O’Neill and Associates has assembled a package of federal and state guidance on COVID 19 are regularly updating on our site – please save this link and refer back for new information– https://www.oneillandassoc.com/covid-19-information

• The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency at the Department of Homeland Security issued the attached guidance on essential infrastructure and workforce. The federal government stops short of making this a mandate, leaving the possibility for states and localities to make their own decisions.
• The State House remains officially closed to the public.

• There are no legislative sessions scheduled for today, both the House and Senate have informal sessions scheduled for Monday at 11am.
• The sessions will be live streamed.
• Legislative activity is expected to be active in coming days,  we continue to be on regular contact with legislative leadership on behalf of clients via phone, email and text.
• Additionally both the House and Senate have established working groups to continue to identify legislative priorities dealing with the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak.
• House Ways and Means Chairman Rep. Aaron Michlewitz is preparing the FY 21 state budget acknowledging it is unlike any other and that maintaining the traditional schedule is highly unlikely.
• Options reportedly being considered include settling an new revenue estimate, pre-conferencing or partially pre-conferencing the budget so that leaders in both branches are in broad agreement before it goes to the floor of either branch, or having the governor file a one-month spending extension now to keep government running through July to give legislators more time to adjust and plan for an uncertain future.
• Legislators will accept written testimony only on bills for the near term.

• Boston Mayor Marty Walsh is not yet ordering the city to shelter in place, but he left open the possibility of such an order.
• Governor Baker called up the Massachusetts National Guard yesterday, activating 2,000 members to assist with the state response to the coronavirus.
• House and Senate leaders plan to postpone the four special elections scheduled for March 31^st and will pass legislation Monday to give cities and towns increased flexibility to delay local elections planned for the spring and allow for voting by mail.
• Massachusetts is one of seventeen states with an active legislature still in session with response to COVID-19 dominating the near term agenda.