Consolidated Amendment #A to H.5500

Consolidated Amendment "A" to H5500

Education & Local Aid/Social Services/Veterans

Fiscal Note: $9,395,000

Amendments 88, 369, 965, and 1099 are recategorized from Veterans’ Services and Veterans’ Homes to Labor & Economic Development

Amendments 6, 7, 104, 113, 171, 172, 175, 179, 235, 572, 679, 691, 694, 958, 1015, 1047, 1210, 1212, 1230, 1259, 1273, 1304, 1306, 1307, 1308, 1315, 1316, 1325, 1331, 1417, 1503, and 1580 are recategorized from Education and Local Aid to Labor & Economic Development

Amendments 980, 1233, 1234, 1327, 1337, 1347, 1577 and 1595 are recategorized from Social Services to Labor & Economic Development

Amendment 832 is recategorized from Health and Human Services to Education and Local Aid

Education and Local Aid: 13, 32, 41, 46, 51, 68, 76, 86, 110, 118, 128, 132, 147, 150, 191, 192, 200, 202, 213, 214, 220, 244, 261, 266, 273, 282, 300, 303, 308, 310, 313, 316, 317, 323, 328, 335, 337, 346, 356, 389, 397, 398, 407, 408, 409, 411, 415, 416, 418, 426, 431, 435, 439, 442, 447, 455, 459, 477, 481, 482, 487, 490, 500, 504, 511, 529, 530, 533, 534, 536, 543, 558, 579, 592, 593, 594, 601, 602, 625, 650, 651, 677, 693, 708, 716, 722, 724, 743, 747, 758, 769, 789, 791, 811, 817, 825, 827, 831, 832, 845, 848, 855, 857, 862, 865, 882, 895, 898, 910, 920, 923, 927, 934, 955, 989, 999, 1000, 1001, 1002, 1027, 1037, 1059, 1065, 1066, 1067, 1078, 1079, 1084, 1087, 1088, 1091, 1101, 1111, 1137, 1147, 1155, 1171, 1181, 1185, 1200, 1203, 1221, 1222, 1225, 1248, 1249, 1250, 1284, 1285, 1297, 1309, 1312, 1314, 1324, 1348, 1349, 1350, 1362, 1379, 1384, 1389, 1403, 1425, 1429, 1431, 1436, 1453, 1456, 1460, 1483, 1487, 1495, 1500, 1522, 1554, 1556, 1572, 1574, 1585, 1586, 1594, 1599, 1604, 1606, 1620, 1626, 1629, 1633, 1637, 1663, 1670, 1677, 1685, 1687, 1688, 1691, 1702, 1713, 1715, 1725, 1731 and 1732

Social Services: 54, 146, 332, 354, 399, 401, 425, 448, 475, 478, 499, 513, 614, 660, 748, 840, 891, 899, 953, 973, 996, 1024, 1025, 1031, 1090, 1108, 1116, 1117, 1190, 1191, 1263, 1367, 1369, 1370, 1399, 1428, 1437, 1471, 1536, 1540, 1559, 1701 and 1721

Veterans’ Services and Veterans’ Homes: 84, 182, 196, 319, 396, 420, 452, 589, 597, 610, 620, 630, 715, 723, 730, 751, 778, 799, 820, 893, 913, 943, 944, 1052, 1096, 1097, 1139, 1247, 1282, 1498, 1623 and 1640

Mr. Michlewitz of Boston and others move to amend H.5500 in section 2, in item 0930-0100, by inserting after the word “adulthood” the following words:- ; provided further that not less than $250,000 shall be expended for a hospital-based, comprehensive child protection program at UMass Memorial Medical Center

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$4,188,835” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- “$4,438,835”

