FY2017 House Budget Amendment Calls for $25 Million for CPA

Apr. 21, 2016: Representative Peter Kocot (D-Northampton) has filed an amendment to the House budget calling for up to $25 million of the state's FY16 budget surplus, if available, to be transferred to the CPA Trust Fund.

The CPA amendment (#813 to H.4200) will be considered as part of the House's budget debate, which is set to get underway on Monday, April 25th.  If the amendment clears the House, the proposal will then move to the Senate for their budget debate in mid-May. We are grateful to Chairman Kocot, House Ways and Means Vice Chair Stephen Kulik, and the amendment co-sponsors for their support of CPA.

If available, this surplus funding would be transferred to the CPA Trust Fund by November 15th, thereby providing an immediate boost for this year's trust fund distribution.  The Legislature has been very supportive of funding the trust in this manner, having provided $46.4 M in state surplus funds over the last three years.

State surplus funding is not a long-term answer for CPA, however. As such, the Coalition is advocating for a permanent solution - an adjustment in the current funding source for the CPA Trust Fund.  Legislation to accomplish that goal, An Act to Sustain Community Preservation Revenue, (HB2587) has received a favorable report from the Joint Committee on Revenue and is currently before the House Committee on Ways and Means.

The Coalition will be on hand at the State House during budget week, and we'll send along news on the CPA amendment immediately after the vote is taken during the week of April 25th. There are a total of 41 state representatives who have signed on to support Amendment #813 to H.4200.

Lead Sponsor: Peter Kocot

Co-Sponsors: Jones of North Reading, Haddad of Somerset, Peake of Provincetown, Kafka of Stoughton, Fernandes of Milford, Ferrante of Gloucester, Schmid of Westport, Hogan of Stow, Sannicandro of Ashland, Scibak of South Hadley, Dykema of Holliston, Smizik of Brookline, Khan of Newton, Vieira of Falmouth, D'Emilia of Bridgewater, Parisella of Beverly, Ashe of Longmeadow, Farley-Bouvier of Pittsfield, Gentile of Sudbury, Pignatelli of Lenox, Cantwell of Marshfield, Fiola of Fall River, Decker of Cambridge, Puppolo of Springfield, Provost of Somerville, Mirra of West Newbury, Madden of Nantucket, Ultrino of Malden, Hecht of Watertown, Garry of Dracut, Rogers of Cambridge, Garlick of Needham, Rogers of Norwood, Vega of Holyoke, McMurtry of Dedham, Arciero of Westford, Walsh of Framingham, Gonzalez of Springfield, Ryan of Charlestown, and Miceli of Wilmington.