What happens on Beacon Hill in the next two years will have an effect on nonprofit schools, colleges and universities in Massachusetts for many years to come.

Since the current legislative session began its new two-year term on January 2, lawmakers have filed more than 5,000 new bills. Many of them, although well-meaning, would have unintended consequences for MANS&C members.

MANS&C Legislative Counsel John J. Spillane is currently reviewing the bills to determine which ones will affect our institutions.

One bill has already made headlines: On March 6, Gov. Charlie Baker filed legislation that would allow the state to monitor nonprofit colleges and universities that are in danger of closing due to financial difficulties and dwindling enrollment. An article in this newsletter will give you more information about this measure, which MANS&C will be closely tracking.

MANS&C also is always on the lookout for bills that threaten the Dover Amendment, a law that strictly limits the involvement of local planning boards in our building projects. Dover Amendment bills seem to return with every new session, as do bills taxing endowments and requiring nonprofit schools, colleges and universities to make payments in lieu of taxes.

To help you keep abreast of the action in the new session, this newsletter has useful articles explaining the legislative process, trends in bills and much more. You’ll also find information about how John goes about representing the interests of MANS&C members on Beacon Hill.

MANS&C is here to serve our members. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me – or any of our board members – at any time.

Best Regards,
Gwen Pojasek
gpojasek@chch.org
781-314-0836