HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4572 FILED ON: 9/13/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 4090
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
STATE HOUSE · BOSTON, MA 02133
(617) 725-4000
MAURA T. HEALEY KIMBERLEY DRISCOLL
GOVERNOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
September 13, 2023
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives,
I am filing for your consideration a bill entitled “An Act Making Appropriations for
Fiscal Year 2023 to Provide for Supplementing Certain Existing Appropriations and for Certain
Other Activities and Projects.”
The proposal filed today would allocate $2.15 billion gross / $833.3 million net toward
priorities and expenses incurred in Fiscal Year 2023 and enable the Commonwealth to close the
books on the fiscal year that ended on July 1.
This bill would also use $250 million from the Transitional Escrow Fund to continue to
address the emergency shelter crisis in Massachusetts, and appropriate $200 million for a reserve
to pay for new collective bargaining agreements that would be ratified through an outside
section. The CBA reserve was accounted for in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget signed last month.
The bulk of the new spending proposed in this supplemental budget would be directed
toward MassHealth and enable our administration to proceed with a strategy designed to smooth
across fiscal years the impact of the loss of enhanced federal Medicaid reimbursements available
during the COVID-19 public health emergency. In total, $2.12 billion gross / $798.8 million net
would be directed to MassHealth to implement this planned approach.
This supplemental budget also allocates:
• $16 million for a reserve to cover costs accrued by sheriffs
• $15 million to support Section 35 substance abuse treatment
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 • $11 million for shared services at the Department of Unemployment Assistance
• $8.8 million for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to enter
into a new contract for the administration of the MCAS exam
• $500,000 for Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and
Questioning Youth operations.
• $185,000 for military death benefits and early fiscal year National Guard
activations
• $27,564 for Group Insurance Commission dental and vision benefits for a unit
within the Trial Court
An additional $401.6 million in prior authorizations from Fiscal Year 2023 would be
carried over into Fiscal Year 2024.
As you know, the demand for emergency shelter by families experiencing homelessness
in Massachusetts continues to increase in part as a result of migrant families arriving in
Massachusetts and lack of federal action. This situation is not unique to Massachusetts, but it is
one that we must grapple with as our ability to continue to expand capacity, provide services for
families in need, and support the communities that are sheltering them demands ongoing
attention. We are working with our federal partners to impress upon Washington, D.C. the need
for relief and other solutions, including expediting the issuance of work permits.
This $250 million would enable our administration to continue to provide shelter and
support services to the more than 6,000 families currently in our emergency shelter system for
this fiscal year as we work toward longer-term solutions. It will also ensure that communities
hosting these families, including the school districts welcoming new children to their classrooms
for this school year, receive the support they need to accommodate this new enrollment.
Furthermore, I am filing a number of outside sections that will allow for the successful
implementation of new statutes, including some that became law last month with the enactment
and signing of the Fiscal Year 2024 budget. Importantly, this includes technical clarifications to
the universal school lunch policy to make sure the law has the desired impact of providing both
free breakfast and lunch to all students at public schools.
Other technical changes would afford relief to municipalities impacted in July by natural
disasters like flooding by allowing them to amortize the cost of those emergencies over multiple
years; simplify the implementation of a tax credit for small businesses who hire members of the
National Guard; facilitate the elimination of copays for MassHealth members; update the quorum
requirements for the MBTA board of directors to reflect the addition of new members; correct
the transfer mechanism for the Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund; expand eligibility for CHIPS
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matching funds; and sunset the daily COVID-19 reporting requirements put in place for the
Department of Public Health during the pandemic.
Finally, I want to reiterate my support for the spending and policy changes previously
submitted by our administration earlier in the year that are still pending before your bodies.
These provisions provide meaningful assistance to municipalities, offer needed technical
corrections, and provide critical flexibilities to assist in closing the books on FY 23. A list of
these priorities is attached to this letter as Appendix A.
