Press Room

(BOSTON—10/29/2026) The Senate Committee on Ways and Means voted today to advance a supplemental budget that closes the books on the past fiscal year and ensures the integrity and reliability of state services. The bill also helps people cut through the confusion of cancelling an online subscription, bolsters the state’s core assistance programs against fraud and federal cuts, and streamlines municipal procurement processes to help cities and towns mitigate high costs.

The Committee on Ways and Means voted this morning to advance a redrafted version of the bill to the full Senate. The Senate’s agenda for today’s session includes a vote on scheduling public debate on the bill for next Thursday, November 5, 2026.

The closeout budget, S.3290, helps people keep more money in their pockets by requiring simpler cancellation processes for online subscriptions. Companies offering subscription products would have to make cancelling just as easy as signing up, saving residents from being nickel-and-dimed.

For local families who are getting by with help from the Commonwealth’s core assistance programs, the supplemental budget provides for new technology and additional caseworkers to ensure the integrity of the system in the face of federal cuts. Improving support interactions and enhancing fraud detection will lead to better experiences as families in need seek to get connected with support.

The legislation also cuts red tape at the local level to give cities and towns more flexibility in how they purchase goods and services. A streamlined procurement process is one tool to help municipalities mitigate the especially high costs of today’s national economy while also helping them respond more quickly to local needs.

The supplemental budget will result in $1.79 billion in net spending by the state as it closes out Fiscal Year 2026 while responsibly paying some bills from Fiscal Years 2025 and 2027. The bill’s total bottom line is $2.61 billion before accounting for revenue from federal reimbursements.

Full details of the legislation are available in fact sheets in the Senate press room.

The underlying legislation was originally filed by the Governor on September 23, 2026. The House of Representatives passed a version of the bill on October 21.

All votes taken at the committee and chamber levels are publicly posted on the Legislature’s website.

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