And further amend said section 2, in item 1410-0012, by inserting after the words “Home Base Program” the following words:- ; provided further, that not less than $10,000 shall be expended to The Veteran's Kitchen of Fall River, Inc.; provided further, that not less than $10,000 shall be expended to the South Attleboro Lions Club, Inc. for costs associated with their wheelchair ramp project; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to The Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center, Inc. for the purpose of communications and systems upgrades; provided further, that not less than $350,000 shall be expended to the New England Brain Sciences Institute, Inc. to deliver cutting-edge brain treatment to veterans and first responders; provided further, that not less than $30,000 shall be expended to the Veterans Oral History Project in the town of Natick; provided further, that not less than $10,000 shall be expended to VFW Post 1645 and American Legion Post 89 combined in the town of Stoughton; provided further, that not less than $10,000 shall be expended to VFW Post 8892 in the town of Avon for building improvements; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to Springfield Veterans First (NABVET) Outreach Center; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended for Project New Hope Incorporated for initiatives related to veteran outreach, community engagement in the town of Leicester, and wellness programs; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended to the Bilingual Veterans Outreach Centers of Massachusetts, Inc. in the city of Springfield for a city of Pittsfield caseworker; provided further, that not less than $125,000 shall be expended to the Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center, Inc. for supportive housing programs and operational functions; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended to the Abraham Lincoln Post 11 in the Charlestown section of the city of Boston for facility upgrades and maintenance; provided further, that not less than $200,000 shall be expended to Brave for Veterans, Inc. to support research programs benefiting veterans in the commonwealth; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to New England Wounded Veterans, Inc. for the development of the East Boston Veterans Museum

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$9,332,339” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- “$10,527,339”

And further amend said section 2, in item 1410-0250, by inserting after the words “fiscal year 2026” the following words:- ; and provided further, that not less than $175,000 shall be expended to Volunteers of America Massachusetts, Inc. for the development of an innovative transitional employment program for individuals in recovery from mental health and substance use disorder

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$3,942,952” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- “$4,117,952”

And further amend said section 2, in item 1410-1616, by inserting after the word “memorials” the following words:- ; provided, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended to the city of Worcester for the maintenance and care of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in the city of Worcester; and provided further, that not less than $10,000 shall be expended for the North Adams Veterans Memorial Wall

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$100,000” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $110,000

And further amend said section 2, in item 3000-1000, by inserting after the word “requirements” the following words:- ; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to the Old Colony YMCA-Taunton Branch for the replacement of the basketball court

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$20,257,108” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $20,282,108

And further amend said section 2, in item 3000-1020, by inserting after the word “appropriation” the following words:- ; provided further that not less than $10,000 shall be expended to the Nauset Youth Alliance in support of the Alliance’s childcare programming

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$48,165,758” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $48,175,758

And further amend said section 2, in item 4003-0122, by inserting after the words “citizens of the United States”, the second time they appear, the following words:- ; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended to Casa Dominicana Inc. to assist in ESL classes and additional programming for low-income adults

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$1,311,246” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $1,361,246

And further amend said section 2, in item 4003-0124, by inserting after the word “program”, the second time it appears, the following words:- ; provided further, that not less than $2,000,000 shall be expended to the Immigrant Family Services Institute, Inc. (IFSI-USA.INC.) for facilities, operations, programming, legal and mental health services at their offices including but not limited to Mattapan, Brockton, Everett, Worcester, Methuen and Lowell to support immigrants in Massachusetts

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$7,000,000” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $9,000,000

And further amend said section 2, in item 4400-1000, by inserting after the words “paid from this item” the following words:- ; provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended for the Bridge to Prosperity statewide cliff effect pilot program led by Springfield WORKS to support the continued implementation, evaluation and completion of a demonstration program serving families across the commonwealth; provided further, that not less than $75,000 shall be expended to Fresh Start Furniture Bank, Inc. for the continuation of wrap around services; provided further, that not less than $200,000 shall be expended for Cradles to Crayons’ Clothing Insecurity relief and essentials distribution service

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$108,760,521” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $109,135,521

And further amend said section 2, in item 4400-1004, by inserting after the words “historically underserved by the program” the following words:- ; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to the Allston-Brighton Food Pantry for a community refrigerator support program; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to the Dracut Food Pantry

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$20,000,000” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $20,050,000

