Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Cultural Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bill would let tribal governments qualify for Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund
Summary
A bill filed Jan. 17 would amend state law to allow tribal government–owned cultural facilities to be financed on the same basis as municipally owned projects by expanding the statutory definition of "cultural facility."
A bill filed Jan. 17 would amend state law to allow cultural facilities owned by tribal governments to be financed on the same basis as municipally owned projects.
Sen. Paul W. Mark (Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin and Hampshire) filed Senate No. 2169, Docket No. 2045, the legislation titled "An Act clarifying eligibility to the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund." The filing lists additional petitioners: Sen. David LeBoeuf (17th Worcester), Sen. Joanne M. Comerford (Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester), Sen. Michael D. Brady (Second Plymouth and Norfolk) and Sen. Sally P. Kerans (13th Essex), with petition dates shown in the filing.
The bill would amend Section 42(b)(1) of chapter 23G of the General Laws by striking the third sentence in the definition of "cultural facility" and inserting the following language: "Municipally or tribal government owned buildings, structures, or sites of which at least 50 per cent is used as a cultural facility." The filing cites the 2022 Official Edition of the General Laws.
The change, if enacted, would formally place tribal government–owned cultural sites on the same statutory footing as municipal projects for purposes of eligibility under the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund, a statewide grant program that provides capital support to cultural organizations. The bill does not alter the stated 50 percent-use threshold included in the proposed language.
The filing memorandum indicates the matter was referred to the State Administration and Regulatory Oversight Committee. The document does not record committee action, a vote, funding allocations, or further legislative steps; those would occur as the bill moves through committee and, if reported out, through the full Legislature.
The petition text and sponsor list are part of the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court (2025–2026) records. Specific programmatic details about how the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund would implement eligibility changes, or any anticipated budgetary impact, are not specified in the filing.
