FY’22 Budget Summary
At the beginning of the month the Legislature unanimously passed a $48.07 billion budget for the Fiscal Year 2022. This final budget does not cut services and makes targeted investments to address the impacts of COVID-19.
8th Suffolk District Earmarks
$25,000 to the West End Museum
$50,000 to the Women’s Lunch Place
$50,000 to Magazine Beach Partners
$100,000 to the Boston Landmarks Orchestra
SNAP Gap Language
Also included in the budget is language to require the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to implement changes to allow low-income applicants and recipients of MassHealth and Medicare Savings Program to initiate an application to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at the same time as their application or renewal for MassHealth/Medicare Savings Program.
This brings us one step closer to closing the SNAP Gap and implementing a system that allow applicants to fill out one application for all public benefits rather than apply to each separately. This language relates to my bill I filed along with Senator DiDomenico H1290/S761 An Act to streamline access to critical public health and safety-net programs through common applications.
Budget Summary
The final budget report increases revenue assumptions by $4.2 billion and transfers funds into the Stabilization Fund (or “rainy day” fund) for an estimated balance of $5.8 billion.
It makes the state’s film tax credit permanent and requires an increase in percentage of production expenses or principal photography days in the Commonwealth from 50 percent to 75 percent.
It codifies and expands the existing task force on hate crimes. The task force will expand to include members of the legislature and an appointee by the Attorney General.
K-12 Education
It also provides funds of $305 million for to begin the implementation of the Student Opportunity Act (SOA). The budget maintains the Legislature’s commitment to fully implementing the SOA by FY 2027. The SOA ensures school districts have adequate and equitable resources. It also includes an additional $40 million to provide to additional aid to districts experiencing increases in student enrollment.
Other K-12 education investments include:
$388.4 million for the Special Education Circuit Breaker
$154.6 million to reimburse school districts for costs incurred when students leave to attend charter schools
$82.2 million for regional school transportation
$50 million for Adult Basic Education
$27.9 million for the METCO program
$6 million for Social Emotional Learning Grants, including $1M for a pilot program to provide mental health screenings for K-12
$4 million for Rural School Aid
Higher Education
Allocates the following:
$571 million for the UMass system
$315 million for community colleges
$291 million for state universities
$130 million for scholarship funding
$10.5 million for the community colleges SUCCESS Fun
$4.75 million for the STEM Starter Academy
Early Education
$820 million for the early education sector
including $20 million to increase rates for early ed. providers
$15 million for MA Head Start Programs
$10 million for the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative
$9 million to cover cost of fees for parents receiving subsidized early ed.
Labor and Economic Development
Creates a trust fund dedicated to job training for the offshore wind industry to be administered by MA Clean Energy Center
$13 million to establish and grow technical training programs in our public higher education system and vocational-technical institutions
Prioritizes grants and scholarships to adult learning providers, labor organizations, and public educational institutions
$17 million to the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund
$15.4 million for Career Technical Institutes
$15 million for the Community Empowerment and Reinvestment Grant Program
$6 million for Regional Economic Development Organizations to support economic growth in all regions of the state
$2.5 million for the Massachusetts Cybersecurity Innovation Fund
Investments for Children and Families
Converts the existing tax deductions for young children, elderly and disabled dependents and business-related dependent care expenses into refundable tax credits
Will provide an additional $16 million to over 85,000 families each year
Expands the Child Tax Credit and Chid and Dependent Care tax credits
20% increase to Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC)
Emergency Aid to Elderly, Disabled and Children benefits (EAEDC)
$30.5 million for Emergency Food Assistance to ensure that citizens in need can navigate the historic levels of food insecurity caused by COVID-19
$7.5 million for grants to our Community Foundations to support communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic
$5 million for the Secure Jobs Connect program, providing job placement resources and assistance for homeless individuals
$4.2 million for the Office of the Child Advocate, including $1M for the establishment and operation of a state center on child wellness and trauma
$2.5 million for Children Advocacy Centers
Housing Stability
$150 million for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP)
$85 million for grants to local housing authorities
$22 million for the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition Program
$8 million for Housing Consumer Education Centers to help administer the nearly $1 billion in federal housing relief
Healthcare and Public Health
$18.98 billion for MassHealth
$15 million to support local and regional boards of health
$175.6 million for substance use disorder and intervention services
$12.5 million to support student telebehavioral health pilot, public awareness campaign, loan forgiveness for mental health clinicians
$10 million for Programs of Assertive Community Treatment grants
$98.4 million for children’s mental health services, including $3.9M for the Massachusetts Child Psychiatric Access Program (MCPAP) and MCPAP for Moms to address mental health needs of pregnant and postpartum women
$25 million for Family Resource Centers (FRCs) to grow and improve the mental health resources and programming available to families
$56.1 million for domestic violence prevention services
$40.8 million for early intervention services, to ensure supports are accessible and available to infants and young toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities, including funds to support health equity initiatives