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 sections 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 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 in addition to any amounts previously appropriated and made available for the purposes of those items. These sums shall be made available through the fiscal year ending June 30, 2028.
SECTION 2.
TRANSPORTATION
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
1596-2405 MBTA Low-Income Fare Relief ................................................................$67,000,000
1596-2427 MBTA Workforce/Safety Reserve ...........................................................$400,000,000
SECTION 2A. The sums set forth in this section are hereby appropriated from the Education and Transportation Fund and the Education and Transportation Innovation and Capital
Fund 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
1596-2510 For the development and expansion of initiatives to reimagine the high school experience and prioritize college and career readiness including, but not limited to, early college, workforce, technical and innovation pathway programs; provided, that such programs shall incorporate the guiding principles of designated pathways; and provided further, that not later than August 15 of each year funds are available in this item, the executive office of education shall submit a report to the joint committee on education and the house and senate committees on ways and means detailing the amount of funds expended and the number of students served by each initiative in the prior school year ...................................................................................$32,500,000
1596-2513 For a grant program for capital improvements 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.................................................................................$75,000,000
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 notwithstanding any general or special laws 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........................................................................................$100,000,000
1596-2512 For planning and implementation activities in cities, towns, regional school districts or educational collaboratives to expand pre-kindergarten or preschool opportunities on a voluntary basis to children who will be eligible for kindergarten within two school years, utilizing the Massachusetts Preschool Expansion Grant public-private partnership model; provided, that preference shall be given to districts in gateway municipalities as defined under section 3A of chapter 23A of the General Laws or districts serving high percentages of high-needs students; provided further, that additional preference shall be given to districts that have completed strategic planning efforts that support expanding access to high-quality preschool; provided further, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, funds distributed from this item shall be deposited with the treasurer of the city, town, regional school district or educational collaborative and held in a separate account and shall be expended by the school committee of such city, town, regional school district or educational collaborative without further appropriation; provided further, that funds may be expended for Summer Step Up to support children entering kindergarten and early elementary school with academic and enrichment activities during the summer; provided further, that funds from this line item shall be expended in coordination with funds from item 3000-6025; and provided further, that funds from this item may be used to provide administrative support to grantees, including technical assistance and program evaluation $50,000,000
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
1596-2514 For grants to reduce the waitlist for English for Speakers of Other Language 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, 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 that year...........$30,000,000
1596-2515 For an early literacy high dosage tutoring initiative 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 in order 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 as well as collecting and sharing pre/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 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; and 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 that year ..........................$150,000,000
TRANSPORTATION
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
1595-6380 For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund established in section 4 of chapter 6C of the General Laws for grants to municipalities for a winter resilience assistance program; provided, that funds may be expended for transportation projects including, but not limited to: (i) the rehabilitation, reconstruction, resurfacing and preservation of roadways and appurtenances; (ii) the repair or replacement of traffic control devices, signage, guardrails and storm grates; (iii) road striping or painting; and (iv) resilience improvements to roadway and related infrastructure to adapt to climate change; provided further, that funds shall be distributed
using a formula based on each municipality’s share of road mileage; and provided further, that not later than December 30, 2025, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall submit a report to the house and senate committees on ways and means and the joint committee on transportation that shall include, but not be limited to: (a) the methodology used to distribute funds from this item; (b) a list of all municipalities that received funding for projects through these grants; (c) the amount of grant funds awarded to each municipality; and (d) a description of the projects implemented in each municipality .................................................................................$25,000,000
1596-2505 For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund established in said section 4 of said chapter 6C 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 1, 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 said section 4 of said chapter 6C for a program to support grants for microtransit initiatives and last mile transportation solutions; including, but not limited to providers that expand mobility options for rural communities and extend service to veterans, working families, older adults, people with disabilities, and low-income individuals, to provide mobility choices to people with mobility needs, and to extend equitable and affordable transportation mobility improvements in the commonwealth .........................................................................................................$10,000,000
1596-2507 For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund established in said section 4 of said chapter 6C to support workforce and capital project delivery initiatives within the highway division and rail and transit division to support capital improvements, resilient infrastructure, technical and related assistance to municipalities, and enhance transportation capital project delivery across the commonwealth ........................................................$17,500,000
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, executive office for administration and finance, house and senate committees on ways and means and the joint committee on transportation not less than 30 days in advance of when funding will be withdrawn 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
1596-2509 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.