A report of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (under Section 10 of Chapter 18 of the General Laws) submitting the annual Department of Transitional Assistance Organizational report

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

Codifies annual DTA Organizational Report to detail mission, structure, programs, staffing, and operations, boosting transparency without new benefits or funding.

Placed on file

Summary of Bill HD 5017

Bill HD 5017 would codify and require the annual Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) Organizational Report submitted by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, under Section 10 of Chapter 18 of the Massachusetts General Laws. The bill is classified as a proposed bill and was introduced on August 11, 2025, and has been placed on file.

Purpose and scope

The primary purpose is to describe the organization of DTA and to review the agency’s work on an annual basis, providing transparency and accountability regarding how DTA operates and delivers its programs.

The report is intended to detail DTA’s mission, organizational structure, program administration, and performance.

Key provisions and contents (as described in the version text)

The bill’s referenced annual report includes, among other elements:
- DTA’s mission: to assist and empower low-income individuals and families toward basic needs security and long-term economic self-sufficiency.
- Programs administered by DTA, including:
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Healthy Incentives Program (HIP)
- Summer EBT
- Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC)
- Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children (EAEDC)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and State Supplemental Payments (SSP)
- Employment Service Programs (PATHWAYS TO WORK) and SNAP Path to Work
- Agency operations and integrity measures, such as oversight of eligibility standards and fraud detection practices.
- Staffing and organizational structure, noting:
- Approximately 1,890 employees as of September 2024
- 20 local transitional assistance offices
- Administrative offices including the Office of the Commissioner and policy/quality/program integrity units
- SNAP workforce details (e.g., 741 employees; 566 caseworkers; 175 supervisors) and similar statistics for TAFDC/EAEDC
- Ongoing hiring efforts and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives (revised hiring practices, mentorship programs, employee resource groups)
- Organizational charts for the administrative office and the 20 local offices
- A planned facility expansion: the opening of a new community-based transitional assistance office at 1785 Columbus Ave, Boston, in early 2025

Who and what is affected

Affects the Department of Transitional Assistance, its administrative offices, and its local transitional assistance offices.

Impacts MA residents who rely on DTA programs by promoting transparency about how programs are organized and administered.

Provides data that could influence future policy and program decisions within EOHHS and DTA.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Status: Placed on file (no enacted changes at this time).

Introduced: August 11, 2025.

Frequency: Annual reporting requirement described under Section 10 of Chapter 18; the bill reinforces or references this ongoing requirement.

The current report content references activities and staffing as of 2024–early 2025, including a planned Boston office opening in early 2025.

Potential impact

Strengthens accountability and public understanding of DTA’s structure and operations.

Provides lawmakers and stakeholders with consolidated data on program administration, staffing, and upcoming organizational changes.

Does not appear to introduce new benefits, funding, or eligibility changes; rather, it codifies or emphasizes the annual reporting requirement and the information to be included.