Medicaid Expansion

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Gilda Cobb-Hunter and 1 co-sponsor

Creates the Massachusetts Against Discrimination Fund to finance MCAD investigations, prosecutions, adjudications, and training via voluntary tax refunds/checkoffs and gifts.

Referred to Committee on Ways and Means

Purpose and intent

Establishes a dedicated fund to support the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) in its efforts to investigate, prosecute, adjudicate, and prevent unlawful discrimination.

Creates a stable funding stream that also supports MCAD training for public and private entities and individuals to prevent and remediate discrimination in line with Chapter 151B.

Key provisions and changes

Establishment of the fund

Creates the Massachusetts Against Discrimination Fund as a separate fund within the Commonwealth’s books.

The fund is designed to offset MCAD costs related to investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of discrimination claims, as well as training activities.

Sources of funding

Revenues from:

Voluntary check-off donations on the Department of Revenue’s annual income tax return (via the voluntary contribution mechanism in Chapter 62, Section 6O).
Gifts, grants, and donations from public and private sources (as authorized by Chapter 151B, Section 3(14)).

Funds deposited into the new fund shall not incur indirect costs.

Use and administration of funds

The MCAD may use fund revenues for necessary and reasonable administrative and personnel costs related to the fund’s purposes.

The state Treasurer must deposit fund amounts to earn interest at the highest rate available, while keeping safety and liquidity in mind; all deposits must be available for immediate withdrawal.

Funds can be expended by MCAD without a separate appropriation for the purposes stated; any remaining balance at the end of a fiscal year carries over to subsequent years (not reverting to the General Fund).

Tax compliance and reporting

Chapter 62, Section 6O is amended to allow taxpayers to:

Voluntarily contribute all or part of any refund, or add an amount due, to the Massachusetts Against Discrimination Fund.
Ensure contributions are clearly indicated on the tax return.
The Department of Revenue/tax commissioner must annually report total contributions to the State Treasurer, who credits them to the Fund.

Who is affected

Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD): receives a dedicated funding source for investigations, prosecutions, adjudications, and training.

Individual taxpayers: may voluntarily designate all/part of their tax refund or an amount due to the Fund when filing returns.

State Treasurer and Department of Revenue: administer fund deposits, reporting, and investment of contributed funds; ensure transparent flows into the Fund.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Introduced: February 27, 2025.

Referred to the Revenue Committee (Feb 27, 2025).

Senate concurrence noted (Feb 27, 2025).

Hearing: May 13, 2025 (10:30 AM – 1:00 PM) in Room A-1.

Bill status: Reported favorably by committee and referred to the House Ways and Means Committee (July 28, 2025).

Related measure: Similar matter filed in a prior session (House No. 2813 of 2023-24).

Related information

Similar prior proposal: House Bill No. 2813 (2023-24), indicating ongoing consideration of a dedicated discrimination fund.

This bill is titled “An Act relative to creating the Massachusetts Against Discrimination Fund,” and is aligned with voluntary tax-checkoff funding mechanisms used in other programs.

This summary highlights the bill’s creation of a dedicated fund to support MCAD activities through voluntary taxpayer contributions and other gifts, with specifics on funding, use, administration, and timeline.

Bill