The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

——————————————

DEVAL L. PATRICK GOVERNOR TIMOTHY P. MURRAY LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Executive Department State House  ·  Boston 02133 (617) 725-4000

June 13, 2007.

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives:

I am filing a bill entitled “An Act Making Certain Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2008 Before Final Action on the General Appropriation Bill.”  Section 1 provides the spending authorization to maintain necessary services through July 14, 2007, pending the passage of the General Appropriation Act.  All actions taken under this section will apply to the General Appropriation Act.

Section 2 provides for the temporary extension of capital accounts necessary to meet obligations, pending enactment of capital account extension legislation.  Section 3 allows advance local aid payments to be made to any city, town, regional school district, or independent agricultural and technical school that demonstrates an emergency cash shortfall. 

In order to ensure that the Commonwealth will be able to meet its payment obligations without delays, I urge your favorable action on this bill no later than June 26, 2007.

Respectfully submitted,

                                                                                       DEVAL L. PATRICK,

                                                                                       Governor.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

——————————————

In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

——————————————

An Act MAKING CERTAIN APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008 BEFORE FINAL ACTION ON THE GENERAL APPROPRIATION BILL.

        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.  Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the amount of $1,200,000,000 is hereby appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, to meet necessary expenditures before the enactment of the general appropriation act for that fiscal year, for the maintenance and operations of the various departments, boards, commissions, and institutions, including federal grant and Intragovernmental Service Fund expenditures, for other necessary services, and for meeting certain requirements of law.  This appropriation shall cease to be operative as of the effective date of that general appropriation act, and all actions taken under this section shall apply against that general appropriation act.  All expenditures made under this section shall be consistent with appropriations made in that general appropriation act.

SECTION 2.  Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the unexpended balances of all capital accounts which otherwise would revert on June 30, 2007, but which are necessary to fund obligations during fiscal year 2008, are hereby re-authorized; but this re-authorization shall terminate upon enactment of capital account extension legislation.

SECTION 3.  The state treasurer shall make advance payments for some or all of periodic local reimbursement or assistance programs to any city, town, regional school district, or independent agricultural and technical school that demonstrates an emergency cash shortfall, as certified by the commissioner of revenue and approved by the secretary of administration and finance, pursuant to guidelines issued by the secretary.

SECTION 4.  Sections 1 and 3 shall take effect on July 1, 2007.  Section 2 shall take effect on June 30, 2007.