Bill
S 2497
Removes 'subject to appropriation' from MA General Laws ch.115, sec.5, making veterans' shelter benefits an enforceable obligation rather than contingent on annual funding.
Status and procedural history
- Filed in the Senate (Senate Docket No. 1517) and presented by Sen. Michael F. Rush on January 16, 2025. Petitioners also include Rep. Paul McMurtry and Rep. Steven G. Xiarhos.
- Advanced through Senate steps (advanced to third reading; passed the Senate and was delivered to the House on March 4, 2025).
- Referred to several committees at different stages (Veterans & Federal Affairs; Finance) and, most recently, referred to the Judiciary Committee (record shows referral on March 5, 2025).
- A committee hearing is scheduled for July 22, 2025 (per the docket). Status shown in provided materials: REFERRED TO JUDICIARY.
Purpose and intent
- The bill seeks to change the legal status of certain shelter benefits for veterans under Massachusetts law so that payment of those benefits is no longer expressly made contingent on a legislative appropriation. In short: to remove a statutory qualifier that limits payment to available appropriations and thereby make the benefit obligation more mandatory.
Key textual change
- Amends Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 115, Section 5 by striking the words “, subject to appropriation,” from that section. This is the sole, explicit textual edit in the bill as presented.
What this means (substance and likely effects)
- Current formulation: the phrase “subject to appropriation” typically signals that benefits may be paid only if the Legislature has specifically appropriated funds for them in the annual or supplemental budget.
- After the change: the shelter benefit described in c.115 §5 would no longer carry that limiting phrase, which generally converts that payment from one expressly contingent on an appropriation to a statutory obligation (i.e., the law would require payment without the same explicit proviso).
- Directly affected parties:
- Eligible veterans and their dependents who receive shelter benefits under Chapter 115 would be the primary beneficiaries — the change is intended to strengthen guarantee of those benefits.
- Commonwealth fiscal authorities and the Executive Branch — the state may face increased legal or budgetary obligations to pay these benefits regardless of whether a specific appropriation line exists.
- Potential downstream effects on municipal budgets or state reimbursement formulas may occur depending on how Chapter 115 costs are administered and reimbursed (the bill does not itself change reimbursement percentages or administrative rules).
Fiscal and administrative considerations
- The bill does not include a fiscal note or estimate; removing the “subject to appropriation” clause could increase the Commonwealth’s unconditional liability for Chapter 115 shelter payments and therefore could raise annual costs or require adjustments elsewhere in the budget.
- Implementation details (timing, eligibility rules, reimbursement mechanisms) remain governed by existing Chapter 115 provisions and administrative practice; administrative guidance or regulatory changes may be needed to implement the statutory change in practice.
Other notes
- The docket and sponsor metadata included in the materials contain some inconsistent or out-of-state entries (other named sponsors and related federal bill numbers appear unrelated to this Massachusetts docket). The operative legislative text and primary petitioners shown on the Senate docket are the basis for this summary.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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