May 24, 2012: By a vote of 38-0 during today's budget debate, the Senate joined the House in passing the full CPA legislation, including an increase in the funding for the statewide CPA Trust Fund. There are often differences between the House and Senate versions of the budget, and this year is no exception. The Senate's CPA budget amendment provides a one-time appropriation of $5 million in funding for the statewide CPA Trust Fund in July 2012, while the House version grants a $25 million recurring sum from the annual state budget surplus beginning in the fall of 2013. All the other provisions of the CPA legislation are the same in both the Senate and House versions, including the changes to the recreation rules for CPA projects.
During June, a six-member conference committee will work to resolve the differences in the CPA funding between the Senate and House budgets. Our goal during this negotiation will remain the same: to obtain a meaningful, sustainable increase in funding for the statewide CPA Trust Fund.
We are grateful to our lead Senator sponsor, Cynthia Stone Creem, Senate President Therese Murray, Ways & Means Chairman Stephen Brewer, and Minority Leader Bruce Tarr. And to you, our CPA advocates, for continually communicating the importance of CPA to your legislators on Beacon Hill.
Click here for the State House News article on the Senate vote...