Lawmakers are gearing up to advance a new version of Gov. Maura Healey’s $400 million research and education proposal and are cutting half of the bill’s funding in the process.
Rep. Carole Fiola and Sen. Barry Finegold, chairs of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, are recommending committee members advance a redrafted version of Healey’s Discovery, Research and Innovation for a Vibrant Economy (DRIVE) bill (H 4375) that eliminates a proposed $200 million for research projects at Massachusetts hospitals, universities and independent research institutions.
The committee’s redraft maintains the $200 million placed into a higher education bridge funding reserve but changes the source of that funding from the income surtax paid by wealthier households to interest generated by the state’s Stabilization Fund. The new version of the bill also eliminates the specific allocations for the education bridge funding outlined in Healey’s original legislation.
The funding is a “short-term stop gap measure” to address federal research funding cuts and protect research conducted at UMass Chan Medical School related to diabetes, ALS, Alzheimers and other rare diseases, Fiola and Finegold said in a joint statement Friday. The $200 million for public higher education campuses will also boost employment opportunities, talent development and open up opportunities for research and innovation collaborations, they said.
“The Committee’s redraft reflects the Commonwealth’s fiscal reality at a time when we are facing significant federal cuts to our state’s budget. The committee will continue to work with private institutions, hospitals, smaller colleges, and the Governor’s DRIVE Acceleration team to explore more long-term support and solutions for the private sector,” Fiola and Finegold said in the statement. “We recognize the vital role of private higher education in the Commonwealth, and we remain committed to advancing efforts to provide support in the future.”
Healey told committee members during an Oct. 30 hearing on the bill, “This isn’t meant to be a one time Band-Aid as much as it’s meant to be a stake in the ground. This will help us hold on to people, keep them from going. Because once people go, they’re not coming back. And when people go, entrepreneurs, founders, companies, go, along with hope for families looking for those life-saving cures.”
Committee members have until Monday at 10 a.m. to vote whether or not to advance the redrafted version of the DRIVE Act. Healey’s office did not immediately respond to the News Service’s request for comment on the committee’s redraft.
Katie Castellani is a reporter for State House News Service and State Affairs Pro Massachusetts. Reach her at kcastellani@statehousenews.com.
