Hearing Date Set for CPA Legislation

May 13, 2015: A date has been set for the Joint Revenue Committee to hear testimony on “An Act to Sustain Community Preservation Revenue”. On Tuesday June 9th, both oral and written testimony will be presented to the committee chaired by Senator Michael Rodriques and Representative Jay Kaufman. The Coalition encourages CPA advocates to attend the hearing and show support for this great program. 

If you are available to attend, the hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, June 9th at 10:30am at the State House in room B-1. 

"An Act to Sustain Community Preservation Revenue" was filed in the House by Represenative Stephen Kulik (HB2587) and in the Senate by Senator Cynthia Stone Creem (SB1459). The legislation would provide for a minimum 50% CPA Trust Fund distribution for all 158 CPA communities. While we are currently working securing state surplus funding for the CPA Trust, this is not a long-term solution for CPA. As such, the Coalition is advocating for a permanent solution - an adjustment in the current funding source for the CPA Trust Fund. The Trust derives its revenue from fees collected at the Registries of Deeds across the state, but those fees have never been adjusted since CPA was signed into law by Governor Cellucci in 2000. The legislation calls for the Department of Revenue to calculate what the fee would need to be so that all current CPA communities would receive a 50% first round distribution. There is a cap of $50 provided in the legislation, so that the fee would not rise above that level. 

There are 89 state legislators (21 Senators and 68 Representatives) that have signed on to support the legislation. Here is the full list of legislators who have sponsored the bill:

Senate

Lead Sponsor: Cynthia Stone Creem

Co-Sponsors: Michael Barrett, William Brownsberger, Sal DiDomenico, Kenneth Donnelly, Eileen Donoghue, James Eldridge, Jennifer Flanagan, Linda Dorcena Forry, Anne Gobi, Robert Hedlund, Donald Humason, Kathleen O'Connor Ives, Brian Joyce, Thomas Kennedy,  Barbara L'Italien, Jason Lewis, Thomas McGee, James Timilty, James Welch, Daniel Wolf

House

Lead Sponsor: Stephen Kulik

Co-Sponsors: James Arciero, Brian Ashe, Cory Atkins, Ruth Balser, Christine Barber, Jennifer Benson, Nicholas Boldyga, Thomas Calter, Gailanne Cariddi, Brendan Crighton, Claire Cronin, Josh Cutler, Angelo D'Emilia, Marjorie Decker, David DeCoste, Paul Donato, Carolyn Dykema, Ann-Margaret Ferrante, Michael Finn, Carole Fiola, Sean Garballey, Denise Garlick, Colleen Garry, Carmine Gentile, Thomas Golden, Danielle Gregoire, Patricia Haddad, Jonathan Hecht, Bradford Hill, Kate Hogan, Russell Holmes, Kevin Honan, Steven Howitt, Louis Kafka, Jay Kaufman, Mary Keefe, Kay Khan, Peter Kocot, Jay Livingstone, Timothy Madden, Elizabeth Malia, Paul Mark, Christopher Markey, Paul McMurtry, James Miceli, Leonard Mirra, David Muradian, Harold Naughton, James O'Day, Sarah Peake, Alice Peisch, Denise Provost, David Rogers, Daniel Ryan, Tom Sannicandro, Paul Schmid, John Scibak, Alan Silvia, Frank Smizik, Todd Smola, Thomas Stanley, Ellen Story, Benjamin Swan, Timothy Toomey Jr., Paul Tucker, Aaron Vega, Chris Walsh

Further Resources:

• "An Act to Sustain Community Preservation Revenue" - Full text of the legislation, as filed by Rep. Stephen Kulik (HB2587) and Senator Cynthia Stone Creem (SB1459).