Bill > H3593

This bill asks the Supreme Judicial Court for its opinion on important legal questions regarding the origin of "money bills" in relation to the general appropriation bill for fiscal year 2016, specifically concerning the Massachusetts Constitution's requirement that all money bills must start in the House of Representatives. The core issue is whether certain amendments made by the Senate to a bill originally passed by the House, which deal with tax expenditures, tax credits, and the creation of new taxes on tobacco products, transform the bill into a "money bill" that the Senate cannot originate. A "money bill" is defined as a bill that transfers money or property from the people to the state, as opposed to bills that simply appropriate money from the state treasury for specific government uses. The questions posed to the court will determine if the Senate's actions in amending and potentially originating parts of the bill violate this constitutional provision.