SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2512
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
_______________
SENATE, May 1, 2025.
The committee on Senate Ways and Means to whom was referred the House Bill making
appropriations for the fiscal year 2025 to provide for supplementing certain existing
appropriations and for certain other activities and projects (House, No. 4010); reports,
recommending that the same ought to pass with an amendment striking out all after the enacting
clause and inserting in place thereof the text of Senate document numbered 2512. (Direct
Appropriations: $1,283,200,000.00)
For the committee,
Michael J. Rodrigues 2 of 14
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2512
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
_______________
1 SECTION 1. To provide for supplementing certain items in the general appropriations act
2and other appropriation acts for fiscal year 2025, the sums set forth in section 2 are hereby
3appropriated from the Education and Transportation Innovation and Capital Fund established in
4section 2DDDDDD of chapter 29 of the General Laws, unless specifically designated otherwise
5in this act or in those appropriation acts, for the several purposes and subject to the conditions
6specified in this act or in those appropriations acts and subject to the laws regulating the
7disbursement of public funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. All appropriations in this
8section shall not be subject to section 5D of chapter 29 of the General Laws. These sums shall be
9in addition to any amounts previously appropriated and made available for the purposes of those
10items.
11 SECTION 2.
12 TRANSPORTATION
13 Massachusetts Department of Transportation
14 1596-2405 MBTA Low-Income Fare Relief $20,000,000
15 1596-2427MBTA Workforce/Safety Reserve $100,000,000 3 of 14
16 EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF EDUCATION
17 Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
18 7061-0012 Special Education Circuit Breaker $58,000,000
19 Student Opportunity Act Investment Fund........................100%
20 SECTION 2A. The sums set forth in this section are hereby appropriated from the
21Education and Transportation Innovation and Capital Fund established in section 2DDDDDD of
22chapter 29 of the General Laws, unless specifically designated otherwise in this act, for the
23purposes and subject to the conditions specified in this section and subject to the laws regulating
24the disbursement of public funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. All appropriations in
25this section shall not be subject to section 5D of said chapter 29. These sums shall be made
26available through the fiscal year ending June 30, 2028.
27 EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF EDUCATION
28 Office of the Secretary
29 1596-2513For a grant program for capital improvements, long-term leasing of
30additional space and other initiatives necessary to build capacity and safely accommodate
31additional career technical education school opportunities; provided, that the funds shall be
32administered by the executive office of education in consultation with the Massachusetts School
33Building Authority and the executive office of labor and workforce development; provided
34further, that funds shall be made available to both vocational technical schools and
35comprehensive high schools; provided further, that in determining a process for awarding grants,
36the executive office shall prioritize meeting the workforce demands of regional employers, 4 of 14
37reducing demonstrable waitlists at career and technical education schools and providing
38equitable access to career and technical skills training for students likely to pursue a career in
39their field of study; provided further, that not less than $15,000,000 shall be expended for a pilot
40program for comprehensive high schools to support career and vocational technical annex
41buildings on comprehensive high school campuses; provided further, that career and vocational
42training offered within such annex buildings shall align with regional workforce demands;
43provided further, that the pilot program shall prioritize communities that: (i) have demonstrable
44waitlists for career and vocational technical programming; (ii) are taking meaningful steps to
45produce new housing; and (iii) have adopted best practices to promote sustainable housing
46development to be determined in consultation with the executive office of housing and livable
47communities; and provided further, that the executive office shall prioritize projects within this
48item that address disparities in opportunity gap data compiled by the department of elementary
49and secondary education and support student populations that (a) consist of high school juniors
50or seniors; (b) have not been accepted into a dedicated vocational school or program; (c)
51experience historically low admittance rates into vocation technical school districts; and (d)
52reside in the public school’s district $100,000,000
53 1596-2517For local one-time education projects $100,000
54 1596-2518For capital and development costs for the Holocaust Legacy Foundation,
55Inc. to establish the Boston Holocaust Museum to provide interactive educational opportunities
56in the commonwealth, including, but not limited to, history and social science frameworks;
57provided, that funds may be used for: (i) exhibit buildout; (ii) accessibility; (iii) security
