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Senate requires study of nationwide background checks for emergency housing applicants, orders emergency-shelter safety plan
Summary
The Senate adopted amendments in the supplemental budget directing a study of using the National Crime Information Center for background checks of Emergency Housing Assistance applicants and requiring a state emergency-shelter safety plan, while rejecting at least one amendment to limit eligibility by residency origin.
The Massachusetts Senate approved two amendments to the supplemental budget (Senate 16) that direct the administration to study nationwide criminal-background checks for emergency housing applicants and require a safety plan for the state emergency shelter system.
Senator Patrick Moore introduced an amendment to study the feasibility of running National Crime Information Center (NCIC) nationwide checks for adult applicants or beneficiaries placed in the Emergency Housing Assistance Program. "This study will have to be done by March 31," Moore said, describing an agreement to draft a redrafted amendment that tasks the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, in coordination with the Department of State Police, to report on federal approvals required, projected costs and other impediments. The Senate adopted the amendment by roll call; the clerk recorded 38 members voting in the affirmative and none in the negative, and the chair announced the amendment was adopted.
Senator Moore also offered an amendment requiring the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities to create a safety plan for the state emergency shelter system in consultation with the Executive Office of Public Safety. "Emergency shelter must be safe," Moore said, citing allegations the shelter system had experienced incidents involving weapons, drugs and non-shelter occupants. The amendment was adopted by roll call, with senators recording 38 ayes and no nays.
The chamber debated, and rejected, at least one related amendment that would have prioritized Massachusetts residents whose initial cause of homelessness occurred in the commonwealth. Senator Michael F. Rodricks opposed the broader prioritization language on the ground that it would apply too broadly across state-funded housing programs and could bar people fleeing emergency conditions in other states from seeking shelter in Massachusetts. The amendment failed on a recorded vote; the clerk announced the amendment is not adopted.
Votes at a glance
- Amendment 1 (study NCIC nationwide background checks for Emergency Housing Assistance Program applicants), filed by Senator Patrick Moore: adopted (roll call recorded; 38–0 announced in transcript). - Amendment 3 (require statewide emergency-shelter safety plan, Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities with Executive Office of Public Safety): adopted (roll call recorded; 38–0 announced in transcript). - Amendment 7 (priority for Massachusetts residents whose initial cause of homelessness occurred in the commonwealth), filed by Senator Paul R. Feeney / Senator D. Durant: not adopted (roll call recorded; announcement: "The amendment is not adopted").
Why it matters
Both adopted amendments direct executive-branch action that could change how emergency housing is screened and operated. A study of nationwide background checks could affect eligibility procedures and budget planning; the shelter safety plan addresses operational risks cited in public testimony and reporting.
What comes next
The NCIC feasibility study is due by March 31 and will report on federal approvals, projected costs and any impediments identified by the Executive Office and the State Police. The safety-plan requirement directs state agencies to consult on shelter security measures; implementation details and funding were not specified in the recorded amendment text.
