Bill > S297

This bill amends the definition of "gateway municipality" in Chapter 23A, Section 3A by establishing a new, more comprehensive set of criteria for identifying such municipalities. Under the proposed definition, a gateway municipality must meet at least three of the following five conditions: (1) have a population between 35,000 and 250,000; (2) have a median household income below the state average; (3) have a lower-than-average rate of residents with a bachelor's degree or higher; (4) have a minority population of 40% or more; and (5) have 15% or more of households that identify as speaking English less than "very well". The bill gives the secretary of economic development the responsibility of certifying which municipalities qualify as gateway municipalities, with certification to occur after each decennial census and also allowing individual municipalities to request certification through their local legislative body. This refined definition aims to more precisely identify municipalities that may need additional economic development support or resources, taking into account multiple socioeconomic and demographic factors beyond just population size.

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https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S297