And further amend said section 2, in item 4400-1020, by inserting after the words “Worcester Community Action Council, Inc.” the following words:- ; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended to the Main South Community Development Corporation for efforts to promote the safety and security of the University Park and Beacon Brightly neighborhoods

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$4,950,000” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $5,000,000

And further amend said section 2, in item 4800-0015, by inserting after the words “5 per cent of any item shall be transferred in fiscal year 2027”, the second time it appears, the following words:- ; provided further, that not less than $125,000 shall be expended to Rick’s Place, Inc. of Wilbraham for providing grief support to youth and their families in the Pioneer Valley;

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$156,448,247” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $156,573,247

And further amend said section 2, in item 4800-0030, by inserting after the word “services”, the second time it appears, the following words:- ; provided, that not less than $150,000 shall be expended to the Weymouth Teen Center for job skills training, technology support, remedial education services and to promote a social service program for growth and social welfare

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$19,174,028” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $19,324,028

And further amend said section 2, in item 4800-0038, by inserting after the words “outcomes for children” the following words:- ; provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended to the Jewish Family and Children’s Service, Inc.’s Center for Early Relationship Support for the fragile beginnings program, project newborns exposed to substances: support and therapy and related clinical and community services for vulnerable families with children from birth to age 5

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$343,181,153” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $343,281,153

And further amend said section 2, in item 4800-0200, by inserting after the words “item 4000-0051” the following words:- ; and provided further; that not less than $100,000 shall be expended to the Eliot Family Resource Center in the city of Everett for the implementation of additional programming

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$25,714,017” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $25,814,017

And further amend said section 2, in item 7000-9401, by inserting after the words “815 C.M.R. 2.00” the following words:- ; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended for the Worcester Public Library to provide funding and support staff for the Library in Every Classroom Project; provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended to the Tufts Library in Weymouth for material and equipment upgrades

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$19,380,000” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $19,530,000

And further amend said section 2, in item 7000-9501, by inserting after the words “offset program” the following words:- ; and provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended to the town of Halifax for the replacement of the roof at the Holmes public library

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$20,400,000” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $20,450,000

And further amend said section 2, in item 7009-6600, by inserting after the words “in college” the following words:- ; provided further, that not less than $175,000 shall be expended to Westfield State University, for early college programming for nursing and health science pathways to support labor force development with western Massachusetts hospitals and health care providers; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to the Cape Cod Maritime Museum, Inc. for the expansion of youth access to summer programming of Blue Economy History

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$15,000,000” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $15,200,000

And further amend said section 2, in item 7010-0005, by inserting after the word “law” the following words:- ; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended to the town of Winchester for the implementation of literacy programming in the Winchester public school system

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “13,414,723” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- 13,464,723

