MALSCE Government Affairs Update – January 2025
Government Affairs activities and news for MALSCE members
by Abbie Goodman, MALSCE Chief of External Affairs
News Impacting MALSCE members:
- On Hold: Beneficial Ownership Reporting Requirements Corporate Transparency Act (CTA)
- The CTA requires certain businesses to file Beneficial Ownership Information reports with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) at Treasury. On 12/26/24 a court injunction froze this requirement. More
- Governor Healey Introduces $8 Billion Transportation Plan
- Healey-Driscoll Administration Energy and Environmental Agency Releases Yearly Report: https://www.mass.gov/news/healey-driscoll-administration-energy-and-environmental-agency-releases-yearly-report
- EPA Releases Draft Risk Assessment to Advance Scientific Understanding of PFOA and PFOS in Biosolids: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-releases-draft-risk-assessment-advance-scientific-understanding-pfoa-and-pfos
- SJC Upholds MBTA Zoning Law, But Strikes Regulations
2025-2026 Legislative Session:
- Bill Filing Deadline for this new legislative session was January 17, 2025. Thousands of bills were filed. MALSCE’s Legislative Affairs Committee, in conjunction with the ACEC/MA Government Affairs Committee will start to review bills that may impact the engineering and land surveying community.
- Governor Healey filed her budget proposal on January 22, 2025.
- This budget is filed as House 1.
- Governor’s Budget Recommendation Page: https://budget.digital.mass.gov/govbudget/fy26/
- Budget Briefs by subject area: https://budget.digital.mass.gov/govbudget/fy26/budget-briefs/
- Press Release on Budget: https://www.mass.gov/news/governor-healey-and-lieutenant-governor-driscoll-file-596-billion-fiscal-year-2026-budget
Division of Occupational Licensure: Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors
- The Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors public meeting was held on December 19, 2024.
- Their 2025 Meeting Calendar approved in December is now posted here.
- Their Executive Director, Kathleen McNally, has retired.
- Next Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors public meeting is posted as: January 30, 2025.
- The Board of Registration is planning to hold this meeting on Teams. For meeting details, go to this page two business days before the meeting and scroll down to the meeting listing to download the agenda with either location or connection instructions.
- Highlights of the December 19, 2024 Board of Registration Meeting:
- The Division of Occupational Licensure records its boards’ meetings.
- This meeting was held on Teams only. The planned January 30 meeting is expected to be on Teams. The Board might return to hybrid meetings in the future, if at least one-quarter of the board can attend in person.
- Chair Paul Tyrell called the meeting to order.
- The Board discussed its draft schedule of meetings for calendar year 2025 (see above.)
- The Board approved the November 20 public meeting minutes, which are not yet posted on their website.
- Chair Paul Tyrell introduced Samuel Wilson, PE, a member of the District of Columbia Board of Professional Engineering. He is the NCEES Northeast Zone vice president and will be running for NCEES President-Elect.
- Fall 2024 Jurisprudence Exam Results (Part of Principles of Land Surveying Exam):
- Seven of nine candidates who took the exam passed. The Exam committee set 70% as a passing rate. So 78% passed.
- All but one of nine candidates were first-time candidates taking the exam.
- Exam Takers passed
- Board Counsel Legal Report from Philip Chan: No Change: Draft Continuing Professional Competency Regulations are still in the Executive Office of Administration and Finance and then would move on to the Secretary of State’s office for review. The Division relayed the Board’s concerns about the long delay in approving the draft CPC regulations.
- Executive Director report by Colleen Maloney, Deputy Commissioner for the Division of Occupation Licensure, for Kathleen McNally.
- Still chipping away at the NCEES enforcement exchange list
- One consent agreement in process: unlicensed person solicited Land Surveying services without a license and paid a $2000 fine. I will provide a copy of the consent agreement when it is available.
- There is progress in the conversion of JP exam to computer-based-testing, but the fall 2024 exam was a pencil and paper exam.
- The Board’s Public Meeting adjourned at about 10:05 am.