Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H47 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 47 FILED ON: 1/30/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 47
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
7	7	COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
8	8	STATE HOUSE · , MA
9	9	MAURA T. HEALEY
10	10	GOVERNOR
11	11	KIMBERLY DRISCOLL
12	12	LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
13	13	January 30, 2023
14	14	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives,
15	15	I submit for your consideration a bill entitled “An Act Making Appropriations for Fiscal
16	16	Year 2023 to Provide for Supplementing Certain Existing Appropriations and for Certain Other
17	17	Activities and Projects.”
18	18	The demand for emergency shelter by families experiencing homelessness in the
19	19	Commonwealth has significantly increased, and the emergency temporary shelter system is at
20	20	capacity. While the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has been
21	21	working to place vulnerable people and expanding capacity to meet its revised caseload
22	22	projections, Emergency Assistance (EA) funds have been depleted. As a right to shelter state, the
23	23	Commonwealth is committed to providing safe temporary shelter to these families. With
24	24	additional funding, DHCD will be able to continue the urgent task of expanding the capacity of
25	25	the EA system by investing in the infrastructure, workforce, and supportive network of providers
26	26	that help stabilize and rehouse these families to improve their circumstances.
27	27	As we invest in our EA shelter system, we must also partner with the local communities
28	28	that have stepped up to welcome their neighbors and newcomers who need a hand. We will
29	29	continue to increase shelter capacity equitably and sustainably, recognizing that these families
30	30	and the communities in which they live are struggling to meet their needs. In particular, we must
31	31	assist the schools and school districts that play a key role in helping kids whose families are
32	32	experiencing homelessness. 2 of 3
33	33	We know that people affected by homelessness may require medical care and other
34	34	services in addition to shelter to get back on their feet. School-aged children need to continue
35	35	their education. People with complex language and legal barriers due to federal immigration and
36	36	refugee policies may need support that addresses these distinct challenges. The Massachusetts
37	37	Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) has established a temporary central intake center
38	38	located in the Bob Eisengrein Community Center in Devens where families receive timely case
39	39	management services and various intake assessments before being transferred to an EA shelter
40	40	site or another more permanent housing solution.
41	41	To address the caseload demand for family shelter, we urgently need to invest in and
42	42	build the capacity of the EA system through all of these dimensions: increasing shelter units,
43	43	growing our provider network, investing in our supportive service workforce, assisting local
44	44	communities and schools who are welcoming families in need, providing interventions and
45	45	supportive services that will connect people experiencing homelessness with the tools they need
46	46	to stabilize and find permanent housing. Therefore, I am proposing that the Legislature
47	47	appropriate $85 million for immediate needs of the various agencies that each have a unique role
48	48	in responding to this crisis.
49	49	As you know, recently enacted federal legislation will end the supplemental emergency
50	50	allotment of aid to households who benefit from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
51	51	(SNAP). This enhanced federal benefit had been available during the pandemic and will be
52	52	ending March 1. In order to assist Massachusetts residents who rely upon SNAP to feed their
53	53	families, I am proposing a temporary ramp-down of the enhanced federal benefit by repurposing
54	54	enhanced federal Medicaid funding to cover three months of supplemental allotments to SNAP
55	55	recipients at an amount equal to 40% of the previous federal emergency program. These three
56	56	months will assist households benefitting from SNAP to pay for healthy food. I am proposing
57	57	$130 million to establish this temporary ramp-down of enhanced SNAP benefits for this purpose,
58	58	and an additional $2 million to reimburse victims of SNAP benefit theft.
59	59	In the fiscal year 2023 General Appropriation Act, the Legislature enacted a pilot
60	60	program to allow all K-12 students in Massachusetts to qualify for free school meals. The
61	61	funding for that program has now been depleted, which would result in the program’s early end
62	62	in March. In order to continue the universal school meals pilot program statewide for the
63	63	remainder of the 2022-2023 school year, I am proposing an additional $65 million to meet
64	64	projected need.
65	65	The total supplemental appropriations requested, including EA shelter and related
66	66	proposals, enhanced SNAP ramp-down, and completion of the universal school meals pilot
67	67	program is $282 million.
68	68	Funding from this proposal will: 3 of 3
69	69	• Cover the cost of the projected increase in EA program caseload through the end
70	70	of Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23);
71	71	• Facilitate the recruitment and retention of necessary service providers to scale the
72	72	EA shelter provider network and its workforce;
73	73	• Expand the EA system by bringing new shelter units online;
74	74	• Assist local school districts with emergency aid for students whose families are
75	75	experiencing homelessness;
76	76	• Establish and operate a temporary centralized intake center so families during
77	77	their first few days in shelter can receive timely and focused case management services;
78	78	• Provide health care, supportive services, and specialized immigration and
79	79	refugee-focused case management to families who need them;
80	80	• Provide a three-month ramp down of enhanced SNAP benefits at an amount equal
81	81	to 40% of the previous federal enhanced SNAP allotment; and
82	82	• Continue funding for the universal free student meals pilot program for the
83	83	remainder of the 2022-23 school year.
