketing assistance and educational services; provided, however, that before contracting for such services, the director shall determine that:  (a) the employee-owned business or employee-ownership project is unable to pay for such services;  (b) such services cannot be obtained of sufficient quality and with sufficient speed from an existing state agency, department, office or quasi-public corporation to properly perform said duties; and  (c) the employee-owned business or employee-ownership project agrees to repay the program for the cost of the technical assistance provided the feasibility assessment is positive, based on terms and conditions established by the director.
MA Gen L ch 23d § 6 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 23d - Employee-Ownership Revolving Loan Fund|Section 6 - Sale of Business; Notice to Employees; Assistance for Buyers

Section 6. In any case where the program, pursuant to clause (a) of section four is assisting a business to locate new owners, the office shall give priority to effectuating the sale of said business either to its employees or to a resident of Massachusetts. In such cases, the director shall inform the employees that the business is for sale, inform the employees of their opportunity to purchase the business, and provide the employees with the same assistance in purchasing said business for which other interested buyers may be eligible.
MA Gen L ch 23d § 7 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 23d - Employee-Ownership Revolving Loan Fund|Section 7 - Documentary Materials, Data or Conversations Regarding Business Operations; Public Records

Section 7. Any documentary materials, data, or conversations whatsoever made or received by any employee of the program and consisting of, or to the extent that such materials, data, or conversations consist of, trade secrets or commercial or financial information regarding the operation of any business conducted by an applicant for assistance which the program is empowered to render or regarding the competitive position of such applicant in a particular field of endeavor, shall not be deemed public records of the program and specifically shall not be subject to the provisions of section ten of chapter sixty-six.
MA Gen L ch 23d § 16 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 23d - Employee-Ownership Revolving Loan Fund|Section 16 - Employee&ndash;ownership Revolving Loan Fund

Section 16. There shall be established within the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation a separate fund to be known as the Employee–Ownership Revolving Loan Fund, the proceeds of which shall be used to provide low interest long term loans to individuals for the purchase of such individual's ownership interest in an employee-owned business. The fund shall consist of all monies designated for that fund by the board of directors of the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation in consultation with the director of the industrial services program.  Said board shall administer the employee-ownership revolving loan fund program. The application process and the terms and conditions of approving such loans shall be determined by the board in consultation with the director. Said fund shall be subject to the reporting and auditing requirements of section 56 of chapter 23A.
MA Gen L ch 23d § 17 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 23d - Employee-Ownership Revolving Loan Fund|Section 17 - Employee Involvement and Ownership Program; Powers and Duties of Director

Section 17. There is hereby established in the executive branch, under the supervision of the executive director of the industrial services program, a program of employee involvement and ownership. Said program shall provide education, outreach and promotion efforts to create an overall environment in the commonwealth which will expand and enhance employee involvement and ownership, to publicize and promote the benefits of employee involvement and ownership to policy makers and the general public, to encourage joint collaborative outreach efforts regarding involvement and ownership in the workplace, to research and evaluate employee involvement and employee ownership in the commonwealth, to showcase employee involvement and ownership initiatives in the commonwealth, to facilitate and coordinate the sharing of existing information and resources, and to provide grants pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.  The director shall have the powers to appoint any specific committee or task force and to contract with consultants, agents or advisors deemed necessary to further the purposes of the program of employee involvement and ownership; provided, however, that said director shall seek the advice of the commission prior to such appointment or such hiring.  Said director may accept gifts or grants of money or property from any source; provided, however, that any money received shall be deposited with the state treasurer to be kept in a separate fund in the treasury for expenditure without appropriation by the director in accordance with the conditions of such gift or grant.  The director shall, after consultation with the commission, issue such rules, regulations and procedures governing the application for and delivery of services provided for by sections seventeen to twenty-four, inclusive, which are deemed necessary for the proper performance of the duties of the program of employee involvement and ownership.
MA Gen L ch 23d § 19 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 23d - Employee-Ownership Revolving Loan Fund|Section 19 - Start-Up Programs; Requests for Grants; Memoranda of Understanding

Section 19. The director may promote and accept requests for grants for start-up employee involvement programs in state agencies, the majority of whose employees are not subject to the provisions of chapter one hundred and fifty E, authorities of the commonwealth, the Massachusetts board of regents of higher education or any institution under its authority, regional and municipal authorities, cities, towns, regional school districts and independent vocational schools. The school committee of a city or town may request such grants for the public school system under its control. Any such grant to cities and towns for such public school systems shall be deposited with the treasurer of such city or town to be expended by the school committee without further appropriation. Such grant requests shall include, but not be limited to, an approved statement of purpose and an implementation plan to which participating labor and employer representatives have committed themselves in writing. Said grants shall be on a matching basis with said participating state agency, the majority of whose employees are not subject to the provisions of chapter one hundred and fifty E, authority of the commonwealth, Massachusetts board of regents of higher education, city, town, regional school district or independent vocational school funding. Said grants shall be used for, but not be limited to, training managers, union leadership and employees in employee involvement strategies and methods.  Said director is authorized to enter into memoranda of understanding with the state agencies including, but not limited to, the office of employee relations, the human resources division within the executive office for administration and finance and the board of conciliation and arbitration, which are already actively involved in coordinating the commonwealth's employee involvement program. Such memoranda of understanding shall include, but not be limited to, joint sponsorship of conferences, workshops, and education and outreach materials.  Said director shall develop memoranda of understanding with state agencies which are or might be involved with employee ownership, including agencies of the commonwealth which are involved with providing capital sources.