58infrastructure; and (iv) educational technology and curriculum $5,000,000 5 of 14
59 Transitional Escrow Fund........................100%
60 Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
61 1596-2514For educational grants to reduce the waitlist for English for speakers of
62other language services; provided, that funds shall be administered by the department of
63elementary and secondary education in coordination with the Workforce Skills Cabinet
64established in Executive Order No. 560, dated February 26, 2015; provided further, that in
65determining a process for awarding grants, the department shall prioritize programs focused on
66providing English language skills training to workers for in-demand jobs that require such skills;
67and provided further, that the commissioner of elementary and secondary education may transfer
68funds to item 7035-0002 and expend said funds subject to the conditions specified in said item in
69the general appropriations act for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2026 $10,000,000
70 1596-2515For an early literacy high dosage tutoring initiative program directed by
71the commissioner of elementary and secondary education; provided, that said program shall
72support public schools and districts to partner with providers approved by the department of
73elementary and secondary education to address pandemic-related learning loss and other
74identified underperformance in order to support accelerated literacy growth for students in
75kindergarten to grade 3, inclusive; provided further, that students characterized as below
76benchmark in grade 1 shall be prioritized; provided further, that funds shall only be awarded to
77support schools and districts that have adopted a high-quality, evidence-based reading
78instructional model as defined by the department; provided further, that funds may support
79activities including, but not limited to: (i) providing early literacy tutoring services for students
80in kindergarten to grade 3, inclusive, who have not met relevant benchmarks on early literacy 6 of 14
81screening assessments approved by the department of elementary and secondary education; (ii)
82statewide coordinating activities to a third party to facilitate high-quality implementation of the
83program; (iii) studying the impact of the tutoring provided; and (iv) providing foundational
84skills-focused tutoring that aligns with the research-backed characteristics of effective high-
85dosage tutoring practices; and provided further, that the department shall prioritize high-dosage
86tutoring for schools and districts serving a large proportion of high-needs students $25,000,000
87 1596-2516For a reserve to support reimbursements to school districts and direct
88payments to service providers for special education instructional and transportation costs
89pursuant to section 5A of chapter 71B of the General Laws and item 7061-0012; provided, that
90reimbursements shall be made in the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2026 for costs incurred in the
91fiscal year ending on June 30, 2025; and provided further, that funds may be transferred to said
92item 7061-0012 and expended subject to the conditions specified in said item 7061-0012 of the
93general appropriations act for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2026 $190,000,000
94 1595-2522For a program to provide supplemental grants for school construction
95projects previously approved for financing by the Massachusetts School Building Authority for
96projects experiencing extraordinary cost increases of materials due to inflation; provided, that
97notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, said program shall be made available
98in addition to amounts previously approved by the authority’s board of directors for certain
99cities, towns and school districts with core program school facility projects in the authority's
100capital pipeline that have been impacted by unanticipated cost escalations; provided further, that
101said program shall be used to assist school districts with escalations incurred in connection with
102school facility construction projects that previously received project scope and funding
103agreement approval by the authority’s board of directors; provided further, that notwithstanding 7 of 14
104any general or special law to the contrary, the authority shall establish the rules and policies
105related to said program and the criteria for determining a project’s eligibility and the appropriate
106amount of the supplemental grant; provided further, that the authority shall not award a
107supplemental grant under this program to cities and towns not in compliance with the multi-
108family zoning requirement established in section 3A of chapter 40A of the General Laws as
109determined by the executive office of housing and livable communities; provided further, that
110preference for supplemental grants under this program shall be given to cities and towns that are
111taking meaningful steps to produce new housing or have adopted best practices to promote
112sustainable housing development to be determined in consultation with the executive office of
113housing and livable communities; provided further, that cities, towns and school districts shall
114submit budget and project documentation to the authority in a form prescribed by the authority to
115be eligible for grants from the program funded under this item; provided further, that the
116authority, with the approval of its board of directors, may waive certain cost cap limits or other
