SECTION 1. To provide for supplementing certain items in the general appropriations act and other appropriation acts for fiscal year 2025, the sums set forth in section 2 are hereby appropriated from the Education and Transportation Fund established in section 2BBBBBB of chapter 29 of the General Laws and the Education and Transportation Innovation and Capital Fund established in section 2DDDDDD of said chapter 29, unless specifically designated otherwise in this act or in those appropriation acts, for the several purposes and subject to the conditions specified in this section and subject to the laws regulating the disbursement of public funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. All appropriations in this section shall not be subject to section 5D of chapter 29 of the General Laws. These sums shall be in addition to any amounts previously appropriated and made available for the purposes of those items.
SECTION 2.
TRANSPORTATION
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
1596-2404 MBTA Physical Infrastructure………………………………...$60,000,000
1596-2405 MBTA Low-Income Fare Relief ..............................................$20,000,000
1596-2427 MBTA Workforce/Safety Reserve .........................................$400,000,000
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF EDUCATION
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
1596-2422 Universal School Meals………………………………………..$10,000,000
1596-2424 Green Schoolworks……………………………………………$10,000,000
7061-0012 Special Education Circuit Breaker…………………………....$58,000,000
Student Opportunity Act Investment Fund........................100%
Department of Higher Education
1596-2425 DHE Endowment Match………………………………………$10,000,000
1596-2426 UMass Endowment Match…………………………………….$10,000,000
SECTION 2A. The sums set forth in this section are hereby appropriated from the Education and Transportation Fund established in section 2BBBBBB of chapter 29 of the General Laws and the Education and Transportation Innovation and Capital Fund established in section 2DDDDDD of said chapter 29 for the purposes and subject to the conditions specified in this section and subject to the laws regulating the disbursement of public funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. All appropriations in this section shall not be subject to section 5D of chapter 29 of the General Laws. These sums shall be made available through the fiscal year ending June 30, 2028.
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF EDUCATION
Office of the Secretary
1596-2513 For a grant program for capital improvements, leasing of additional space and other initiatives necessary to build capacity and safely accommodate additional career technical education school slots; provided, that the funds shall be administered by the executive office of education, in consultation with the Massachusetts School Building Authority and the executive office of labor and workforce development; and provided further, that in determining a process for awarding grants, the executive office shall prioritize meeting the workforce demands of regional employers, reducing demonstrable waitlists at career and technical education schools and providing equitable access to career and technical skills training..........................$50,000,000
1596-2517 For local one-time education projects…………………………….$100,000
Department of Early Education and Care
1596-2511 For initiatives to support workforce, affordability and quality improvements in the early education and care sector; provided, that funds may be transferred at the direction of the secretary of administration and finance to the Early Education and Care Operational Grant Fund established in section 19 of chapter 15D of the General Laws; provided further, that not less than $20,000,000 shall be expended for a reimbursement rate increase for subsidized early education center-based and family child care providers in the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2026; provided further, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, funds from said transfer may be expended from said fund for one-time improvements that assist all families in connecting to child care providers and other initiatives to support capacity building and workforce supports for early education and care providers........................................................................................................................$40,000,000
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
1596-2514 For educational grants to reduce the waitlist for English for speakers of other languages services; provided, that funds shall be administered by the department of elementary and secondary education in coordination with the Workforce Skills Cabinet established in Executive Order No. 560, dated February 26, 2015; provided further, that in determining a process for awarding grants, the department shall prioritize programs focused on training workers with the English language skills needed to fill in-demand jobs; and provided further, that the commissioner of elementary and secondary education may transfer funds to item 7035-0002 and expend said funds subject to the conditions specified in said item in the general appropriations act for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2026.......................................$8,500,000
1596-2515 For an early literacy high-dosage tutoring initiative program directed by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education; provided, that said program shall support Massachusetts public schools and districts to partner with providers approved by the department of elementary and secondary education to address pandemic-related learning loss and other identified underperformance to support accelerated literacy growth for students in kindergarten through grade 3; provided further, that students characterized as below benchmark in grade 1 shall be prioritized; provided further, that funds may support activities, including, but not limited to: (i) providing early literacy tutoring services for students in kindergarten through grade 3 who have not met relevant benchmarks on department of elementary and secondary education-approved early literacy screening assessments; (ii) administering said screening assessments for participating students and collecting and sharing pre- and post-tutoring data; (iii) studying the impact of the provided tutoring; and (iv) providing in-person or virtual foundational skills-focused tutoring services per department of elementary and secondary education guidance; and provided further, that participating entities may include, but shall not be limited to: (a) public schools; and (b) districts serving a large proportion of high-needs students………….$25,000,000
1596-2516 For a reserve to support reimbursements to school districts and direct payments to service providers for special education instructional and transportation costs pursuant to section 5A of chapter 71B of the General Laws and item 7061-0012; provided, that reimbursements shall be made in the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2026 for costs incurred in the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2025; provided further, that funds may be transferred to said item 7061-0012 and expended subject to the conditions specified in said item in the general appropriations act for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2026; provided further, that not less than $250,000 shall be expended for the office of the inspector general to review school district transportation service practices provided pursuant to said section 5A of said chapter 71B, including, but not limited to, procurement of said services, and to make recommendations for school districts that aim to reduce costs and ensure that districts maximize purchasing power and act transparently and efficiently to provide said services; provided further, that the office of the inspector general shall review possible ways for districts to consolidate transportation services regionally, to the extent practicable; provided further, that not later than February 2, 2026, the office of the inspector general shall submit to the house and senate committees on ways and means and the joint committee on education and publish on its website recommendations and best practices: (i) for school districts to reduce costs and maximize purchasing power for transportation services; (ii) to consolidate transportation services regionally, to the extent practicable; and (iii) that the office deems necessary for said services; provided further, that the office of the inspector general shall include in its recommendations any information on cost savings for school districts by following said best practices and recommendations; and provided further, that the department of elementary and secondary education shall provide any information necessary for the office of the inspector general to conduct a comprehensive review under this item…………………………………………………………………..........................$190,000,000
