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Page 14 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2023 tions in their schools but are not receiving any additional educational aid from the state. Sponsor Sen. John Velis (D-WestBy Bob Katzen Donating Your Body to Science Dear Savvy Senior, I am interested in possibly donating my body to science when I pass away. What can you tell me about this, and what would I need to do to set it up? Getting Old Dear Getting, If you’re looking to help advance medical research, and in the process, eliminate your funeral and burial costs, donating your body to science is a great option to consider. Here’s what you should know. Body Donations Each year, it’s estimated that approximately 20,000 people donate their whole body, after death, to medical facilities throughout the country to be used in medical research projects, anatomy lessons and surgical practice. After using your body, these facilities will then provide free cremation and will either bury or scatter your ashes in a local cemetery or return them to your family, usually within a year. And, just in case you’re wondering, your family cannot not be paid for the use of your body. Federal and state laws prohibit it. Here are a few other things you need to know and check into, to help you determine whether whole-body donation is right for you: • Donation denial: Most body donation programs will not accept bodies that are extremely obese, or those that have infectious diseases like hepatitis, tuberculosis, H.I.V. or MRSA. Bodies that suff ered extensive trauma won’t be accepted either. • Organ donation: Most medical school programs require that you donate your whole body in its entirety. So, if you want to be an organ donor (with the exception of your eyes), you probably won’t qualify to be a whole-body donor too. • Religious considerations: Most major religions permit individuals to donate both their full body and organs, and many even encourage it. If you are unsure, you should consult with your pastor or spiritual adviser. • Special requests: Most programs will not allow you to donate your body for a specifi c purpose. You give them the body and they decide how to use it. • Memorial options: Most programs require almost immediate transport of the body after death, so there’s no funeral. If your family wants a memorial service, they can have one without the body. Or, some programs off er memorial services at their facility at a later date without the remains. • Body transporting: Most programs will cover transporting your body to their facility within a certain distance. However, some may charge a fee. How to Proceed If you think you want to donate your body, it’s best to make arrangements in advance with a body donation program in your area. Most programs are off ered through university-affiliated medical schools. To fi nd one near you, the University of Florida maintains a list of U.S. programs and their contact information at Anatbd. acb.med.ufl .edu/usprograms. If you don’t have Internet access, you can get help by calling the whole-body donation referral service during business hours at 800-727-0700. In addition to the medical schools, there are also private organizations like Science Care (ScienceCare.com) and Anatomy Gifts Registry (AnatomyGifts. org) that accept whole body donations too. Some of these organizations will even allow organ donation because they deal in body parts as well as whole cadavers. Once you locate a program in your area, call and ask them to mail you an information/registration packet that will explain exactly how their program works. To sign up, you’ll need to fi ll out a couple of forms and return them. But you can always change your mind by contacting the program and removing your name from their registration list. Some programs may ask that you make your withdrawal in writing. After you’ve made arrangements, you’ll need to tell your family members so they will know what to do and who to call after your death. It’s also a good idea to tell your doctors, so they know your fi nal wishes too. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. If you have any questions about this week’s report, e-mail us at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com or call us at (617) 720-1562 GET A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MASSTERLIST – Join more than 25,000 people, from movers and shakers to political junkies and interested citizens, who start their weekday morning with MASSterList—the popular newsletter that chronicles news and informed analysis about what’s going on up on Beacon Hill, in Massachusetts politics, policy, media and influence. The stories are drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications selected by MASSterlist’s new editor, Erin Tiernan, with help from Matt Murphy. Both are pros and have a wealth of experience. And they also introduce each article in their own clever way. MASSterlist will be e-mailed to you FREE every Monday through Friday morning and will give you a leg up on what’s happening in the blood sport of Bay State politics. For more information and to get your free subscription, go to: https://lp.constantcontactpages. com/su/aPTLucK THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ votes on a roll call from the week of February 27-March 3. There were no roll calls in the Senate last week. $353 MILLION SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET (H 57) House 153-0, approved and sent to the Senate a $353 million fi scal 2023 supplemental budget. Provisions include $86 million for the emergency shelter system to help off set medical costs for migrant families going to emergency rooms for shelter and assistance; $130 million to keep expanded nutrition assistance in place for a few more months; $65 million for the universal school meals program; and