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Governor Patrick Signs FY13 Budget - Includes Major CPA Legislation Changes

Posted on: April 30, 2018 - 1:51pm

July 9, 2012: In a noontime ceremony at the State House yesterday, Governor Deval Patrick signed the FY2013 state budget which included the long-awaited CPA legislation.

The Governor made no amendments or vetoes to the CPA sections included in the budget. The legislation also included the additional $25 million in funding for the statewide CPA Trust Fund from the FY 2013 budget surplus. Legislative leaders have indicated their full intention to provide $25 million from the budget surplus in future years, as well.

The legislation passed yesterday amends eight different sections of the CPA statute, and the Coalition has prepared two documents that will help explain the major changes:

We are grateful to Patrick-Murray administration for their support of CPA, as well as the lead sponsors of the legislation, Representative Stephen Kulik and Senator Cynthia Stone Creem. In addition, we appreciate the support of the legislative leadership team including Speaker of the House, Robert DeLeo, Senate President Therese Murray, House Committee on Ways & Means Chair Brian Dempsey, Senate Ways & Means Chair Stephen Brewer, House Minority Leader Brad Jones and Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr. Lastly, we thank the Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Business for their work on the legislation, led by House Chair Linda Dorcena Forry and Senate Chair Sal DiDomenico.

Bill History

The Community Preservation Coalition has been advocating for passage of An Act to Sustain Community Preservation - a bill designed to stabilize and strengthen the Community Preservation Act. The bill cleared an important hurdle in early June 2011, when the Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Business gave it a favorable recommendation. The bill was then forwarded on to the House Committee on Ways and Means, and became known by its House number, HB 765. The bill was then filed as an amendment to the House version of the FY 2013 state budget in April 2012, passing with a change to the funding source. The Senate changed the funding source yet again, and passed the legislation as part of its budget debate in May, 2012. The two versions were reviewed by a conference committee, which revised the funding source yet again, with the final version including a one-time $25 million transfer to statewide CPA Trust Fund in the fall of 2013. The House and Senate voted to approve the conference committee report on June 28, 2012 and Governor Deval Patrick signed the legislation into law on July 8, 2012, as part of the FY 2013 state budget.

Press Coverage

Further Resources