After years of working to protect this important community asset, Rep. Stanley is pleased that the City of Waltham formally acquired the former UMass Field Station and Farm at 240 Beaver Street. Rep. Stanley worked tirelessly with his colleagues on the Waltham City Council and the Waltham Legislative Delegation to protect the property.

Rep. Stanley is thankful for Mayor McCarthy and her team that negotiated the sale, his colleagues on the Waltham City Council who approved Community Preservation Committee (CPC) funds to purchase the site, and State Representative John Lawn and Senator Mike Barrett for their leadership in passing Chapter 209 of the Acts of 2020 which permitted the sale to the City. Rep. Stanley also thanks Waltham Fields Community Farm, Waltham Land Trust, Boston Area Gleaners, and all the other Field Station tenants for their tireless advocacy on behalf of the property and for all their work to promote healthy eating and sustainable agriculture.

The Waltham and Lincoln Fire Departments received fiscal year 2022 S.A.F.E and Senior SAFE grants from the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services. This funding will help support fire education programs for children and older adults in Waltham and Lincoln.

Lincoln will receive a S.A.F.E grant in the amount of $4,575 to partner with local school system to teach fire safety. In additional, Lincoln will receive a Senior SAFE grant in the amount of $2,855 for senior center presentations and home visits with smoke/CO alarm installations. The Waltham Fire Department will receive a S.A.F.E grant of $7,502 for teaching fire safety for grades K-5, "Are you smarter than a firefighter?" In addition, senior grants in the amount of $3,381 will be used for smoke/CO alarm installations, a senior center presentation and lock box installations.

In an effort to meet the Commonwealth’s climate goals of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, Rep. Stanley and his House colleagues passed legislation to further develop the offshore wind industry in Massachusetts. The legislation will also modernize Massachusetts’ electrical grid and energy storage infrastructure and create thousands of new jobs. The bill passed the House of Representatives 144-12. It now goes to the Senate for their consideration.

The legislation creates parity between electric and natural gas, imposing a charge for natural gas consumers to support renewable energy, similar to the charge electric customers currently pay. At a little over $1 a month for the average customer, this is estimated to collect $23 million a year over the next 10 years to support the Commonwealth’s transition to clean energy. By diversifying Massachusetts’ energy portfolio, Massachusetts will become more energy independent and less reliant on imported natural gas that is susceptible to volatile price spikes, thereby helping to stabilize ratepayer bills in the long term.

Thanks to Rep. Stanley and the Legislature’s efforts in passing the $4 billion American Rescue Plan in December, the Baker Administration recently launched a new $75 million grant program to support Massachusetts small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The new program is modeled after Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation’s (MGCC) successful COVID-19 small business relief program. Under that effort, which became the biggest state-sponsored business relief program in the nation, MGCC oversaw the distribution of approximately $705 million to over 15,000 small businesses across Massachusetts.

The $75 million will be focused on small businesses that employ between two and 50 people, with $25 million directed toward businesses that did not qualify for previous MGCC grants because of a lack of revenue loss in 2020; and $50 million directed to businesses that reach underserved markets and historically underrepresented groups, or are minority-, women-, or veteran-owned businesses, or are owned by individuals with disabilities or who identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Under both categories, grants will range from $10,000 to $75,000, and will be capped at the lesser of $75,000 or three months of operating expenses. Grant funding can be used for employee and benefit costs, mortgage interest, rent, utilities, and interest on debt. Learn more. 

As the Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs, Rep. Stanley is thrilled that the Executive Office of Elder Affairs recently awarded a grant to the Waltham Council on Aging in the amount of $125,000. The funding will help the Council pay part of its receptionist’s salary. In addition, the grant will support fitness programs, the discount taxi program, the printing of the Senior Connection newsletter, volunteer recognition efforts, annual dues and continuing education.

Rep. Stanley and his colleagues in the House supported a resolution recognizing March 1 as COVID-19 Remembrance Day. Many across the Commonwealth and the United States were, and continue to be, personally impacted by COVID-19, including mourning their loved ones, friends and neighbors or suffering from the long-term physical and mental health implications of the virus. The resolution honors the victims and survivors as well as public servants, frontline and essential workers and health care professionals who took selfless actions to protect those for whom they cared, their neighbors and communities, and found innovative ways to provide services.

Thanks to legislation passed by the Massachusetts Legislature (Chapter 296 of the Acts of 2018), Waltham Public School students in grade 8 and at Waltham High School will begin to develop student-led, non-partisan civics projects. All students will have the support they need to develop the civic skills, knowledge, and dispositions necessary to be informed, engaged citizens of the Commonwealth. Courses will include community engagement, which research finds improves interpersonal and problem solving skills and contributes to college and career readiness. When young people are exposed to high-quality civic education, they are more likely to be informed voters and lifelong participants in political and civic life.

