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Massachusetts House Bill H55

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H55 Compare Versions

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22 HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4296 FILED ON: 1/22/2025
33 HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 55
44 OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
55 COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
66 STATE HOUSE · BOSTON, MA 02133
77 (617) 725-4000
88 MAURA T. HEALEY
99 GOVERNOR
1010 KIMBERLEY DRISCOLL
1111 LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
1212 January 22, 2025
1313 To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives,
1414 I am filing for your consideration a bill entitled “An Act Making Appropriations for
1515 Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) to Provide for Supplementing Certain Existing Appropriations and for
1616 Certain Other Activities and Projects.”
1717 The proposal filed today would allocate $1.32 billion gross in excess income surtax
1818 collections from fiscal year 2023 and 2024.
1919 Our administration is committed to using these voter-approved dollars to support
2020 transformational investments in our transportation and education systems. When combined with
2121 our House 1 budget, this bill will make historic investments in our public transportation system,
2222 enabling $8 billion in new infrastructure investments over the next 10 years, stabilizing the
2323 MBTA, supporting the transportation workforce, and providing needed resources to
2424 municipalities and regional and local transit providers. Our investments in education will help
2525 create an education to workforce pipeline through investments in our career technical education
2626 institutions, reducing waitlists for our English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) services,
2727 and expanding successful state programs like early college and innovation pathways under our
2828 Reimagining High School Initiative. Education investments will compliment House 1 budget
2929 proposals to advance major initiatives in early education and support for cities and towns.
3030 In total, this legislation proposes to appropriate $857.5 million toward our transportation
3131 system and $462.5 million for education.
3232 For transportation, this supplemental budget would allocate:
3333 $780 million for the MBTA, including: 2 of 3
3434 $400 million for a safety and workforce reserve dedicated to responding to Federal
3535 Transit Administration findings and implementing solutions
3636 $300 million to replenish the MBTA’s reserves to ensure operational sustainability
3737 $67 million for the continued ramp up of the income-eligible fare relief program, which
3838 began in September 2024 and has now surpassed 30,000 eligible participants
3939 $13 million to reimburse the MBTA for mitigation efforts to support commuters and
4040 riders during the Sumner Tunnel closure
4141 $52.5 million for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, including:
4242 $25 million for a Winter Resiliency Assistance Program to support local cities and towns
4343 to prepare for winter storm events
4444 $17.5 million for a workforce and capital project delivery reserve to enable MassDOT to
4545 deliver more projects, programs, and technical assistance to local and regional partners
4646 $10 million for microtransit and last mile grants to improve mobility choices for
4747 underserved communities and people across the state
4848 $25 million for the Regional Transit Authorities for workforce and training initiatives
4949
5050 For education, this supplemental budget would also allocate:
5151 $150 million to support special education circuit breaker reimbursements in FY26, fully
5252 meeting our commitment to the Student Opportunity Act
5353 $150 million to increase capacity in our early education and care system, including $50
5454 million to expand the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative and continue down the
5555 path towards universal Pre-K
5656 $75 million for grants to our career and technical education institutions to expand
5757 capacity and reduce waitlists
5858 $32.5 million for the Reimagining High School Initiative, including expansions for early
5959 college and innovation pathways programs
6060 $30 million to better coordinate and address the growing waitlist for ESOL services with
6161 an emphasis on vocational learning
6262 $25 million for high dosage tutoring 3 of 3
6363 This proposal provides an opportunity for us to put our surtax dollars to work in ways
6464 that substantially improve the lives of our residents, businesses and communities. I look forward
6565 to working with you on these transformative proposals and helping Massachusetts become an
6666 even better place to live.
6767 Respectfully submitted,
6868 Maura T. Healey,
6969 Governor 1 of 8
7070 HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 55
7171 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
7272 _______________
7373 In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
7474 (2025-2026)
7575 _______________
7676 An Act making appropriations for the fiscal year 2025 to provide for supplementing certain
7777 existing appropriations and for certain other activities and projects.
