Relative to funding of the Massachusetts State House police memorial
Summary
This bill creates a new special revenue fund in the Commonwealth’s books called the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Memorial Fund. The fund would be administered by the Department of Public Safety and used without further appropriation to make annual payments to the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Memorial for the purpose of memorializing and honoring Massachusetts law enforcement personnel killed in the line of duty.
The bill directs that revenues from the sale of certain registration plates under section 2G of chapter 90 be credited to the new fund. In effect, it dedicates a specific source of state revenue to support ongoing memorial payments, rather than relying on the annual appropriations process.
Impact
The bill amends Chapter 10 of the General Laws by adding a new section establishing a dedicated fund and earmarking specialty license plate revenue for that purpose. It would affect state fiscal administration by creating a non-appropriated funding stream within the Department of Public Safety and redirecting designated motor vehicle plate revenues to support the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Memorial. The measure primarily affects state financial accounting, public safety administration, and the memorial organization receiving the payments.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee discussion or votes, the measure appears straightforward and commemorative in nature, with an implied supportive posture toward honoring fallen law enforcement officers. The filing by Senator Nick Collins and the lack of recorded opposition in the provided materials suggest the bill is intended as a ceremonial and funding measure rather than a controversial policy change.
Contention
No committee transcripts or vote history were provided, so there is no documented debate in the available record. The only potential point of policy interest is the use of specialty license plate revenues to fund the memorial, which may raise general questions about earmarking state revenue and the use of dedicated funds, but no specific objections or supporters are identified in the materials.