BOSTON (WWLP) - The Rural Policy Advisory Commission, a group that advocates for rural towns' interests in state government, met on Wednesday. One area of interest for the commission is a new law that designates some municipalities as seasonal communities. This will allow these communities.--who have higher rates of short-term rentals and seasonal employment--to better address the unique work and housing needs of the people who live there. The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities explained how these communities will be involved in policy-making for their areas.  "The bill includes a seasonal communities council, as I was touching on, that will look at specific challenges in parts of Western Mass...to sort of avoid creating housing vacuums in any specific region of the state," said Ben Bryant, a Senior Policy Manager. The economic development bill, which included 100 million dollars for the rural development fund, did not make it over the finish line before the end of formal sessions on July 31st. Commissioner and western Massachusetts Representative Natalie Blais said there is still hope for this bill to pass...and for the funding to come through. "I'll be brutally honest with you here, I'm not quite sure what is going to happen with that," said Blais. "But I can tell you that people are still working, the legislature is still working, and we are seeing those results." In order for that bond bill to pass, the legislature would have to call a special session. Looking forward, the commission is determining their policy priorities for the next legislative session which begins in January.