Legislature Enacts Closeout Supplemental Budget, Sends New Affordability and Protection Policies to Governor

Legislature Enacts Closeout Supplemental Budget, Sends New Affordability and Protection Policies to Governor 

Budget invests in health care, checks sheriffs’ spending, and supports upcoming World Cup 

 

(BOSTON—11/19/2025) The Massachusetts Legislature today passed a supplemental budget that prioritizes affordability for Massachusetts residents and protections for those being negatively impacted by decisions at the federal level. 

 

As part of allocating the final expenses of Fiscal Year 2025, the legislation, H.4761, provides funding for MassHealth, hospitals and reproductive care; ensures that students at public colleges and universities are delivered the financial aid they depend on; adds funding for the universal meals program for children in public schools; and funds operational enhancements to improve how Massachusetts residents access supplemental nutrition assistance, or SNAP. 

 

It also directs state funds to support transportation and public safety ahead of the upcoming 2026 World Cup, ensures accountability in sheriffs’ operations, and brings transparency to former state institutions where residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities suffered abuse.  

 

“I’m proud the Legislature has taken this opportunity to protect our residents and defend our values in this closeout supplemental budget,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “Our message is clear: while the federal government plays games with people’s livelihoods and health, the Massachusetts Legislature stands firmly on the side of providing our residents and communities the support they need. We are reconfirming our commitment to public higher education by restoring and protecting key funding to support college student success. We are protecting our residents from dangerous federal actions by ensuring they have access to the vaccines they need to keep themselves and their families safe. And we are taking steps to remedy decades of hurt experienced by those who lived in state-run institutions, and their families, by allowing access to family records. I would like to thank Speaker Mariano and our partners in the House, Senate Ways and Means Chair Rodrigues, the entire Senate Ways and Means Committee and my Senate colleagues, and the residents, stakeholders and advocates who contributed to this legislation.” 

 

“This supplemental budget responds to actions at the federal level, makes timely investments across a wide range of issue areas, including for free school meals, for MassHealth, and for the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, and ensures greater accountability and efficiency across critical sectors of government,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “I want to thank Governor Healey for filing this legislation, Chairman Michlewitz and my colleagues in the House for their hard work, and Senate President Spilka and our partners in the Senate for their collaboration.” 

 

“This closeout supplemental budget effectively closes the books on FY2025 by following through on our commitments across the health care, education, and public safety sectors,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “Besides responsibly wrapping up the last fiscal year, our bill takes meaningful action such as providing for technological upgrades to the delivery of SNAP benefits to our residents, penalizing the impersonation of a federal agent, and protecting federal workers from evictions or foreclosures during a government shutdown. This agreement not only reflects our priorities, but also responsibly reconciles spending gaps and puts the fiscal year to bed. I’d like to extend a special thank you to Senate President Spilka, Chair Michlewitz, and my fellow Senate conferees for their steadfast leadership in these uncertain times.” 

 

“This supplemental budget will make close the books on FY25 in a balanced and fiscally responsible manner. By making critical investments into much needed programs in health care, education, and housing to name a few, the Commonwealth will be in a strong fiscal position for FY 26 and beyond,” said Representative Aaron Michlewitz, Chair of the House Committee on Ways & Means (D-Boston). “I want to thank Speaker Mariano for his dedication to these issues, as well as my counterpart Senator Rodrigues, as well as all my colleagues in the Legislature for supporting this initiative.” 

 

Details of policy and spending contained in the closeout supplemental budget agreement are below. 

 

Policy Provisions 

Accountability for Sheriffs. Directs an investigation into sheriffs’ Fiscal Year 2025 spending deficits. The investigation will include analyses of compliance with state finance law, spending on programs that are outside required operations, and payroll changes over time. Funds no-cost phone calls program and Section 35 treatment programs for people with alcohol and substance use and withholds funding the remainder of the sheriffs’ deficit until the Inspector General (IG) reports on sheriff spending, with a preliminary report due on February 27, 2026, and a final report due May 31, 2026. 

