Legislation restores critical financial aid funding for students, implements important transparency measures, and responds to federal actions
(BOSTON—10/23/2025) The Massachusetts Senate today approved legislation that responsibly closes the books on Fiscal Year 2025 and advances policy proposals that would ensure integrity in government operations, support the families of former residents of state institutions, and guard student access to financial aid.
Senators voted 39-0 to approve the closeout supplemental budget, S.2655, which seeks to reestablish public trust in county sheriffs’ offices by creating a Sheriff Fiscal Oversight Council to hold these offices responsible for spending goals and performance metrics. The bill also commissions an investigation of sheriffs’ Fiscal Year 2025 spending in response to sharp annual growth in the sheriffs’ spending deficits—more than 200 per cent in the last fiscal year alone.
The legislation also shines light on a dark chapter of state history by allowing access to former resident records from more than 25 state-run institutions—many of them now closed—for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities or mental health conditions. The Senate’s proposal helps provide closure to families and recognize the dignity of former patients while remaining mindful of appropriate limits for personal privacy and sensitive medical records.
As amended by the Senate, the bill restores $18.3 million in funding for student financial aid assistance ahead of the spring semester and proactively protects additional support for community college students earning degrees through the MassEducate program. A new Public Higher Education Student Support Fund ensures that a key stipend for books and supplies remains fully funded as the Senate reaffirms its commitment to universal higher education.
“I’m proud the Senate has taken this opportunity to support our residents and insist on important transparency measures in this closeout supplemental budget,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “We are reconfirming our commitment to public higher education by restoring and protecting key funding to support college student success. We are protecting our residents from dangerous federal actions by ensuring they have access to the vaccines they need to keep themselves and their families safe. And we are taking steps to remedy decades of hurt experienced by those who lived in state-run institutions, and their families, by allowing access to family records. There are a number of other important provisions in this legislation, which was collaboratively shaped by Senate Ways and Means Chair Rodrigues, the entire Senate Ways and Means Committee, and the many Senators who contributed their time and expertise to make this bill strong. I would like to thank everyone, including the residents and advocates we heard from, for this legislation.”
“With uncertainty persisting in the federal government, it is important to demonstrate the state’s fiscal integrity,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “That is why, today, the Senate responsibly closed the books on Fiscal Year 2025 with a fiscally sound closeout budget that ensures the Commonwealth meets its obligations while continuing to support critical programs that serve Massachusetts residents. This budget also establishes fiscal oversight of all county sheriffs’ departments, a necessary step to rein in years of overspending that has significantly escalated in FY25. This spending plan initiates the Senate’s commitment to stabilize, investigate, and control sheriff spending in the future. I want to thank Senate President Spilka for providing stable and clear leadership in the face of federal uncertainty, and thank all my colleagues as we work together as a Senate to steer the Commonwealth through these precarious times.”
“This Fiscal Year 2025 supplemental budget is a responsive, strategic, and compassionate proposal that demonstrates the Senate’s strength in a time of turbulence,” said Senator Joanne M. Comerford (D-Northampton), Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “This is what a big, beautiful bill looks like—allocating funding to feed our children, to protect health care access and affordability, and to ensure higher education remains affordable and accessible to all residents. This bill also safeguards the privacy and safety of residents who access a legal name change, which has been a policy priority for LGBTQ+ and civil rights advocates. I am grateful to Senate President Spilka and Ways and Means Chair Rodrigues for their bold and fearless leadership.”
The legislation contains targeted policy and spending provisions that respond to recent federal uncertainty as part of the Senate’s Response 2025 initiative. An investment of $10 million would fund technology enhancements at the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) in order to improve the accuracy of benefit payments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This Senate-led appropriation would both improve the customer experience for SNAP users and aim to avert harmful cuts brought on by recent federal legislation.
The state would gain greater flexibility in determining childhood vaccine schedules under one section of the bill, which decouples the state definition of ‘routine childhood immunizations’ from federal standards. Further, at a time when federal agents’ actions are sowing controversy and disruption in local communities, the false impersonation of a federal officer would be penalized as a state crime under another provision.
