Bill > H3440

This bill establishes the Massachusetts Bureau on Social and Economic Equity in Recovery and Reconstruction (CHEEERR Act) to address disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Black and Latino residents. The bill creates several key initiatives: a new state bureau to identify and mitigate disparities in health, economic, and educational outcomes; a small business stabilization fund providing grants and loans to businesses in underserved communities; an entrepreneurship program specifically supporting returning citizens in starting businesses; and a service corps for young people aged 17-26 from disparately impacted communities to work on community projects. The bureau will be led by an administrator appointed by the governor and guided by an advisory council, with an initial funding transfer of $850 million from the Commonwealth Stabilization Fund. The bureau's specific functions include analyzing public policies' impacts on marginalized communities, recommending funding sources to mitigate disparities, supporting small businesses and returning citizens, and creating innovative re-entry and community support programs. The bill emphasizes addressing systemic inequities revealed by the pandemic, with a particular focus on health, economic opportunity, education, and community development in areas with high Black and Latino populations, high unemployment, or other socioeconomic challenges.

Government Affairs

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H3440