117grant limits that have been established as part of the program funded under this item; provided
118further, that the amounts awarded to cities, towns and school districts from this item shall not be
119calculated as part of the limit in section 7 of chapter 70B of the General Laws on the estimated
120amount of grants approved by the authority during a fiscal year; and provided further, that not
121later than May 31, 2026, the authority shall submit a report to the executive office for
122administration and finance, the joint committee on education and the house and senate
123committees on ways and means detailing grant award recipients and the amount of the grant
124awarded for each project $50,000,000
125 Department of Higher Education 8 of 14
126 1596-2525For a capital program at public institutions of higher education in the
127commonwealth; provided, that projects supported under the program shall reduce the deferred
128maintenance backlog of said institutions; provided further, that said projects may include, but
129shall not be limited to: (i) building envelope repairs and renovations; (ii) heating, ventilation and
130air conditioning systems replacement; (iii) Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility
131compliance projects; (iv) electrical systems repair and replacement; and (v) water and
132wastewater systems repair and replacement; provided further, that the program shall be
133administered by the division of capital asset management and maintenance in collaboration with
134the executive office of education; provided further, that the division of capital asset management
135and maintenance may expend funds from this item for the defeasance of debt in order to enable
136projects that reduce campus deferred maintenance backlogs; provided further, that not less than
137$10,000,000 shall be expended for an expanded nursing simulation lab at the University of
138Massachusetts at Amherst; provided further, that not less than $4,000,000 shall be expended for
139a combined health services and public safety facility at the University of Massachusetts at
140Dartmouth; provided further, that not less than $10,000,000 shall be expended for laboratory
141modernization and upgrades at community colleges; provided further, that not less than
142$3,000,000 shall be expended for capital improvements and infrastructure upgrades at the Reggie
143Lewis Track and Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College; provided further, that not less
144than $10,000,000 shall be expended for repairs and renovations at the Massachusetts College of
145Art and Design; provided further, that not less than $6,600,000 shall be expended for debt
146defeasance, revitalization or adaptive reuse of dormitory housing at Framingham State
147University; and provided further, that not later than December 1, 2026, the division of capital
148asset management and maintenance shall submit a report to the joint committee on higher 9 of 14
149education and the house and senate committees on ways and means that shall include, but not be
150limited to: (a) the amounts awarded delineated by campus; (b) the amounts awarded delineated
151by project; (c) the amount of deferred maintenance backlog eliminated by project; and (d)
152planned spending from this item through June 30, 2028 $175,000,000
153 TRANSPORTATION
154 Massachusetts Department of Transportation
155 1595-2508For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation
156Authority to replenish the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority deficiency fund;
157provided, that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall notify the Massachusetts
158Department of Transportation, executive office for administration and finance, house and senate
159committees on ways and means and the joint committee on transportation not less than 30 days
160prior to withdrawing funds from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority deficiency
161fund; and provided further, that not later than June 30, 2025, the Massachusetts Bay
162Transportation Authority shall submit a written deficiency fund policy to the Massachusetts
163Department of Transportation, the executive office for administration and finance, the joint
164committee on transportation and the house and senate committees on ways and
165means………………………………………………………………………………..$200,000,000
166 1596-2503For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund
167established in section 4 of chapter 6C of the General Laws for a program of culvert and small
168bridge modernization, reconstruction, removal, repair, replacement and resilience improvements
169to culverts and small bridges with a span of not more than 20 feet under procedures established
170by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation in collaboration with the executive office of 10 of 14
171energy and environmental affairs; provided, that expenditures from this item may include the
172costs of engineering, design, permitting, climate change adaptation and resilience and other
173services essential to projects under this item; provided further, that funds may be expended from
174this item for matching grants to municipalities for municipally-owned small bridges and culverts;
175provided further, that funds from this item shall not be expended to municipalities not in
176compliance with the multi-family zoning requirement established in section 3A of chapter 40A
