L E G I S L A T I V E
U P D A T E
The Beacon Hill Report
by Stephen A.Boksanski
MAA/GIA Legislative Agent
The level of activity in the Legislature has increased and the
process is underway after a slow start to the 2019-2020 cycle.
Joint Committees are established and organized and the business
of scheduling and conducting public hearings is in full swing.
Every bill filed in the House of Representatives or Senate is
referred to a committee and must have a public hearing, it’s the
first and most important step in the legislative process and the
committee determines if the bills move ahead or not.
The most important matter for the Legislature every year is the
budget; it must be passed and it must be balanced to keep state
government running. The House debated and passed its version
of the FY20 state budget in Mid-April, processing almost 1,400
amendments filed. Amendments are typically filed to seek new
or additional funding for legislators’ pet projects that usually
address local needs but can include broad policy matters.
During the House debate State Rep. Carolyn Dykema (D-Hollis-
ton) filed an amendment that consisted of the language in her
bill (H.763), which would limit the sale of neonicotinoids to
licensed applicators and require prior written notification that
includes “warning statements concerning bees on the label of
neonicotinoids being applied”. Anticipating this would be filed,
the GIA worked with Rep. Michael Finn (D-West Springfield)
who filed an amendment to fund a scientific review of this prod-
uct by the Department of Agricultural Resources. Through a
series of conversations with Reps. Dykema and Finn, along with
House leadership and industry stakeholders, the study amend-
ment was adopted.
This is a significant development in the ongoing debate over
neonic legislation and we have successfully pushed the matter
toward a science-based outcome. However, the Senate has yet to
take its turn debating how to spend your tax dollars. As we go to
press, the Ways and Means Committee released their proposal
on Tuesday, May 7, amendments are due by Friday at 5PM (May
10), and debate will ensue on Tuesday, May 21.
A House and Senate conference committee, consisting of three
members from each branch, will negotiate a compromise budget
and resolve discrepancies in funding and policy between the two
documents, which will then be sent to the Governor. It is our
hope that the Senate will include this language and make sure it
is not a subject for negotiations but if not, we will need to per-
suade the conferees that it should be included in the final bill.
The new fiscal year begins on July 1, 2019 and it is expected a
conference committee budget will be delivered to Governor
Baker before that time.
The MAA is a proud member of the Green Industry Alliance along with the
Massachusetts Association of Landscape Professionals, Massachusetts Associa-
tion of Lawn Care Professionals, Irrigation Association of New England, and
the Golf Course Superintendents Association of New England. Natascha
Batchelor, MCA and Russell Holman, MCA serve as the MAA’s representative.
If you are interested in becoming involved with the GIA’s legislative and advo-
cacy activities, please contact the MAA Office.
TCIA & MAA Members Provide OSHA Training
On March 26, 2019, TCIA staff and several MAA members provided full-day training for OSHA field enforcement personnel
from Region 1 (New England). The training took place at Minuteman National Park in Lexington, MA.
Roughly 30 field Certified Safety & Health Officials (CSHOs), took part in a morning lecture and conversation on the big-four
hazards in tree care, including contact by trees and falling branches, falls from height and electrical contact, as well as under-
standing Z133 requirements. The CSHOs observed a series of safe work practices in the afternoon. The immediate benefit
to tree care companies in the region is that the 30 CSHOs who attended now have a great ability to discern between good
practices and bad practices.
One week after the training event, TCIA met with the head of OSHA as well as top representatives from enforcement, stan-
dards-writing, compliance assistance and the OSHA Solicitor’s Office. They were briefed on the training and heard firsthand
from a national office representative who was there. They were so impressed with what happened that they asked TCIA to
repeat the event for federal officials in Washington D.C. as well as OSHA’s Region 4.
Many thanks to TCIA and the MAA who volunteered their time to help with this important training event for OSHA field
enforcement personnel.
MAA NEWS / June 2019 19