The supplemental budget features a total $2.3 billion to close out government spending for Fiscal Year 2025, which will result in a net final cost to the state of $795 million after revenue from federal reimbursements has been accounted for. The bill funds a range of programs to support essential government services and aid vulnerable populations, including:
- $12 million to support the universal meals program for school children;
- $12.5 million to cover no-cost phone call communications for incarcerated people;
- $14 million to aid people in treatment for substance use and alcohol addiction through Section 35 programs;
- $2.04 billion for MassHealth (with a net cost to the state of only $539 million after reimbursements) covering the rapidly rising cost of providing healthcare;
- $18.5 million to support public health hospitals;
- $18.3 million to strengthen student financial aid assistance;
- $5 million in direct support for reproductive health care;
- $75 million for the Housing Preservation and Stabilization Trust Fund, which supports affordable rental housing in Massachusetts; and
- $60.7 million for MassDOT’s snow and ice removal expenses.
Additional policy sections include the following provisions:
- · Strengthens Fishing Violation Penalties. Allows the Massachusetts Environmental Police to charge by the pound—or charge the total value of the catch up to $10,000—when imposing fines for fishing violations.
- · Helps Implement Multistate Nurse Licensure. Facilitates fingerprint-based background checks for the multistate Nurse Licensure Compact that Massachusetts entered into through the 2024 economic development law.
- · Strengthens the Health Safety Net. Updates the hospital assessment and increases funds for the Health Safety Net, subject to federal approval.
- · Respects Privacy of People Seeking Name Changes. Removes the automatic requirement of a public legal notice for name-change petitions, instead allowing the court to require public notice in a particular case for good cause.
- · Updates State Police Injury Compensation. Updates state police compensation for life-altering injuries to focus on the manner of an attack on an officer rather than the design of the weapon used in the attack.
- · Facilitates Broadband-Related Work. Allows municipalities to pay utility companies’ estimates for work to prepare utility poles, rights of way, and other infrastructure for broadband projects.
- · Institutes New CBAs. Ratifies seven collective bargaining agreements for public employees.
During the course of debate, Senators adopted an amendment to protect thousands of Massachusetts residents who are employed by the U.S. government and currently not receiving paychecks due to Washington’s ongoing federal shutdown. Amendment 2, adopted on a 38-0 roll call vote, would protect federal workers and Armed Forces service members from losing their housing to a residential eviction or foreclosure during a federal government shutdown.
All 91 proposed amendments to the bill are posted on the Legislature’s website together with all subsequent votes and a recording of today’s session.
The Senate passed its version of the closeout supplemental budget as an amendment to a version previously approved by the House of Representatives on October 15, 2025. The underlying legislation was originally filed by the Governor on August 14, 2025. The bill now returns to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
Statements of Support
Maura Sullivan, CEO, The Arc of Massachusetts
“The Arc extends its profound gratitude to Senate President Karen Spilka and Senate Ways and Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues for their leadership in gaining passage of this amendment that will restore dignity to former patients and their families and shine a light of transparency on the history of state institutions. We also wish to recognize Senator Michael Barrett for his steadfast support of the disability community. The Arc helped lead the effort to create the Special Commission on the History of State Institutions and this amendment enacts a key recommendation of that commission. Thank you to our champions in the Senate for addressing a painful chapter in our history by providing closure and public accountability.”
Alex Green, Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
“Disabled people and our loved ones have a right to know the full story of the role Massachusetts played in developing systems and practices used all over the world to deprive us of our fundamental human rights. Only then can we hope to move beyond the shadows of the past. By voting to open records and strike an archaic, barbaric law from the books, the Senate showed its unequivocal support for that right and took steps to ensure that hope becomes a reality.”
William Heineman, President, North Shore Community College; Chair, Community College Council of Presidents
“On behalf of all of the community college presidents, we offer our endorsement of and appreciation for the inclusion of the book allowance reserve funding in this supplemental budget. Now more than ever, every dollar matters to our students’ ability to continue in their studies, and we appreciate the Senate President’s responsiveness to this issue. Further, we enthusiastically applaud the additional establishment of a Public Higher Education Support Fund to create a greater sense of predictability around financial aid awards.”
Nate Mackinnon, Executive Director, Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges
“We are deeply grateful to the Senate President for her unwavering commitment to the students at our community colleges. The inclusion of funding in this supplemental legislation to restore book allowances is further evidence of that commitment, and we enthusiastically encourage its inclusion in the final version of this legislation that will be sent to the Governor’s desk.”
Vicky Negus, Senior Policy Advocate, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
“Investing in DTA to maximize federal nutrition dollars for Massachusetts’ most vulnerable families is paramount. MLRI is grateful this bill invests in technology for DTA to improve SNAP access and accuracy. When coupled with increased front line SNAP case workers, these IT investments will help protect this critical program for both low-income households and our Massachusetts grocers and farmers.”
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