7878 Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purposes, which are
7979 to make supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2025 and to make certain changes in law,
8080 each of which is immediately necessary to carry out those appropriations or to accomplish other
8181 important public purposes, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for
8282 the immediate preservation of the public convenience.
8383 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
8484 of the same, as follows:
8585 1 SECTION 1. To provide for supplementing certain items in the general appropriations act
8686 2and other appropriation acts for fiscal year 2025, the sums set forth in sections 2 are hereby
8787 3appropriated from the Education and Transportation Fund established in section 2BBBBBB of
8888 4chapter 29 of the General Laws and the Education and Transportation Innovation Fund
8989 5established in section 2DDDDDD of said chapter 29 for the purposes and subject to the
9090 6conditions specified in this section and subject to the laws regulating the disbursement of public
9191 7funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. All appropriations in this section shall not be
9292 8subject to section 5D of chapter 29 of the General Laws. These sums shall be in addition to any
9393 9amounts previously appropriated and made available for the purposes of those items. These sums
9494 10shall be made available through the fiscal year ending June 30, 2028. 2 of 8
9595 11 SECTION 2.
9696 12 TRANSPORTATION
9797 13 Massachusetts Department of Transportation
9898 14 1596-2405 MBTA Low-Income Fare Relief ....................................................$67,000,000
9999 15 1596-2427 MBTA Workforce/Safety Reserve ...............................................$400,000,000
100100 16 SECTION 2A. The sums set forth in this section are hereby appropriated from the
101101 17Education and Transportation Fund and the Education and Transportation Innovation and Capital
102102 18 Fund for the purposes and subject to the conditions specified in this section and subject to
103103 19the laws regulating the disbursement of public funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. All
104104 20appropriations in this section shall not be subject to section 5D of chapter 29 of the General
105105 21Laws. These sums shall be made available through the fiscal year ending June 30, 2028.
106106 22 EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF EDUCATION
107107 23 Office of the Secretary
108108 24 1596-2510 For the development and expansion of initiatives to reimagine the high school
109109 25experience and prioritize college and career readiness including, but not limited to, early college,
110110 26workforce, technical and innovation pathway programs; provided, that such programs shall
111111 27incorporate the guiding principles of designated pathways; and provided further, that not later
112112 28than August 15 of each year funds are available in this item, the executive office of education
113113 29shall submit a report to the joint committee on education and the house and senate committees on 3 of 8
114114 30ways and means detailing the amount of funds expended and the number of students served by
115115 31each initiative in the prior school year ..........................................................................$32,500,000
116116 32 1596-2513 For a grant program for capital improvements and other initiatives necessary
117117 33to build capacity and safely accommodate additional career technical education school slots;
118118 34provided, that the funds shall be administered by the executive office of education, in
119119 35consultation with the Massachusetts School Building Authority and the executive office of labor
120120 36and workforce development; and provided further, that in determining a process for awarding
121121 37grants, the executive office shall prioritize meeting the workforce demands of regional
122122 38employers, reducing demonstrable waitlists at career and technical education schools and
123123 39providing equitable access to career and technical skills training.................................$75,000,000
124124 40 Department of Early Education and Care
125125 41 1596-2511 For initiatives to support workforce, affordability, and quality improvements
126126 42in the early education and care sector; provided, that funds may be transferred at the direction of
127127 43the secretary of administration and finance to the Early Education and Care Operational Grant
128128 44Fund established in section 19 of chapter 15D of the General Laws; provided further, that
129129 45notwithstanding any general or special laws to the contrary, funds from said transfer may be
130130 46expended from said fund for one-time improvements that assist all families in connecting to child
131131 47 care providers and other initiatives to support capacity building and workforce supports
132132 48for early education and care providers.........................................................................$100,000,000
133133 49 1596-2512 For planning and implementation activities in cities, towns, regional school
134134 50districts or educational collaboratives to expand pre-kindergarten or preschool opportunities on a
135135 51voluntary basis to children who will be eligible for kindergarten within two school years, 4 of 8
136136 52utilizing the Massachusetts Preschool Expansion Grant public-private partnership model;
137137 53provided, that preference shall be given to districts in gateway municipalities as defined under