 

Transparency for Institutional Records. Opens the door for families and scholars to access archived patient records from state institutions for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities or mental health conditions, if the records are at least 75 years old or if 50 years have passed since the patient’s death. The policy change applies to records from more than 25 institutions—many of them now closed, including the Fernald Developmental Center—where residents were abused or neglected by practices in the institutions. 

 

Matching Funds Program for World Cup 2026. Creates a new Sports and Entertainment Fund initially provided with $10 million to support transportation, public safety, wayfinding, and similar costs related to Massachusetts’ seven 2026 FIFA World Cup matches. State dollars spent on the initiative would have to be privately matched. Going forward, the Sports and Entertainment Fund would be able to receive funding to support a competitive grant program administered by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT) to attract major sports or entertainment events to provide event services, sports development, sports marketing, or construction, functioning, and operation of an event. 

 

State Leadership on Immunization Standards. Grants authority to the Department of Public Health (DPH) Commissioner to determine routine childhood immunizations and vaccination schedules rather than relying on the recommendations of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. 

 

Criminalizing Impersonation of Federal Agents. Criminalizes the impersonation of a federal officer and increases penalties for impersonating a public official, including a federal officer. 

 

Housing Stability for Federal Employees. Protects unpaid federal employees from residential eviction or foreclosure during and immediately after any federal shutdown. 

 

Privacy for People Seeking Name Changes. Removes the automatic requirement of a public notice for name-change petitions filed in court. 

 

Managed Care Organizations. Adjusts the managed care organization assessment to align with federal changes that require a broad-based and uniform assessment. 

 

Harness Racing and Simulcasting Extension. Extends authorization for harness racing and simulcast wagering from December 15, 2025, to December 15, 2027. 

 

Collective Bargaining Agreements. Ratifies 14 new collective bargaining agreements for public employees. 

 

Fiscal Provisions 

 

The legislation resolves outstanding expenses from the fiscal year that ended in June and has a net cost to the state of $806.9 million after accounting for federal reimbursements. The legislation includes $2.31 billion in total gross spending. 

 

Health Care. Addresses a number of deficiencies across the public health and health care sectors, including: 

 

• $1.67 billion for MassHealth, with a $303 million net cost to the state after federal reimbursements; 
• $374 million for Steward hospital payments, with a $236 million net cost to the state; 
• $10 million for Health Care For All to conduct a public awareness campaign to inform vulnerable populations about new Medicaid work requirements put in place by the recent federal spending bill; 
• $5 million in direct support for reproductive health care. 

 

Student Financial Assistance. Establishes a Public Higher Education Student Support Fund to maintain financial aid benefits for students attending public colleges and universities. Also appropriates $18.3 million to strengthen student financial aid assistance and ensure existing student stipend amounts are maintained. 

 

Universal School Meals. Provides $12 million to support the universal meals program for public school students.  

 

DTA Enhancements. Provides $10 million for operational and technical enhancements at the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) to improve recipients’ access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits with the aim of mitigating against harmful federal cuts. 

 

Life Sciences. Transfers $10 million to the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) to support and bolster scientific research and development in the Commonwealth. 

 

Public Defense Services. Provides $2.5 million for Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) indigent persons fees and court costs. 

 

Snow and Ice Removal. Provides $60.7 million for MassDOT snow and ice expenditures. 

 

Affordable Housing Support. Transfers $50 million to the Housing Preservation and Stabilization Trust Fund. 

 

Excess Capital Gains. After accounting for spending contained in the agreement, the remainder of collected excess capital gains will be distributed as follows: 

 

• $502.2 million (90 per cent) to the Transitional Escrow Fund; 
• $25.1 million (5 per cent) to the State Retiree Benefits Trust Fund; and 
• $25.1 million (5 per cent) to the Commonwealth’s Pension Liability Fund. 

 

Student Opportunity Act Transfer. Transfers $100 million in excess surtax collections to the Student Opportunity Act (SOA) Investment Fund. 

 

Both branches of the Legislature voted to enact the closeout supplemental budget on Wednesday, sending it to the Governor for her signature.