177of the General Laws as determined by the executive office of housing and livable communities;
178provided further, that preference for grants shall be awarded to cities and towns that are taking
179meaningful steps to produce new housing or have adopted best practices to promote sustainable
180housing development as determined by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation in
181consultation with the executive office of housing and livable communities; and provided further,
182that not later than March 30, 2026, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall submit
183a report to the joint committee on transportation and the house and senate committees on ways
184and means that shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the criteria used for distributing funds from
185this item; and (ii) a list and description of projects funded through this item or planned to be
186funded through this item, including the estimated costs for each project and the expected timeline
187for completion of each project $25,000,000
188 1596-2505For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund
189established in section 4 of chapter 6C of the General Laws for a program to support grants for
190workforce and training initiatives at regional transit authorities and support transit improvements
191across the commonwealth; provided, that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall
192oversee the distribution of grants under this item; and provided further, that not later than March
1932, 2026, the department shall submit a report to the joint committee on transportation and the 11 of 14
194house and senate committees on ways and means that shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the
195grant criteria used to determine awards; (ii) a list of grant recipients, including the amounts
196received by each recipient; and (iii) a description of the specific uses by each
197recipient..........................................................................................................................$25,000,000
198 1596-2507For local one-time transportation projects $100,000
199 1596-2520For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund
200established in section 4 of chapter 6C of the General Laws for a program to support grants for
201capital infrastructure improvements and equipment and facilities upgrades at regional transit
202authorities to support transit improvements across the commonwealth; provided further, that
203projects approved under this item shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the purchase of new
204buses, including electric or hybrid buses; (ii) upgrades to electrical infrastructure to facilitate
205charging of electric buses; (iii) capital projects to support microtransit initiatives and last mile
206transportation solutions; and (iv) improvements to bus stops and stations to promote pedestrian
207safety, user comfort, and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance; provided further, that the
208Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall oversee the distribution of funds; and
209provided further, that not later than March 1, 2026, the department shall submit a report to the
210joint committee on transportation and the house and senate committees on ways and means that
211shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the grant criteria used to determine awards; (ii) a list of
212grant recipients, including the amounts received by each recipient; and (iii) a description of the
213specific uses by each recipient $50,000,000
214 1596-2521For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund
215established in said section 4 of said chapter 6C for a program to support improvements to water 12 of 14
216transportation infrastructure across the commonwealth; provided, that funds shall be expended
217for projects that enable transitioning seasonal ferry services operated by or under contract with
218the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to year-round operations; provided further, that
219not less than $16,000,000 shall be expended for the procurement of ferries to support and
220maintain quality water transportation services in the commonwealth; provided further, that said
221ferries shall be procured by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation but may be
222operated by service providers under contract with the department; provided further, that said
223ferries shall be utilized to expand commuter ferry services to communities that may include, but
224not be limited to: (i) the East Boston section of the city of Boston; (ii) the city of Chelsea; (iii)
225the city of Lynn; (iv) the city known as the town of Winthrop; (v) the city of Quincy; and (vi) the
226city of Salem; provided further, that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall
227prioritize expanded service for cities and towns that are taking meaningful steps to produce new
228housing and have adopted best practices to promote sustainable housing development including,
229but not limited to, the multifamily zoning requirement established in section 3A of chapter 40A
230of the General Laws; and provided further, that funds shall be expended for port infrastructure
231necessary to maintain and expand ferry services statewide $20,000,000
232 1596-2523For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund
233established in section 4 of chapter 6C of the General Laws for the construction and
234reconstruction of municipal ways as described in clause (b) of the second paragraph of said