138138 54section 3A of chapter 23A of the General Laws or districts serving high percentages of high-
139139 55needs students; provided further, that additional preference shall be given to districts that have
140140 56completed strategic planning efforts that support expanding access to high-quality preschool;
141141 57provided further, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, funds
142142 58distributed from this item shall be deposited with the treasurer of the city, town, regional school
143143 59district or educational collaborative and held in a separate account and shall be expended by the
144144 60school committee of such city, town, regional school district or educational collaborative without
145145 61further appropriation; provided further, that funds may be expended for Summer Step Up to
146146 62support children entering kindergarten and early elementary school with academic and
147147 63enrichment activities during the summer; provided further, that funds from this line item shall be
148148 64expended in coordination with funds from item 3000-6025; and provided further, that funds from
149149 65this item may be used to provide administrative support to grantees, including technical
150150 66assistance and program evaluation ……………………………………………………$50,000,000
151151 67 Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
152152 68 1596-2514 For grants to reduce the waitlist for English for Speakers of Other Language
153153 69services; provided, that funds shall be administered by the department of elementary and
154154 70secondary education in coordination with the Workforce Skills Cabinet established in Executive
155155 71Order No. 560, dated February 26, 2015; provided, that in determining a process for awarding
156156 72grants, the department shall prioritize programs focused on training workers with the English
157157 73language skills needed to fill in-demand jobs; and provided further, that the commissioner of
158158 74elementary and secondary education may transfer funds to item 7035-0002 and expend said 5 of 8
159159 75funds subject to the conditions specified in said item in the general appropriations act for that
160160 76year.................................................................................................................................$30,000,000
161161 77 1596-2515 For an early literacy high dosage tutoring initiative directed by the
162162 78commissioner of elementary and secondary education; provided, that said program shall support
163163 79Massachusetts public schools and districts to partner with providers approved by the department
164164 80of elementary and secondary education to address pandemic-related learning loss and other
165165 81identified underperformance in order to support accelerated literacy growth for students in
166166 82kindergarten through grade 3; provided further, that students characterized as below benchmark
167167 83in grade 1 shall be prioritized; provided further, that funds may support activities including, but
168168 84not limited to: (i) providing early literacy tutoring services for students in kindergarten through
169169 85grade 3 who have not met relevant benchmarks on department of elementary and secondary
170170 86education-approved early literacy screening assessments; (ii) administering said screening
171171 87assessments for participating students as well as collecting and sharing pre/post tutoring data;
172172 88(iii) studying the impact of the provided tutoring; and (iv) providing in person or virtual
173173 89foundational skills-focused tutoring services per department of elementary and secondary
174174 90education guidance; and provided further, that participating entities may include, but shall not be
175175 91limited to: (a) public schools; and (b) districts serving a large proportion of high-needs
176176 92students……………………………………………………... ......................................$25,000,000
177177 93 1596-2516 For a reserve to support reimbursements to school districts and direct
178178 94payments to service providers for special education costs pursuant to section 5A of chapter 71B
179179 95of the General Laws and item 7061-0012; provided, that reimbursements shall be made in the
180180 96fiscal year ending on June 30, 2026 for costs incurred in the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2025;
181181 97and provided further, that funds may be transferred to said item 7061-0012 and expended subject 6 of 8
182182 98to the conditions specified in said item in the general appropriations act for that
183183 99year………………………………………………………………… ..........................$150,000,000
184184 100 TRANSPORTATION
185185 101 Massachusetts Department of Transportation
186186 102 1595-6380 For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund
187187 103established in section 4 of chapter 6C of the General Laws for grants to municipalities for a
188188 104winter resilience assistance program; provided, that funds may be expended for transportation
189189 105projects including, but not limited to: (i) the rehabilitation, reconstruction, resurfacing and
190190 106preservation of roadways and appurtenances; (ii) the repair or replacement of traffic control
191191 107devices, signage, guardrails and storm grates; (iii) road striping or painting; and (iv) resilience
192192 108improvements to roadway and related infrastructure to adapt to climate change; provided further,
193193 109that funds shall be distributed using a formula based on each municipality’s share of road
