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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3735 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 195
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
James Arciero
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to state assistance for funeral expenses.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:James Arciero2nd Middlesex1/17/2025James DolanChelmsford1/17/2025 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3735 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 195
By Representative Arciero of Westford, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 195) of
James Arciero and James Dolan relative to state assistance for funeral expenses. Children,
Families and Persons with Disabilities.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act relative to state assistance for funeral expenses.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1 Section 9 of chapter 117A of the General Laws, as appearing in the
22016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 10 and 11, the words "and final
3disposition does not exceed $3,500" and inserting in place thereof the following words:-
4establishment excluding non-funeral establishment charges (cash advances) does not exceed
5$7,000.
6 SECTION 2 Section 9 of chapter 117A of the General Laws, as appearing in the
72016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the second sentence and inserting in
8place thereof the following sentence:-
9 The commonwealth may recover this expense from any legally liable family members in
10the manner provided in this chapter, and if such family members do not pay this expense, the
11commonwealth shall pay an amount not exceeding $2,000 to the funeral establishment if the total
12expense of the funeral and final disposition does not exceed $7,000, excluding cash advance 2 of 3
13items for services not directly provided by the funeral establishment and not included on the
14general price list.
15 SECTION 3. Chapter 117A of the General Laws is hereby amended inserting after
16section 10 the following section:-
17 Section 11. The Department of Transitional Assistance shall promulgate regulations
18applicable to the payment of funeral and final disposition expenses as pursuant to section 9 of
19chapter 117A, section 2 of chapter 118, and section 7 of chapter 118A to exclude cash advance
20items for services not directly provided by the funeral establishment and not included on the
21general price list from the calculation of the total expense of said funeral and final disposition.
22 Funeral establishments shall include a general price list for services offered on their
23website in order to receive full payment or reimbursement from agencies and offices of the
24Commonwealth including, but not limited to the department of transitional assistance.
25 SECTION 4. The third paragraph of Section 2 of chapter 118 of the General Laws is
26hereby amended by striking out the first sentence and inserting in place thereof the following
27sentence:-
28 The department may pay a sum not exceeding $2,000 toward the funeral and final
29disposition of a recipient to the funeral establishment if there are insufficient resources to pay for
30the cost of such funeral and final disposition and if the total expense of the funeral and final
31disposition does not exceed $7,000, excluding cash advance items for services not directly
32provided by the funeral establishment and not included on the general price list. 3 of 3
33 SECTION 5. Section 7 of chapter 118A of the General Laws is hereby amended by
34striking the third sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:-
35 The department may pay a sum not exceeding $2,000 toward the funeral and final
36disposition of a recipient to a funeral establishment if there are insufficient resources to pay for
37the cost of such funeral and final disposition and if the total expense of the funeral and final
38disposition does not exceed $7,000, excluding cash advance items for services not directly
39provided by the funeral establishment and not included on the general price list.