And further amend said section 2, in item 7010-1192, by inserting after the word “projects” the following words:- ; provided, that not less than $75,000 shall be expended to Leominster public schools for the purpose of launching new adult and after hours educational vocational programming; provided further, that not less than $70,000 shall be expended to Monson public schools, for the purchase of 280 chromebooks to sustain equitable access to instructional technology; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended for the E-Team Machinist Program in the city of Lynn; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to the city of Chicopee for financial assistance and waivers for applications in youth sports programs; provided further, that not less than $20,000 shall be expended for youth programs at Dennison Memorial Community Center, Inc. in New Bedford; provided further, that not less than $150,000 shall be expended to the city of Boston for a study of the redevelopment and economically integrated housing at Jackson Mann community center complex in the Union Square section of Allston in the city of Boston; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended for a grant to Collaborative for Educational Services, Inc. located in the city of Northampton for the trauma-informed Hampshire county initiative; provided further, that not less than $10,000 shall be expended to the Kiwanis Club for the purpose of expanding assistance for local students pursuing higher education in Massachusetts; provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended to the city of Medford for Robotics 360 programming for elementary and high school students; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended to the city of Medford for transportation to career technical education co-op programming for students in the city of Medford; provided further that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to Easton public schools for programming with Raising Multicultural Kids; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to the Taunton Performing Arts Center for the purchase of their building; provided further, that not less than $30,000 shall be expended to the town of Salisbury for repairs to the Salisbury elementary school playground; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended to Third Sector New England, Inc. for the Commonwealth Seminar to support its civic education, training, and leadership program focused on underserved communities; provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended to the Coalition for Anti-Racism and Equity, Inc. and the Commonwealth Seminar for a joint fellowship program for high school and college students from underrepresented communities of color; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to Beyond Soccer, Inc. for innovative health, athletic and leadership programming for low-income youth in the city of Lawrence; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to Kinetic Smiles, Inc. to support youth cycling, fitness, and wellness programming for children in the city of Lawrence and surrounding communities; provided further, that not less than $20,000 shall be expended to the Hill View Montessori Foundation, Inc. for a security system at Hill View Montessori Charter Public School; provided further, that not less than $75,000 shall be expended to the city known as the town of North Attleborough for the construction of a new playground for the Community School; provided further, that not less than $40,000 shall be expended to the town of Mansfield for renovation, repair and replacement of equipment at the Mansfield high school auditorium; provided further, that not less than $5,000 shall be expended to Unique Steps Dance Academy in North Attleborough; provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended to the Dedham Education Foundation, Inc. to support their mission of student enrichment programs for Dedham public schools; ; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to Haverhill public schools for the renovation of the Haverhill high school weight room and related athletic activities; provided further, that not less than $150,000 shall be expended to Braintree public schools for mental health services; provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended for the All Dorchester Sports League, Inc. for educational support, nutrition, and other community benefits; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to Asociación Carnavalesca de Massachusetts, Inc. in the city of Lawrence, to highlight the colorful tradition of Dominican Carnival in the Merrimack Valley and to provide at-risk youth with assistance programming and after school activities; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to Instituto Cultural de Puerto Rico, Inc. in the City of Lawrence, to highlight the colorful tradition of Puerto Rican culture in the Merrimack Valley; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended to Ateneo Dominicano Del Merrimack Valley to maintain and promote Dominican culture throughout the Merrimack Valley through history, literature, arts, customs, and family values; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to the P2P Basketball Corp. for the costs of expanding their programming to serve youth in Salem; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended for grants to support hands-on CPR training in public schools across the commonwealth; provided further, that not less than $250,000 shall be expended for Catie’s Closet, Inc. to provide students in schools with a high percentage of low-income and homeless students with: (i) in-school access to clothing, toiletries, and basic necessities; and (ii) community-based resources including, but not limited to, social services, mental health services and behavioral health services; provided further, that not less than $20,000 shall be expended to the Lunenburg public schools for technology upgrades; provided further, that not less than $10,000 shall be expended to the Acushnet council on aging and community center to replace its outdated HVAC system; provided further, that not less than $10,000 shall be expended to the Westport public schools for the replacement of HVAC filters, parts, and service; provided further, that not less than $10,000 shall be expended to the Acushnet public schools for the replacement of HVAC filters, parts, and service; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended for Community Investors, Inc.’s PowerPlay Initiative in the town of Wellesley in support of the expansion of an inclusive after-school and out-of-school-time recreational program at urban and suburban Massachusetts schools; provided further, that not less than $15,000 shall be expended to the West Newton Cinema Foundation, Inc. for accessibility improvements; provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended to BPE, Inc., to support the educator career pathways program; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to the Newton Cultural Alliance, Inc./The Allen Center for the purchasing of equipment and related technical support to expand access; provided further, that not less than $125,000 shall be expended to Stonehill College for the development of a nursing simulation lab to enhance clinical training and expand the health workforce pipeline; provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended to the John F. Kennedy Library for the expansion and modernization of digital infrastructure; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended to the Community Music School of Springfield, Inc.; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended to Newton public schools for professional development opportunities for educators including diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and to support a leadership network across the Newton public schools; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to Woburn public schools for computer lab upgrades at the Woburn memorial high school in the city of Woburn; provided further, that not less than $20,000 shall be expended to the Cuniff Elementary School Parent/Caregiver Teacher Organization in the city of Watertown to improve the academic and social experiences of students through enhanced volunteer partnerships between students, parents, caregivers and teachers; provided further, that not less than $200,000 shall be expended to the city of Worcester for the Recreation Worcester program; provided further, that not less than $200,000 shall be expended to the Behavioral Health Integrated Resources for Children (BIRCH) project for the operations of the school-based behavioral health technical assistance center; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended to the Belmont public schools for stipends for afterschool programs; and provided further, that not less than $15,000 shall be expended to Belmont Against Racism for afterschool transportation and other student programing