Tax relief for families and businesses remains at the top of that list. It is more important
now than ever for Massachusetts to enact meaningful and lasting tax reform for our families and
businesses to make Massachusetts more affordable, equitable and competitive. I know that you
share my desire to finalize a tax relief package that meets those goals, and I look forward to
continuing to work with you to get that done as soon as possible this year. Appendix A to this
letter will detail the various proposals submitted over the prior eight months still awaiting action,
and I encourage you to consider these critically important proposals.
Sufficient revenues are available to finance the appropriations and other measures
proposed in this bill. I urge you to enact this legislation promptly to facilitate the closing of the
books for Fiscal Year 2023 and address the other urgent and time sensitive matters described
above.
Respectfully submitted,
Maura T. Healey,
Governor
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 HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 4090
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
_______________
An Act making appropriations for the fiscal year 2023 for supplementing certain existing
appropriations and for certain other activities and projects.
Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purposes, which are
forthwith to make supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2023 and to make certain changes
in law, each of which is immediately necessary to carry out those appropriations or to
accomplish other important public purposes, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency
law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.
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. To provide for supplementing certain items in the general appropriation act
2 and other appropriation acts for fiscal year 2023, the sums set forth in section 2 are hereby
3 appropriated from the General Fund unless specifically designated otherwise in this act or in
4 those appropriation acts, for the several purposes and subject to the conditions specified in this
5 act or in those appropriation acts, and subject to the laws regulating the disbursement of public
6 funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023. These sums shall be in addition to any amounts
7 previously appropriated and made available for the purposes of those items. These sums shall be
8 made available through the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024.
9 SECTION 2.
10 EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE
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11 Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning Youth
12 0950-0050 GLBT Commission.............................................................................$500,000
13 Group Insurance Commission
14 1108-5500 Group Insurance Dental and Vision …………………………….. $27,564
15 EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
16 Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services
17 4000-0700 MassHealth Fee for Service Payments … ……..…………. $2,116,827,526
18 EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF LABOR AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
19 Office of the Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development
20 7003-0101 Labor and Workforce Development Shared Services … …….……$11,000,000
21 EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF EDUCATION
22 Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
23 7061-9400 Student and School Assessment………………….………………. $8,833,222
24 EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF PUBLIC SAFETYAND SECURITY
25 Military Division
26 8700-0001 Military Division ………………………………………………… $185,000
27 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS’ SERVICES
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28 Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke
29 4190-0400 Consolidated Appropriations Act …………………………………. $708,240
30 Transitional Escrow Fund………100%
31 4190-0401 American Rescue Plan Act …………………………………….. $1,714,016
32 Transitional Escrow Fund………100%
33 SECTION 2A. To provide for certain unanticipated obligations of the commonwealth, to
34 provide for an alteration of purpose for current appropriations, and to meet certain requirements
35 of law, the sums set forth in this section are hereby appropriated from the General Fund unless
36 specifically designated otherwise in this section, for the several purposes and subject to the
37 conditions specified in this section, and subject to the laws regulating the disbursement of public
38 funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023. Except as otherwise stated, these sums shall be
39 made available through the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024.