194194 110mileage; and provided further, that not later than December 30, 2025, the Massachusetts
195195 111Department of Transportation shall submit a report to the house and senate committees on ways
196196 112and means and the joint committee on transportation that shall include, but not be limited to: (a)
197197 113the methodology used to distribute funds from this item; (b) a list of all municipalities that
198198 114received funding for projects through these grants; (c) the amount of grant funds awarded to each
199199 115municipality; and (d) a description of the projects implemented in each
200200 116municipality……………………. .................................................................................$25,000,000
201201 117 1596-2505 For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund
202202 118established in said section 4 of said chapter 6C for a program to support grants for workforce and
203203 119training initiatives at regional transit authorities and support transit improvements across the 7 of 8
204204 120commonwealth; provided, that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall oversee the
205205 121distribution of grants under this item; and provided further, that not later than March 1, 2026, the
206206 122department shall submit a report to the joint committee on transportation and the house and
207207 123senate committees on ways and means that shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the grant
208208 124criteria used to determine awards; (ii) a list of grant recipients, including the amounts received by
209209 125each recipient; and (iii) a description of the specific uses by each recipient ................$25,000,000
210210 126 1596-2506 For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund
211211 127established in said section 4 of said chapter 6C for a program to support grants for microtransit
212212 128initiatives and last mile transportation solutions; including, but not limited to providers that
213213 129expand mobility options for rural communities and extend service to veterans, working families,
214214 130older adults, people with disabilities, and low-income individuals, to provide mobility choices to
215215 131people with mobility needs, and to extend equitable and affordable transportation mobility
216216 132improvements in the commonwealth ............................................................................$10,000,000
217217 133 1596-2507 For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund
218218 134established in said section 4 of said chapter 6C to support workforce and capital project delivery
219219 135initiatives within the highway division and rail and transit division to support capital
220220 136improvements, resilient infrastructure, technical and related assistance to municipalities, and
221221 137enhance transportation capital project delivery across the commonwealth ..................$17,500,000
222222 138 1595-2508 For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
223223 139to replenish the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority deficiency fund; provided, that the
224224 140Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall notify the Massachusetts Department of
225225 141Transportation, executive office for administration and finance, house and senate committees on 8 of 8
226226 142ways and means and the joint committee on transportation not less than 30 days in advance of
227227 143when funding will be withdrawn from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
228228 144deficiency fund; and provided further, that not later than June 30, 2025, the Massachusetts Bay
229229 145Transportation Authority shall submit a written deficiency fund policy to the Massachusetts
230230 146Department of Transportation, the executive office for administration and finance, the joint
231231 147committee on transportation and the house and senate committees on ways and
232232 148means…………………………………………………………………. ...................$300,000,000
233233 149 1596-2509 For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
234234 150under clause (1) of subsection (d) of section 2ZZZ of chapter 29 of the General Laws for direct
235235 151costs and lost revenues attributable to initiatives undertaken by the Massachusetts Bay
236236 152Transportation Authority to mitigate traffic impacts related to the closure of the Sumner Tunnel
237237 153during fiscal years 2024 and 2025; provided, that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation
238238 154Authority shall submit a report to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the joint
239239 155committee on transportation and the house and senate committees on ways and means detailing
240240 156the initiatives undertaken by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to mitigate traffic
241241 157impacts related to the closure of the Sumner Tunnel for maintenance .........................$13,000,000
242242 158 SECTION 3. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, income surtax
243243 159revenue, as defined in section 2BBBBBB of chapter 29 of the General Laws, collected in the
244244 160fiscal year ending on June 30, 2024 but certified after July 20, 2024, shall be transferred to the
245245 161Education and Transportation Innovation and Capital Fund established in section 2DDDDDD of
246246 162said chapter 29 from the Student Opportunity Act Investment Fund established in section 35RRR
247247 163of chapter 10 of the General Laws, not later than 30 days after the effective date of this act.