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$100,000” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $2,895,000

And further amend said section 2, in item 7027-0019, by inserting after the words “productively on the job” the following words:- ; provided further, that not less than $200,000 shall be expended to Girls Inc. for the operation of the SMART and Eureka programs at the Framingham, Holyoke, Lowell, Lynn, Pittsfield and Worcester chapters of Girls Inc.

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$6,472,081” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $6,672,801

And further amend said section 2, in item 7027-1004, by inserting after the words “in English language acquisition” the following words:- ; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended to the Hudson Maynard Adult Learning Center

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$3,712,905” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $3,762,905

And further amend said section 2, in item 7028-0031, by inserting after the word “correction” the following words:- ; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to Fundacion CEMDPCD to support, educate, and advocate on behalf of low-income parents of students with learning disabilities in the city of Lawrence

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$8,750,748” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $8,775,748

And further amend said section 2, in item 7035-0006, by inserting after the word “opportunities” the following words:- ; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended to the town of Hopedale for the planning, design and implementation of a security system for the Hopedale Junior Senior High School

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$57,112,494” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $57,162,494

And further amend said section 2, in item 7061-0033, by inserting after the word “appropriation” the following words:- and provided further, that not less than $150,000 shall be expended to the town of Lincoln to mitigate the costs of educating the children of retired-military families

And further amend said section 2, in item 7061-9408, by inserting after the word “months” the following words:- ; provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended for the recruitment and training of educators offered by Teach for America Massachusetts to expand the teacher corps to address teacher vacancies in high need public schools and to close achievement gaps; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to the Gravel Pit Academy Foundation for the expansion of equitable access to high-quality athletic development and educational support for underserved youth across the south shore

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$16,408,966” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $16,533,966

And further amend said section 2, in item 7061-9611, by inserting after the word “law” the following words:- ; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended to the city of Lowell to provide more than 20 teens from the Acre neighborhood section of the city of Lowell with hands-on training in podcast creation; provided further, that not less than $75,000 shall be expended to the city of New Bedford for the Girls Design Academy; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended to Steps to Success to provide academic and personal support for low-income students from 4th grade to college graduation; provided further, that not less than $75,000 shall be granted to the Cape Verdean Association of Brockton for employment positions for at-risk youth within their YEP! We Can Summer Program; provided further, that not less than $15,000 shall be expended to the Paris Street Council to support programming, including expanded accessible recreation and partnerships with the Special Olympics; provided further, that not less than $10,000 shall be expended to Harlem Lacrosse Boston to support operations and programming at their East Boston site; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended to Natick public schools to support targeted academic initiatives and family engagement efforts to accommodate multilingual learners at Natick public schools and to support programs designed to aid students who may benefit from additional academic support

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$7,203,178” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $7,503,178

And further amend said section 2, in item 7061-9626, by inserting after the word “youth” the following words:- ; provided, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended to the city of Everett’s Youth Development and Enrichment Department for the workforce development and summer jobs program in the city of Everett; and provided further, that not less than $35,000 shall be expended to the Everett Art Labs in the city of Everett to support Listening Works, a youth development and apprenticeship program

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$1,750,000” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $1,885,000

And further amend said section 2, in item 7061-9815, by inserting after the word “outreach” the following words:- ; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended on Mosaic Interfaith Youth Action

