Rep. Driscoll Named Chair to New Oversight Committee

BOSTON, FEB. 20, 2021 - The new legislative session of the MA General Court began on January 6, 2021 and with any new session comes a shuffling of various committee assignments for lawmakers. Last week House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy) appointed State Representative Bill Driscoll Jr. (D-Milton) as Chair of the Joint Committee on COVID-19 and Emergency Preparedness and Management.

This committee is one of three new joint standing committees established this session and will be devoted to the Commonwealth’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as broader emergency management issues. The committee will serve as an oversight and advisory committee to monitor and investigate issues related to COVID-19 emergency response and recovery. Chairman Driscoll will serve alongside Vice Chair Jon Santiago (D-Boston) as well as the Senate Chair, Jo Comerford of Northampton.

The committee’s focus will be on providing advice and guidance on specific policy proposals and bills being developed by or before the committee; the committee may also report recommendations for legislative action, strategies, and innovations, based on the committee’s review of information or on the findings of investigations. Through these actions, the committee aims to equitably address and respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency and promote the successful and safe recovery for all residents of the Commonwealth.

“I am humbled and honored by Speaker Mariano’s nomination and for the support of my colleagues to lead this newly formed committee,” said Chairman Bill Driscoll Jr. (D-Milton). “This new committee has an important role to play in aiding the state’s response to this pandemic, and I plan on using my experience in disaster response to look into whether Massachusetts has effectively used our existing emergency management infrastructure.”

Representative Driscoll has over a decade of experience in the field of disaster response, and has traveled the country working with organizations, emergency management professionals, and all levels of government to help communities respond to natural disasters.

“There is a deep need for improved planning,” said Chairman Bill Driscoll, Jr. (D-Milton). “The public demands and deserves it.”

In addition to his new leadership role, Driscoll was also named as a member to the House Committee on Post Audit and Oversight. Driscoll has served on the Committee on Post Audit and Oversight since 2019 and previously served as vice chair of the Joint Committee on Election Laws.

Rep. Driscoll was first elected in 2016 and represents Milton and Randolph on Beacon Hill.

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