Press Room

(BOSTON—10/24/2024) Today the Massachusetts Senate passed a supplemental budget closing out Fiscal Year 2024, fulfilling the state’s obligations to critical programs and services used by residents statewide.

The funding supports treatment for substance and alcohol misuse, public health hospital investments, universal school meals, and targets $12 million for fiscally distressed community health centers, among other investments. Boosting funding for health centers will help provide equitable care in cities and towns across the state.

“Today we fulfill our obligations to critical programs that our residents depend on every day,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “We are delivering for them while also maintaining the fiscal responsibility that is a hallmark of the Senate and our Commonwealth. I’m grateful to Chair Rodrigues for his diligent work to get this done, and to each Senator for their support.”

“I’m pleased that the Senate has acted in a timely manner to pass this supplemental budget that will effectively close out Fiscal Year 2024, allowing the Comptroller to complete his statutory obligations,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “The bill provides almost $700 million in direct appropriations over an array of fiscal commitments, with a net cost of $131 million to the Commonwealth. We allocate $565 million to clear up MassHealth caseloads at a net cost of zero after federal reimbursements, direct $12 million to assist fiscally strained community health centers, and provide $5 million for public health hospitals. The legislation also includes over $12 million for the Municipal Regionalization and Efficiencies Incentive Reserve, $11 million for tax abatements for veterans, widows, blind persons, and the elderly, and funds several ratified collective bargaining agreements. We now have a clear picture ahead as we prepare for the Fiscal Year 2026 budget.”

The bill makes several changes to benefit the state’s veterans, allowing veterans to receive free license plates and clarifying that municipalities can create veteran housing preferences within existing affordable housing frameworks.

It also ratifies several approved collective bargaining agreements.

Housing provisions of the bill will allow the Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP) to fund certified housing development projects that include new construction or substantial rehabilitation of an existing property, and allow for the carryover of the $30 million annual HDIP tax credit authorizations if not fully awarded in a given year.

Further changes include clarifying tribal governments as eligible entities for the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness program and clarifying the taxable net income of a corporation when the single sales factor is not applicable.

The legislation’s $700 million allocation includes:

• $11 million for tax abatements for veterans, widows, blind persons and the elderly.
• $12.7 million for the Municipal Regionalization and Efficiencies Incentive Reserve.
• $7.6 million for health and human services and MassHealth administration.
• $565.4 million for MassHealth caseload ($0 net cost after federal reimbursements).
• $5 million for public health hospitals.
• $1.3 million for labor and workforce development administration.
• $7.3 million for Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT).
• $8.7 million for universal school meals.
• $690,000 for the Chief Medical Examiner.
• $200,000 for the National Guard.
• $622,000 for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.
• $1 million for the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association.
• $2.5 million for start-up costs for online lottery.
• $14 million for Section 35 treatment for substance and alcohol use disorder.
• $400,000 for mosquito-borne disease prevention.
• $46,000 for the county sheriffs.
• $12 million for fiscally strained community health centers.

The bill makes additional changes to modernize and clarify existing state laws.

A previous version of this bill having passed the House of Representatives, the two branches will now reconcile the differences between the bills before sending it to the Governor’s desk.

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