84	84	The bill also includes an outside section to allow for the efficient use of available
85	85	resources by authorizing the transfer of funds between the EA and the HomeBASE line items in
86	86	the FY23 budget, which will allow appropriated shelter funding to be utilized where it is most
87	87	needed across the system.
88	88	Sufficient revenues are available to finance the appropriations and other proposed
89	89	measures. I urge you to enact this legislation promptly to ensure that we continue to have
90	90	capacity to shelter all eligible families.
91	91	Respectfully Submitted,
92	92	Maura T. Healey,
93	93	Governor 1 of 4
94	94	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 47
95	95	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
96	96	_______________
97	97	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
98	98	(2023-2024)
99	99	_______________
100	100	An Act making appropriations for the fiscal year 2023 to provide for supplementing certain
101	101	existing appropriations and for certain other activities and projects.
102	102	Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purposes, which are
103	103	to make supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2023 and to make certain changes in law,
104	104	each of which is immediately necessary to carry out those appropriations or to accomplish other
105	105	important public purposes, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for
106	106	the immediate preservation of the public convenience.
107	107	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
108	108	of the same, as follows:
109	109	1 SECTION 1. To provide for supplementing certain items in the general appropriation act
110	110	2and other appropriation acts for fiscal year 2023, the sums set forth in section 2 are hereby
111	111	3appropriated from the General Fund unless specifically designated otherwise in this act or in
112	112	4those appropriation acts, for the several purposes and subject to the conditions specified in this
113	113	5act or in those appropriation acts, and subject to the laws regulating the disbursement of public
114	114	6funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023. These sums shall be in addition to any amounts
115	115	7previously appropriated and made available for the purposes of those items. These sums shall be
116	116	8made available through the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023.
117	117	9 SECTION 2.
118	118	10 EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 2 of 4
119	119	11 Department of Housing and Community Development
120	120	12 7004-0101Emergency Assistance Family Shelters and Services...............$44,938,224
121	121	13 EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF EDUCATION
122	122	14 Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
123	123	15 7053-1925School Breakfast Program.........................................................$65,000,000
124	124	16 SECTION 2A. To provide for certain unanticipated obligations of the commonwealth, to
125	125	17provide for an alteration of purpose for current appropriations, and to meet certain requirements
126	126	18of law, the sums set forth in this section are hereby appropriated from the General Fund unless
127	127	19specifically designated otherwise in this section, for the several purposes and subject to the
128	128	20conditions specified in this section, and subject to the laws regulating the disbursement of public
129	129	21funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023. Except as otherwise stated, these sums shall be
130	130	22made available through the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024.
131	131	23 EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE
132	132	24 Reserves
133	133	25 1599-0924For a reserve to address the needs of homeless families and individuals;
134	134	26provided, that funding may be expended to supplement school district costs associated with
135	135	27additional student enrollments; provided further, that any such funds distributed to a city, town or
136	136	28regional school district to supplement school district costs associated with additional student
137	137	29enrollments shall be deposited with the treasurer of such city, town, or regional school district
138	138	30and held in a separate account and shall be expended by the school committee of such city, town
139	139	31or regional school district without further appropriation, notwithstanding any general or special 3 of 4
140	140	32law to the contrary; provided further, that funds in this item shall be distributed in a manner that
141	141	33promotes geographic equity and fairly distributes school burdens and associated funding to
142	142	34communities in which shelter capacity is increased; and provided further, that the secretary of
143	143	35administration and finance may transfer funds from this item to state agencies as defined in
144	144	36section 1 of chapter 29 of the General Laws................................................................$40,061,776
145	145	37 1599-3068 For emergency allotments to households participating in the supplemental
146	146	38nutrition assistance program under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to address food needs and
147	147	39increased food costs; provided, that the emergency allotments shall be up to 40 per cent of the
148	148	40amount needed to bring the monthly benefit up to the applicable maximum monthly allotment for
149	149	41the household size or up to 40 per cent of $95, whichever is greater..........................$130,000,000
150	150	42 EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
151	151	43 Department of Transitional Assistance
152	152	44 4400-1030 For reimbursement to clients who have had their federal Supplemental
153	153	45Nutrition Assistance Program payments stolen through Electronic Benefit Transfer card
154	154	46skimming, card cloning, or other similar fraudulent electronically-based method, during the
155	155	47period of April 1, 2022 through September 30, 2022; provided, that claims for such
156	156	48reimbursement must be verified by the department and must be reported to the department by
157	157	49June 30, 2023; provided further, that reimbursements shall not exceed the lesser of the amount of
158	158	50benefits stolen from the household, or the amount equal to 2 months of the monthly allotment of
159	159	51the household immediately prior to the date on which the benefits were stolen............$2,000,000
160	160	52 SECTION 3. Item 7004-0108 of section 2 of chapter 126 of the acts of 2022 is hereby
161	161	53amended by striking out the word “annually” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- 4 of 4
162	162	54annually; and provided further, that the secretary of housing and economic development may
163	163	55transfer funds between items 7004-0108 and 7004-0101; and provided further, that the secretary
164	164	56of housing and economic development shall notify the house and senate committees on ways and
165	165	57means not less than 14 days in advance of any such transfer.