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$400,000” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $425,000

And further amend said section 2, in item 7066-0015, by inserting after the word “gifts” the following words:- ; and provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended to Holyoke Community College for the Recompete Program to provide wraparound services in partnerships with local employers

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$1,344,842” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $1,444,842

And further amend said section 2, in item 7116-0100, by inserting after the word “University” the following words:- ; provided, that not less than $125,000 shall be expended to the John J. Binienda Center for Civic Education; and provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended for the Latino Education Institute and pre-collegiate programs

And further amend said item by striking out the figure “$43,642,881” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $43,867,881

And further amend the bill, in section 2E, by inserting after item 1595-0115, the following item:-

1595-0116 For the Genocide Education Trust Fund, established in section 2MMMMM of chapter 29 of the General Laws; provided, that said funds shall be distributed by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education for purposes related to the instruction of middle and high school students on the history of genocide, including, but not limited to: (i) development of curricular materials detailing the underlying causes, international reaction, progression and aftermath of genocide; and (ii) professional development training, including, but not limited to, the provision of trainings, seminars, conferences and materials, for educators to use in the teaching of genocide…………$500,000

And further amend the bill by inserting after section 30 the following 2 sections:-

SECTION 30A. Section 1B of chapter 69 of the General Laws, as amended by section 25 of chapter 14 of the acts 2025, is hereby further amended by adding the following paragraph:-

The board shall establish a school meal nutrition standards advisory council to advise the commissioner on nutrition standards for meals served in schools, including, but not limited to, the implementation of the recommendations of the school meal nutrition standards commission established in section 77 of chapter 28 of the acts of 2023. The council shall: (i) provide ongoing guidance in the development of comprehensive strengthened nutrition standards aligned with the most current public health guidance and evidence-based nutrition standards; (ii) provide ongoing feasibility assessments; and (iii) work with school food authorities and stakeholders to reduce barriers to feasibility of implementation on issues, including, but not limited to, procurement, facilities and workforce training. The members of the council shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed, subject to appropriation, for expenses necessarily and reasonably incurred in the performance of the member’s responsibilities. The council shall consist of the following 11 members: 6 members appointed by the governor who shall be school nutrition operators or registered dieticians representing geographically, racially and socio-economically diverse school districts; a representative from Project Bread – The Walk for Hunger, Inc.; a representative from the School Nutrition Association of Massachusetts, Inc.; a representative from the Massachusetts Healthy School Lunch Coalition; a representative from Massachusetts Farm to School Project, LLC; and a representative from the Massachusetts Food System Collaborative. Members shall serve for a term of 3 years. Members serving on the council shall represent a reasonable statewide geographic balance. The council shall meet not less than 4 times each year. The council shall elect a chair to serve for a term of 3 years who may appoint other officers as necessary.

SECTION 30B. Section 89 of chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out subsection (mm) and inserting in place thereof the following 2 subsections:-

(mm) Each Horace Mann charter school’s enrollment and accountability data shall be included in the enrollment and accountability data, as a whole, for the district in which the school is located.

(nn) The board shall promulgate regulations for implementation and enforcement of this section.

And further amend the bill by inserting after section 55 the following section:-

SECTION 55A. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the bureau of purchased services in the operational services division shall determine prices for programs under chapter 71B of the General Laws in fiscal year 2027 by increasing the final fiscal year 2026 price by the rate of inflation as determined by the division. The division shall adjust prices for extraordinary relief pursuant to 808 C.M.R. 1.06(4). The division shall accept applications for program reconstruction and special circumstances in fiscal year 2027. The division shall authorize the fiscal year 2027 price for out-of-state purchasers requested by a program, not to exceed a maximum price determined by the bureau, by identifying the most recent price calculated for the program and applying the estimated rate of inflation for each year, as determined by the bureau pursuant to section 22N of chapter 7 of the General Laws, in which the rate of inflation is frozen beginning with fiscal year 2004, in a compounded manner for each fiscal year.