H 4830

Chapter 7 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding after section 62 the following section:- Section 63. As used in this section the following words shall have the following meanings:- “Rural communities”, municipalities with population densities of less than 500 persons per square mile or a population of less than 7,000 persons, in each case as shown in the most recent U.S. decennial census. The secretary shall direct all departments, commissions, offices, boards, divisions, institutions or other agencies administering grant programs to rural communities, particularly those that intend to use funds to regionalize or share services, and whose median household income is below the state average, that a required local fund match set forth in the grant program guidelines shall be waived by the awarding agency. The secretary shall direct all such agencies to identify and inform rural communities of discretionary grant programs and incentives for which rural communities wishing to regionalize or share services under this section. The secretary shall annually, on or before July 1, report on the implementation of this section to the senate and house committees on ways and means, the joint committee on municipalities and regional government and members of the general court who represent rural communities.