1596-2518 For a capital project, including development costs, administered by the department of elementary and secondary education for the Holocaust Legacy Foundation, Inc. to establish the Boston Holocaust Museum to provide interactive educational opportunities in the commonwealth, including, but not limited to, history and social science frameworks; provided, that funds may be used for: (i) exhibit buildout; (ii) accessibility; (iii) security infrastructure; (iv) educational technology; and (v) curriculum………………………$5,000,000
TRANSPORTATION
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
1595-2508 For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to replenish the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority deficiency fund; provided, that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall notify the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the executive office for administration and finance, the house and senate committees on ways and means and the joint committee on transportation not less than 30 days prior to withdrawing funds from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority deficiency fund; and provided further, that not later than June 30, 2025, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall submit a written deficiency fund policy to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the executive office for administration and finance, the joint committee on transportation and the house and senate committees on ways and means………………………………………………………………………………$300,000,000
1596-2505 For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund established in section 4 of chapter 6C of the General Laws for a program to support grants for workforce and training initiatives at regional transit authorities and support transit improvements across the commonwealth; provided, that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall oversee the distribution of grants under this item; and provided further, that not later than March 2, 2026, the department shall submit a report to the joint committee on transportation and the house and senate committees on ways and means that shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the grant criteria used to determine awards; (ii) a list of grant recipients, including the amounts received by each recipient; and (iii) a description of the specific uses by each
recipient .........................................................................................................................$25,000,000
1596-2506 For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund established in section 4 of chapter 6C of the General Laws for a pilot program to provide grants to municipalities for repair, maintenance and improvements to unpaved roads; provided, that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall oversee the distribution of grants under this item; provided further, that said grant funds shall only be available to municipalities for repair, maintenance and improvements to dirt or gravel roads that are open to the public and maintained by the municipality; provided further, that grant funds shall be used by municipalities for: (i) reconstruction, surface grading, crown and shoulder restoration and removal of wash boarding and potholes; (ii) guardrail and signage repair or replacement; (iii) drainage work, including swales; and (iv) the purchase or lease of maintenance equipment, including, but not limited to, graders, rollers and loaders; provided further, that municipalities shall not use grant funds for: (a) construction of new roadways; (b) conversion of unpaved roads to paved roads; (c) landscaping or removing vegetation not related to an eligible use project; (d) culverts; (e) retaining walls; or (f) police details; and provided further, that not later than December 30, 2025, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall submit a report on grant funds from this item to the house and senate committees on ways and means and the joint committee on transportation that shall include, but shall not be limited to: (A) the methodology used to distribute grant funds; (B) a list of all municipalities that received grant funds; and (C) the amount of grant funds awarded to each municipality…………………………………………………………………...…$10,000,000
1596-2507 For local one-time transportation projects………………………..$100,000
1596-2509 For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority under clause (1) of subsection (d) of section 2ZZZ of chapter 29 of the General Laws for direct costs and lost revenues attributable to initiatives undertaken by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to mitigate traffic impacts related to the closure of the Sumner Tunnel during fiscal years 2024 and 2025; provided, that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall submit a report to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the joint committee on transportation and the house and senate committees on ways and means detailing the initiatives undertaken by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to mitigate traffic impacts related to the closure of the Sumner Tunnel for maintenance .........................$13,000,000
SECTION 3. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, income surtax revenue, as defined in section 2BBBBBB of chapter 29 of the General Laws, collected in the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2024 but certified after July 20, 2024, shall be transferred to the Education and Transportation Innovation and Capital Fund established in section 2DDDDDD of said chapter 29 from the Student Opportunity Act Investment Fund established in section 35RRR of chapter 10 of the General Laws, not later than 30 days after the effective date of this act.
SECTION 4. Section 2F of chapter 140 of the acts of 2024 is hereby amended by striking out item 1596-2427 and inserting in place thereof the following item:-
1596-2427 For a transfer to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority workforce and safety reserve established in line item 1599-1971 of section 2 of chapter 126 of the acts of 2022, for projects to address ongoing safety concerns at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority related to the interim and final findings of the Federal Transit Administration’s Safety Management Inspection initiated in April 2022; provided, that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall work in consultation with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the department of public utilities in the planning and implementation of said projects funded through this item; provided further, that funds may be expended for hiring and retention related to said projects; provided further, that funds may be expended to support ongoing costs associated with said projects which shall include preventative maintenance, safety, service delivery and capital activities necessary to remain in compliance with said findings of said inspection; provided further, that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall issue monthly reports to the joint committee on transportation and the house and senate committees on ways and means detailing the status of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s progress toward responding to each finding and required action as issued by the Federal Transit Administration; and provided further, that said reports shall be delineated by special directive and shall include, but shall not be limited to: (i) the funds expended from this item and the related purpose for said spending; (ii) the completion date of each executed required action; and (iii) the estimated completion date of each pending required action..............................................................................................................................$36,000,000
Education and Transportation Fund ....................... 100%