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December 16, 2025 Clouds | 28°F
The 194th General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Senate Session Report

Fiscal Year 2024 Budget

Status
Signed Into Law
Law
Chapter 28 of the Acts of 2023

Public Higher Education, K-12, and Early Education and Care

Highlights

  • Expands Access to Public Higher Education
    • Provides tuition equity for students regardless of family background
    • Invests $50 million in free community college, including:
      • $20 million for MassReconnect
      • $18 million for nursing students, and
      • $12 million to build capacity for universal free community college
    • Provides $25 million to encourage degree completion in areas facing workforce shortages
  • Supports Public K-12 Schools
    • Makes universal school meals permanent, funded at $171.5 million
    • Provides historic levels of Chapter 70 funding at $6.59 billion while doublingminimum aid to $60 per student
    • Addresses post-COVID inflation with $100 million in Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) capital support
    • Creates Green School Works to support clean energy infrastructure at public schools
  • Makes Landmark Investments in Child Care
    • Invests the largest ever amount in early education and care at $1.5 billion to expand access for Massachusetts families
    • Provides $85 million for the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grants to address affordability and keep the doors of child care centers open post-pandemic
Image of graduates alongside text: It funds the Senate’s Student Opportunity Plan: In-state tuition for all residents, FREE community college for nursing students And students 25+, Lays groundwork for universal FREE community college by fall 2024 The Student Opportunity Plan also includes: A historic $1.5 billion investment in early education and care, $6.59 billion in Student Opportunity Act funding for public K-12 schools, Making universal free school meals permanent Quote from Senate President Spilka: This budget represents a major step forward for our Commonwealth, particularly in making higher education more affordable and more accessible to everyone-which is crucial to securing our long-term competitiveness, providing residents with concrete ways to create the futures they dream of, and continuing our state’s commitment to education at every level.

Community Support and Local Aid

Highlights

  • Provides $1.27 billion in funding for Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) to support additional resources for cities and towns
  • Includes $184 million, including $90 million from Fair Share funds, for Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) to connect all regions of the Commonwealth
  • Provides $51.5 million for payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) for state-owned land
  • Invests more than $47 million in libraries,including:
    • Nearly $17 million for regional library local aid
    • More than $17 million for municipal libraries
    • And more than $6 million for technology and automated resource networks
Quote from Senate Ways and Means Michael Rodrigues: This forward-thinking budget plan invests to grow our economy, prioritizes our long-term economic health, expands access to opportunities, and empowers our communities as we build an inclusive post-pandemic future that equitably benefits all and moves our Commonwealth forward.

Expanding and Protecting Economic Opportunities

Highlights

  • Invests nearly $650 million to continue efforts to lift families out of deep poverty
  • Provides $60 million for adult basic education services to improve workforce skills and $20 million to the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund to connect under- and unemployed workers with higher paying jobs
  • Addresses food insecurity with a $36 million investment in the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program and a $21 million investment in Healthy Incentives Programs(HIP) to maintain access to healthy food options for households in need
  • Supports access to justice with $15 million for a Community Empowerment and Reinvestment Grant Program to provide economic support to communities disproportionately impacted by the criminal justice system and providing that the Department of Correction and sheriffs must provide phone calls at no cost to persons receiving and initiating phone calls, with no cap on the number of minutes or calls

Health, Mental Health and Family Care

Highlights

  • Expands Access to Quality Health Care
    • Provides over $19 billion for MassHealth
    • Invests $582 million in nursing facility Medicaid rates, including $112 million to pay nurses competitive wages
    • Supports reproductive health at $3 million
    • Provides $1 million for maternal health
  • Supports Vulnerable Residents
    • Supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities at nearly $3 billion
    • Invests more than $213 million in a complete range of substance use disorder treatment and intervention services
    • Provides nearly $43 million for Early Intervention (EI) services for children with developmental delays and disabilities
    • Provides more than $26 million for local Councils on Aging
  • Invests in Mental Health for Everyone
    • Provides nearly $120 million for children’s mental health services
    • Invests nearly $34 million in Family Resource Centers to provide services in communities
    • Assists emergency department diversion initiatives with a $25 million investment
    • Continues the important work of the Behavioral Health, Access, Outreach and Support Trust Fund with $20 million
    • Provides $6 million for Social Emotional Learning grants in K-12 schools
    • Invests $5 million in Children Advocacy Centers
Image of nurses alongside text: It expands access to quality care. Eases the workforce crunch by allowing professional nurses to train new nurses. Increases the number of people eligible for affordable health insurance. Protects ACA preventive health services from cost-sharing, such as co-pays. Image of one woman consoling another alongside text: It invests in mental health. $119.8 million for children’s menta; health. $33.8 million for Family Resource Centers. $25 million for emergency department diversion initiatives for every age. $6 million for Social Emotional Learning and mental health screenings in k-12 schools. Quote from Senator Cindy Friedman: Recognizing education and health as the cornerstone of our economic prosperity, this budget makes substantial investments in those areas by increasing local school district funding, expanding access to community college, and safeguarding life-saving preventive health services.

Transportation

Highlights

  • Provides $181 billion for MBTA capital projects, while providing $20 million to address ongoing safety concerns and $5 million fare-free MBTA rides
  • Invests $100 million in supplemental aid for roads and bridges, with half focused on the total mileage of participating municipalities to support rural communities
  • Supports Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) at $90 million
  • Provides nearly $6 million for water transportation to increase access to public transit
Quote from Senator Comerford : Constituents are going to see and feel the impact of the transformative investments made in this budget. Early educators will feel it in their paychecks. RTA riders will experience it in their commutes. College students will see it in their financial aid awards. Town officials will notice increases in their balance sheets.

Housing

Highlights

  • Invests a historic $1.05 billion, dedicating resources to programs that support housing stability, residential assistance, and assistance to those experiencing homelessness
  • Prioritizes relief for families and individuals who faced challenges brought on by the pandemic, including $324 million for Emergency Assistance family shelters and $190 million for Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT)
  • Provides $180 million for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) and $26 million for the Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP), creating over 1,000 new vouchers
  • Invests $37 million for the HomeBASE diversion and rapid re-housing programs
  • Makes permanent a pandemic-era eviction protection for renters with pending applications for emergency rental assistance
Image of Senate chamber alongside text. Other FY24 budget highlights. Makes COVID-era eviction protections permanent. Requires no-cost calls for individuals who are incarcerated. Invests $20 million to connect un-or-under-employed workers with higher paying jobs.
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