provisions to keep some pandemic-era programs, set to expire, in place including allowing restaurants to sell beer, wine and cocktails for take-out and expanding outdoor dining from April 1, 2023 to April 1, 2024. Another provision extends the authority, set to expire in a few weeks, for public bodies, agencies and commissions to hold their meetings remotely until March 31, 2025. “The package … covers a number of diff erent areas that all require our immediate attention,” said House Ways and Means Committee chair Rep. Aaron Michlewitz (D-Boston). “This modest proposal addresses some of the pressing needs the commonwealth is facing currently. As we begin this legislative session, we are on a quick time frame for some of these programs and this spending bill is one that we need to move fairly quickly to ensure our people receive the services they need.” “The migrant crisis our commonwealth has been facing with these last couple of months has put our will to the test,” continued Michlewitz. “While Washington continues to struggle with fi nding a reasonable compromise on a broken immigration system, it is the state and our municipalities that have been forced to pick up the pieces.” (A “Yes” vote is for the budget.) Rep. Jessica Giannino Yes Rep. Jeff Turco Yes ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL – A look at some bills fi led for consideration in the new 2023-2024 Legislature: BABY BONDS (SD 711) – Would create a Baby Bonds program in Massachusetts to provide funds at birth to certain low-income residents which can be accessed when the account holder turns 18 to support asset-building activities such as post-secondary education, homebuying or investing in a business. “I am proud to have fi led [this bill] to start building an eff ective and transformational baby bonds program in the commonwealth that will build wealth from the bottom up, and the middle out, to put hardworking residents on a trajectory for wealth-creation from day one,” said sponsor Sen. Paul Feeney (D-Foxborough). “By automatically investing from day one of a child’s life, we are providing a jump-start to individuals otherwise at a disadvantage by beginning to narrow the racial wealth gap and giving our poorest residents a fi ghting shot at the middle class and the American Dream.” CHOREOGRAPHER LAUREATE (SD 2382) – Would create a new state position of Choreographer Laureate to encourage participation in the arts, elevate the dance legacy and current dance in Bay State communities and choreograph performances for important state events and ceremonies. “In my decades as a dancer and choreographer, I’ve witnessed the power of dance and movement to bring people together, and to embrace the joy and diversity of humanity,” said sponsor said Sen. Becca Rausch (D-Needham). “I fi led this bill to help spread that joy and appreciation throughout the commonwealth and uplift the importance of the arts and cultural exchange in our communities.” IMMIGRANTS IN SCHOOLS (SD 2412) – Would require the Department of Education to establish an assistance program for cities and towns that are experiencing sudden infl uxes of immigrant populafi eld) said that he fi led the measure to start an important conversation on how we can assist municipalities that are seeing a sudden infl ux of population in their school districts. “I am pleased that Gov. Healey has also recognized this issue and set aside funding in her supplemental budget to help schools take care of these students. This is a working bill and I look forward to continuing to collaborate with my colleagues to ensure our municipalities have the resources they need.” ACTIVE SHOOTER (SD 157) – Would require the state to adopt the National Fire Protection Association’s standard guidelines for active shooter or hostile events. The bill also establishes an Executive Council comprised of representatives of fi re fi ghters, EMS and law enforcement agencies to develop best practices for all elements of active-shooter response situations. “In recent years, our country has been presented with greater risks and threats when it comes to active shooter situations,” said sponsor Sen. Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth). “We are fortunate that here in Massachusetts, we have been proactive and collaborative about protecting the safety of all residents. This legislation seeks to ensure that we remain ahead of the curve and keep our residents safe well into the future.” MAKE ELECTION DAY A LEGAL HOLIDAY (SD 353) – Would make Election Day, every two years, a statewide holiday and provide people who cannot take the holiday off because they are Election Day workers or perform other essential work, with two hours paid voting leave. “The ability to vote is the foundation of our democracy,” said sponsor Sen. Becca Rausch (D-Needham). “For economically vulnerable communities, the question of voting oftentimes comes down to missing hours at work, holding onto a job or earning pay they rely on to put food on the table. My bill to establish Election Day as a holiday gives voters the greatest fl exibility to cast their ballot and make their voices heard.” QUOTABLE QUOTES – Gov. Maura Healey released a proposed $55.5 billion fiscal 2024 state budget. Here’s what they are saying about it. “Our … budget is what Massachusetts needs to meet this moment and build a strong economy, livable communities and a sustainable future. Combined with our tax relief proposal, we will set Massachusetts up for success by lowering costs, growing our competitiveness and delivering on the promise of our people. Additionally, we are taking aggressive action to address our housing crisis by creating the Executive Offi ce of Housing and Livable Communities led by a housing secretary who will coordinate across BEACON | SEE Page 16

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