WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

H 5493

An Act making appropriations for the fiscal year 2026 to provide for supplementing certain existing appropriations and for certain other activities and projects.

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

Provides about $227 million in supplemental FY2026 funding across state agencies to address unanticipated needs and ongoing operations, with emergency effective to implement.

Published as amended, see H5496
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · H 5493

Overview

  • Bill: H 5493
  • Session: 194th (Massachusetts)
  • Title: An Act making appropriations for the fiscal year 2026 to provide for supplementing certain existing appropriations and for certain other activities and projects

  • Purpose: To provide supplemental appropriations for FY2026 and implement various associated changes in law and funding, including emergency effectiveness to carry out these appropriations.

  • Total appropriation highlighted: $227,272,868.00

  • Status: Reported by the House Ways and Means Committee; recommended to pass (part) and referred to House Steering, Policy and Scheduling.

  • Effective/emergency note: Declares emergency for immediate effect to carry out supplemental appropriations and related purposes.

What the Bill Does

1) Supplemental FY2026 Appropriations

  • Authorizes new, additional appropriations from the General Fund or Transitional Escrow Fund for FY2026 to support existing programs and other activities and projects.
  • Funds are to be available through June 30, 2026, and added to amounts previously appropriated.

2) Specific Funding Increases (Section 2 and 2A)

  • Executive Office for Administration and Finance
    • 1595-6153 No Cost Call Trust Fund Transfer: $22,520,889
  • Department of Revenue
    • 1233-2401 Chapter 40S Education Payments: $731,409
  • Department of Public Health
    • 4512-0200 Bureau of Substance Addiction Services: $14,071,288
  • Housing and Livable Communities
    • 7004-0100 Operation of Homelessness Programs: $8,181,007
    • 7004-9315 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Fee Retained Revenue: $2,000,000
  • Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (Public Safety and Security): $1,133,659
  • Massachusetts State Police
    • 8100-0102 Troop F Retained Revenue: $3,000,000
    • 8100-1004 State Police Crime Laboratory: $2,881,350
  • Military Division: $1,733,000

  • Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency: $9,470,266

  • Note: Section 2A covers unanticipated obligations and alterations of purpose for current appropriations, including transfers and specific agency items (e.g., District Attorneys’ Association technology costs; snow and ice removal costs with potential transfers to the Transportation Trust Fund and Department of Conservation and Recreation).

3) State Lottery and Gaming Fund Revisions (Section 3)

  • Amends Chapter 10 to establish and define the State Lottery and Gaming Fund with clear purposes:
    • (i) Prize payments
    • (ii) Administration and operating expenses
    • (iii) Budgeted aid to cities and towns (section 18C, chapter 58), subject to appropriation
  • Expands use of lottery revenues to support Early Education and Care Operational Grant Fund (section 19 of chapter 15D), subject to appropriation.
  • Allows the Lottery to incur expenses in anticipation of revenues to accommodate discrepancies between receipts and expenditures.

4) Military/Disability/Service-Related Provisions (Sections 4–16)

  • Various housekeeping edits to definitions and eligibility criteria for veterans’ benefits, service-related clarifications, and adjustments to ensure alignment with modern terminology and inclusivity (World War II, Korean Emergency, Vietnam Conflict, Persian Gulf War, etc.).
  • Updates to eligibility language and beneficiary provisions for veterans’ benefits and survivorship provisions.
  • Changes to child welfare and abuse/neglect registry data sharing and workflow (Sections 15–16).

5) Shelter, Housing, and Shelter System Enhancements (Sections 17–20)

  • Modifications to shelter policy language, including rapid track sites for unhoused families, eligibility assessments, and duration (up to 30 days with extensions).
  • Aligns shelter policies with system capacity and demand, enabling temporary respite and bridge shelter tracks consistent with 2025 legislation.

6) Education, School Building, and Facility Provisions (Sections 31–33)

  • Adjustments to school project grant funding mechanisms and reporting requirements.
  • Modifications to the annual reporting and survey obligations related to school facilities needs (to inform MA School Building Authority activities).

7) Health, Licensing, and Regulation (Sections 34–36)

  • Streamlined emergency actions for healthcare workers and licensing bodies dealing with immediate threats to public health and safety.
  • Expands regulatory authority to suspend or refuse renewal of licenses or certifications under urgent circumstances, with expedited due process timelines (7 days for a hearing post-action).

8) Workers’ Compensation and Insurance (Section 36)

  • Revisions to workers’ compensation laws, including allowing deductible options within policies and related premium adjustments and regulatory rules.

9) Related Repeals and Amendments (Sections 38–47)

  • Repeals several prior acts and makes targeted technical amendments to various laws and schedules, aligning with current program structures and funding.

10) Transfer Authorities and Miscellaneous (Sections 55–57)

  • Transfers to specific funds (e.g., Massachusetts Offshore Wind Industry Investment Trust Fund) and adjustments to communications access funds for public safety communications-related costs.
  • Adjusts timing/discrepancies related to interest transfers and debt reduction funding.

11) Commissions and Studies (Section 54)

  • Establishes a special commission to study registries of deeds, with seven members, reporting by December 31, 2026, to assess consolidation and organizational structure.

12) Effective Dates (Section 58–59)

  • Some sections take effect July 1, 2027; others tie to school-building project approvals on or after July 1, 2026.

Who/What Is Affected

  • State agencies and departments listed above (OFA, Revenue, DPH, Housing, Public Safety, MSP, Military Division, MEMA, etc.) receive targeted supplemental funding.
  • Lottery and gaming administration and related education and child care programs gain funding and regulatory adjustments.
  • Local governments benefit from enhanced aid through lottery revenues and certain grant programs.
  • Veterans and service members receive adjusted eligibility considerations and expanded benefits provisions.
  • Housing and shelter systems, homeless services, and rapid shelter sites receive policy and funding support.
  • School facilities programs receive adjusted funding and reporting requirements.
  • Insurance regulators and employers (workers’ compensation) experience regulatory and cost-related changes.

Key Procedural and Timeline Elements

  • Emergency enactment language indicates the act is designed to take effect immediately to preserve public convenience and enable timely allocations.
  • Many sections specify funding availability through FY2026 or FY2027, with some provisions contingent on related acts or appropriations.
  • Section 54 establishes a December 31, 2026 deadline for the special commission’s report.
  • Some sections take effect July 1, 2027 (Sections 58–59), indicating staggered implementation.

Summary

H.5493 is a comprehensive supplemental FY2026 appropriations package that adds about $227 million in new funding across multiple state agencies and programs, primarily to address unanticipated needs and to support ongoing operations. It also introduces several governance and policy updates—particularly for the Lottery Fund uses, veterans' benefits provisions, shelter and housing policy (including rapid track sites), regulatory actions for health and safety, workers’ compensation rules, and a study commission on registries of deeds. The bill emphasizes immediate funding action (emergency status) while laying out dates for future implementation and reporting.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.