40 EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE
41 Reserves
42 1599-0514 For a reserve to support the commonwealth’s response to the ongoing humanitarian
43 crisis and influx of families seeking shelter; provided, that not less than $130,000,000 shall be
44 expended for the costs associated with sheltering eligible families including, but not limited to,
45 housing, food, and onsite staffing; provided further, that not less than $33,000,000 shall be
46 expended for temporary emergency shelter sites; provided further, that not less than $87,000,000
47 shall be expended for additional non-housing specific services at shelter sites and community
48 supports, including but not limited to, medical services, health assessments, legal assistance, and
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49 supplemental school district costs associated with additional student enrollments; provided
50 further, that the secretary of administration and finance may transfer funds from this item to state
51 agencies as defined in section 1 of chapter 29 of the General Laws; provided further, that if the
52 secretary of administration and finance, in consultation with the secretary of health and human
53 services and the secretary of housing and livable communities, determines that the actual need
54 for a particular purpose is less than is authorized to be spent in this item for that purpose, the
55 secretary of administration and finance may reduce spending accordingly; and provided further,
56 that the secretary of administration and finance shall notify the house and senate committees on
57 ways and means not less than 7 days prior to reducing or increasing spending for a particular
58 purpose authorized in this item …………………………………………………..$250,000,000
59 Transitional Escrow Fund………100%
60 1599-1214 For a reserve for expansion, upgrades or enhancements to staffing, operations or
61 infrastructure for new and existing facilities that treat men with an alcohol or substance use
62 disorder under sections 1 and 35 of chapter 123 of the General Laws; provided, that the secretary
63 of administration and finance may transfer funds from this item to state agencies as defined in
64 section 1 of chapter 29 of the General Laws ……………………………………….$14,000,000
65 1599-8910 For a reserve to support costs associated with the 14 county sheriffs’ offices;
66 provided, that the secretary of administration and finance may transfer funds from this item to
67 state agencies as defined in section 1 of chapter 29 of the General Laws ………… $16,000,000
68 Transitional Escrow Fund………100%
69 SECTION 2C.I. For the purpose of making available in fiscal year 2024 balances of
70 appropriations which otherwise would revert on June 30, 2023, the unexpended balances of the
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71 appropriations listed below, not to exceed the amount specified below for each item, are hereby
72 re-appropriated for the purposes of and subject to the conditions stated for the corresponding
73 item in section 2 of chapter 126 of the acts of 2022. However, for items which do not appear in
74 section 2 of the general appropriation act, the amounts in this section are re-appropriated for the
75 purposes of and subject to the conditions stated for the corresponding item in section 2 or 2A of
76 this act or in prior appropriation acts. Amounts in this section are re-appropriated from the fund
77 or funds designated for the corresponding item in section 2 of said chapter 126; provided,
78 however, that for items which do not appear in section 2 of said chapter 126, the amounts in this
79 section are re-appropriated from the fund or funds designated for the corresponding item in
80 section 2 through 2E of this act or in prior appropriation acts. The sums reappropriated in this
81 section shall be in addition to any amounts available for said purposes.
82 JUDICIARY
83 Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee
84 0321-2000 Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee …………….…………………$45,000
85 TREASURER AND RECIEVER GENERAL
86 0610-2000 Welcome Home Bill Bonus Payments ………………………….……..$1,000,000
87 STATE LOTTERY COMMISSION
88 0640-0000 State Lottery Commission …………………………………………$207,500
89 COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
90 0800-0003 Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities …………... $99,840
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 91 EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE
92 Reserves
93 1599-4448 Collective Bargaining Contract Costs ………………….…………$40,000,000
94 1599-0080 Tests Vaccine Outreach Reserve ………………………….……… $5,000,000
95 1599-0054 Hinton Lab Reserve ……………………….…………...………….. $368,347
96 Bureau of the State House
97 1102-3400 Security Operations at the State House …………………..……… $150,000
98 1102-3331 Office of the State House Superintendent ………………………. $100,000
99 EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS
100 Department of Environmental Protection
101 2260-8870 Hazardous Waste Cleanup……………………………………… $1,000,000
102 Department of Fish and Game
103 2300-0101 Riverways Protection and Access ………………..…..………. $400,000
104 Office of the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs
105 2000-0102 Environmental Justice ………………………………….……………$300,000
106 Department of Agricultural Resources
107 2511-0103 Cannabis and Hemp Agricultural Oversight ……………………. $159,150
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108 2511-0100 Agricultural Resources Administration ………………… $24,000
109 EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
110 Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services
111 4000-0051 Family Resource Centers …………………………………. $450,000
112 Department of Public Health
113 4512-2022 Grants to Local Boards of Health …………………………. $973,700
114 4510-0721 Boards of Registration for HPL …………………………. $864,000
115 4513-2020 Behavioral Health Supports …………………………… $500,000
116 Department of Mental Health
117 5095-0017 DMH Loan Forgiveness Program ……………………… $10,000,000
118 5011-0100 DMH Administration and Operations ……………………. $145,000
119 Department of Youth Services
120 4200-0300 Residential Services for Committed Population …………... $5,000,000
121