Bill > H4907

This bill establishes the Massachusetts Works Progress Administration (MA WPA) within the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. The MA WPA will receive and select works project proposals from state departments, agencies, and other organizations that meet certain criteria, including creating multiple jobs at affordable wages and providing economic or environmental benefits. The selected projects can include areas such as COVID-19 contact tracing, climate change resilience, the creative economy, agriculture, and infrastructure. The bill prioritizes projects in areas with high unemployment rates and hiring of individuals who have been unemployed for at least 60 days, especially those from historically disadvantaged communities. The MA WPA will provide funding, training, and certain guarantees for eligible individuals working on the approved projects, and will submit biannual reports on the program's progress.