The AARP Massachusetts invited Rep. Stanley to speak at their quarterly Elderly Stakeholders Meeting. He discussed the Elder Affairs Committee's work to-date as well as fiscal year 2023 budget and ARPA priorities. AARP Massachusetts State Director Mike Festa welcomed the group while EOEA Secretary Elizabeth Chen provided department updates including an update on House Bill No. 2 and ARPA funding. Joint Committee on Elder Affairs C-Chair Patricia Jehlen also attended the meeting.

In an effort to ensure greater accountability on behalf of our veterans and their families, Rep. Stanley and the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed legislation that makes key reforms to the governance structure of the veterans’ homes, ensures that both homes are federally licensed as health care facilities, mandates increased state management, and provides independent oversight and accountability of veterans’ homes management.

The legislation requires home superintendents to be licensed as nursing home administrators and either be a veteran or someone with experience managing veterans in a nursing home or long term-care facility; establishes a 17-member statewide Veterans’ Homes Council to manage and control the veterans’ homes, promulgate regulations to the local boards, and confirm and remove superintendents; preserves local, 5-member boards of trustees for the veterans’ homes in Chelsea and Holyoke with the authority to nominate candidates for superintendents of their respective veterans’ homes; and establishes the Office of the Veteran Advocate, an independent office that will be led by a Veteran Advocate appointed by the Governor, Attorney General and State Auditor.

Legislation filed by Rep. Stanley (H.1208) was reported out favorably by the Joint Committee on Financial Services. Rep. Stanley discussed this legislation at a legislative briefing with Rep. Carey and Rep. Fernandez and submitted written testimony in support of his bill, which would provide patients suffering from Genetic Craniofacial Conditions with essential medical coverage so that they may live a healthier, more comfortable life.

H.1208 would close the “cosmetic” loophole that allows insurers to deny coverage for treatment of rare, disabling genetic defects. Under the bill, all insurance contracts would be required to provide coverage for medically necessary repairs and/or restorations of genetic abnormalities affecting teeth. CHIA’s report estimates that the cost of this bill would be minimal, the typical monthly health insurance premium would only increase between 10-28 cents per member per month. While the affected number of residents in the Commonwealth is small – CHIA estimates 863 insured individuals would be covered - this bill would mean an immeasurable improvement to their lives and health.

In a letter to MassHealth Assistant Secretary Amanda Cassel, Rep. Stanley and his colleagues urged quick action on new CMS (Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services) guidance that will provide significant relief to seniors and people with disabilities who are nursing home eligible but would like to access community-based care under the Home and Community Based Services Waiver (HCBS).

The federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services wrote to all state Medicaid program directors about new program flexibility they can offer for home and community based services and programs. This letter encourages MassHealth to implement some of those flexibilities, eliminating cliff effects and ending a requirement that seniors and spouses spend down their incomes and assets as a prerequisite to receiving care. Home and community based services may be preferable for elder residents and persons with disabilities, and they take pressure off the state’s nursing home system, which is already stretched thin. The federal government has given MassHealth flexibility to eliminate cliff effects and spend down provisions.

In February, Rep. Stanley conducted a site-visit at Charles River Community Health (CRCH) in Waltham with Congresswoman Clark and Representative Lawn. Congresswoman Clark's Office and the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers organized the event to highlight how ARPA funding is helping community health centers.

Rep. Stanley and Rep. Lawn were instrumental in securing state funding for student CHC loan repayment, workforce recruitment/retainment programs, CHC Psychiatric Mental Health NP Program, and technology upgrades in the ARPA bill. ARPA funding has assisted CRCH and highlights the organization’s work to address the social determinants of health and advance racial equity and health care justice.

The City of Waltham established a scholarship fund in 1987 to provide financial assistance to eligible Waltham residents for the pursuit of further education. The fund is available to any Waltham resident for college, trade school, certificate programs, graduate school and other educational pursuits deemed eligible by the committee. Graduating seniors use the generic application available in the Guidance department at Waltham High School. Three copies of the application must be returned to the Treasurer’s Office no later than Friday, March 18th, 2022. If you have any questions, please contact the Treasurer’s Office at (781) 314-3258. Learn more.

The Massachusetts Senior Circuit Breaker Tax Credit was designed by the Legislature to help provide tax relief for older adults. Rep. Stanley’s office designed a brochure to help constituents learn more about the credit and its requirements. This brochure is not an official tax document. If you have questions regarding the Circuit Breaker Tax Credit, please contact a tax professional or the Department of Revenue at 1-800-392-6089. View the brochure.