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S 138

Relates to the medical aid in dying act

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Jabari Brisport and 24 co-sponsors

The bill expands emergency aid by equalizing homeless recipients’ payments with sheltered ones and automatically indexing budgets to CPI plus legislature-approved increases, while

SUBSTITUTED BY A136
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Bill Summary · S 138

Summary — S.138 (2025): "An Act relative to assisting elders and people with disabilities in the Commonwealth"

Purpose

This bill clarifies and expands emergency aid provided under chapter 117A of the Massachusetts General Laws to better assist elders, people with disabilities, and people experiencing homelessness. It (1) ensures homeless recipients receive the same payment rate as those with shelter costs and (2) ties annual increases in recipients’ budgets and the program maximum to external benchmarks (CPI and benefits under chapter 118).

Note: The bill header in the provided materials lists a title referring to the "medical aid in dying act," but the text of S.138 concerns amendments to chapter 117A (emergency assistance). This appears to be a clerical/title mismatch; the summary follows the bill text.

Key provisions

  • Adds a paragraph to Section 1 of chapter 117A: Any person experiencing homelessness who (i) has no established place of abode or lives in a temporary emergency shelter, and (ii) is otherwise eligible under chapter 117A, shall receive the same payment rate as recipients who have shelter costs (e.g., rent or mortgage). The department referenced in the chapter must promulgate or revise rules to implement this change.

  • Inserts two new sections after section 10 of chapter 117A:

    • Section 11 — Annual automatic increase: Effective July 1 each year, the department must increase the total budget for each eligible recipient (before accounting for income/resources) by a percentage equal to the year-over-year change in the U.S. Consumer Price Index for January 1 of that year over January 1 of the previous year, plus any additional percentage the department recommends and the Legislature appropriates. The department must adopt implementing regulations.
    • Section 12 — Benefit maximum alignment: The department must set the chapter 117A program’s maximum benefit at the same level as the program in chapter 118. The department must adopt implementing regulations.

Who is affected

  • Primary beneficiaries: elders and people with disabilities who are eligible for emergency aid under chapter 117A, including those who are homeless (unsheltered or in temporary emergency shelters).
  • Administrative impact: the department responsible for administering chapter 117A (per the statute) will need to promulgate regulations and adjust payment processes.
  • Fiscal impact: potential increased state expenditures to fund higher benefit levels and annual CPI-indexed increases; any additional percentage beyond CPI requires legislative appropriation.

Procedural status and timeline (selected)

  • Introduced in the Senate: 01/16/2025 (sponsored by Sen. Patricia D. Jehlen).
  • Referred to various committees (Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities; Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs per records).
  • Hearing scheduled: 09/09/2025 (per calendar entry).
  • Committee actions: Reported favorably and referred to Senate Ways and Means (10/16/2025); discharged and committed to Rules; ordered to third reading and — on 06/09/2025 — substituted by companion bill A136 (substitution indicates A136 would carry forward the substance).

Fiscal and policy considerations

  • Indexing recipient budgets to the CPI will protect benefit levels from inflation but increases long‑term program costs.
  • Aligning chapter 117A maximums with chapter 118 could raise payments for some recipients if chapter 118’s maximum is higher.
  • The requirement that any additional percentage beyond CPI be appropriated provides a legislative funding control point.
  • Administrative rulemaking will be required before implementation.

If you want, I can produce a version highlighting likely state budget impacts (rough order of magnitude) or extract the exact statutory language changes for insertion into briefing materials.

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

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