By Mr. Loscocco of Holliston, petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1154) of Paul J. P. Loscocco and others relative to the financing of operating expenses of the Central Artery Project, so-called, in the city of Boston.  Health Care Financing.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

Paul J. P. Loscocco

John A. Lepper

David Paul Linsky

Scott P. Brown

Jennifer M. Callahan

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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An Act providing for the financing of operating expenses of the central artery project. .

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to provide forthwith for the financing of operating expenses of the Central Artery Project and related operating expenses, therefore it is hereby declared to be emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 3 of Chapter 81A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2000 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting, in line 65, after the definition of “highway department” the following definition:— “Inflation index,” the per cent change in inflation as measured by the per cent change in the consumer price index for all urban consumers for the Boston metropolitan area as determined by the bureau of labor statistics of the United States department of labor.

SECTION 2. Paragraph (c) of section 12 of Chapter 81A of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting, in line 84, after the words “and maintenance during such fiscal year” the following words:— on account of the central artery and the central artery north area transferred or to be transferred to the authority.

SECTION 3. Said paragraph (c) is hereby further amended by inserting, in line 90, after the fourth sentence thereof the following three sentences:— Not later than December 31, 2007, the secretary of administration and finance, on behalf of the commonwealth, shall, with the concurrence of the secretary of transportation and construction, amend such contract to provide that the payment on account of the fiscal year during which the transfer of the final segment of the central artery and the central artery north area to the authority occurs shall be no more than $40,000,000. For each fiscal year thereafter during the term of such contract, such payment shall equal the payment for the prior fiscal year increased by the greater of (i) three per cent or (ii) the inflation index for the preceding fiscal year as certified by the secretary of administration and finance on March 1 of each year, commencing the March 1 following such transfer.