235section 4 of said chapter 6C; provided, that a city or town shall comply with the procedures
236established by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation; provided further, that a city or
237town may expend, without further appropriation, for these projects, amounts not in excess of the
238amount provided to the city or town under this item upon preliminary notice of such amount, 13 of 14
239which shall be provided by the department to the city or town not later than March 2, 2026;
240provided further, that the commonwealth shall reimburse a city or town under this item, subject
241to the availability of funds as provided in section 9G of chapter 29 of the General Laws, within
24230 days after receipt by the department of a request for reimbursement from the city or town,
243which shall include certification by the city or town that actual expenses have been incurred on
244projects eligible for reimbursement under this item and that the work on such eligible projects
245has been completed to the satisfaction of the city or town according to the specifications of the
246project and in compliance with applicable laws and procedures established by the department;
247provided further, that not less than $82,500,000 shall be distributed using a formula based on
248each municipality's population, locally-owned road miles and employment; provided further, that
249not less than $82,500,000 shall be distributed using a formula based on each municipality’s share
250of road mileage; and provided further, that funds from this item shall not be expended to
251municipalities not in compliance with the multi-family zoning requirement established in section
2523A of chapter 40A of the General Laws as determined by the executive office of housing and
253livable communities $165,000,000
254 1596-2524For improvements to the commuter rail system infrastructure of the
255Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority; provided, that the authority shall consult and
256receive approval from the executive office for administration and finance on the projects to be
257funded by this appropriation; provided further, that in distributing funds from this item, the
258authority shall prioritize projects that advance a rail system that is fully integrated into the
259commonwealth’s transportation system and designed to make the system more productive,
260equitable and decarbonized; provided further, that funds shall be expended to facilitate the
261electrification of commuter rail; provided further, that preference for improvement projects, 14 of 14
262including, but not limited to, improvements to commuter rail stations, shall be awarded to cities
263and towns that are taking meaningful steps to produce new housing and have adopted best
264practices to promote sustainable housing development including, but not limited to, the
265multifamily zoning requirement established in section 3A of chapter 40A of the General Laws;
266and provided further, that not later than April 1, 2026, the authority shall submit a report to the
267joint committee on transportation and the house and senate committees on ways and means that
268shall include, but not be limited to: (a) the criteria used for distributing funds from this item; and
269(b) a list and description of the projects funded through this item or planned to be funded through
270this item, including the estimated cost for each project and the expected timeline for the
271completion of each project $50,000,000
272 1596-2526For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund
273established in section 4 of chapter 6C of the General Laws for a program to support grants for
274capital microtransit initiatives and last mile transportation solutions including, but not limited to,
275providers that: (i) expand mobility options for rural communities; (ii) extend service to veterans,
276working families, older adults, people with disabilities and low-income individuals; (iii) provide
277mobility choices to people with mobility needs; and (iv) extend equitable and affordable
278transportation mobility improvements in the commonwealth; provided, that preference for grants
279shall be awarded to cities and towns that are taking meaningful steps to produce new housing and
280have adopted best practices to promote sustainable housing development including, but not
281limited to, the multifamily zoning requirement established in section 3A of chapter 40A of the
282General Laws $10,000,000
283 EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE 15 of 14
284 Reserves
285 1596-2026 For a reserve for publicly incurred transportation costs associated with the
2862026 World Cup matches hosted in Massachusetts; provided, that the Massachusetts Department
287of Transportation shall prioritize commuter rail infrastructure and service improvements to
288Foxborough that increase service capacity, frequency and reliability $5,000,000
289 SECTION 3. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, income surtax
290revenue, as defined in section 2BBBBBB of chapter 29 of the General Laws, collected in the
291fiscal year ending on June 30, 2024 but certified after July 20, 2024, shall be transferred to the
292Education and Transportation Innovation and Capital Fund established in section 2DDDDDD of
293said chapter 29 from the Student Opportunity Act Investment Fund established in section 35RRR
294of chapter 10 of the General Laws, not later than 30 days after the effective date of this act.