MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE PASSES SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET TO CLOSE FISCAL YEAR 2025
Bill addresses budget deficiencies and makes new investments in health care and social support
BOSTON – Wednesday, October 15, 2025 – The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a supplemental budget to address deficiencies, to make new necessary investments and to close the books on Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25). The legislation appropriates $2.25 billion in gross spending, at a net cost to the state of $750 million, representing a reduction of almost $200 million from the Governor’s original proposal.
“The Massachusetts Legislature is taking important steps to safeguard vital state programs that could be undermined by recent federal policy changes” said Representative Thomas Moakley, whose district includes Falmouth, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. “These programs are critical to maintaining the well-being of our residents and the strength of our communities in the face of deep federal cuts. The Commonwealth will continue to stand by our citizens, municipalities, and nonprofit organizations, especially those currently struggling to meet persistent needs.”
“This supplemental budget closes the books on FY25, and aims to fortify the Commonwealth’s finances, bolster economic development, and ensure continued access to critical health care services,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “In the face of unrelenting attacks from the Trump Administration that will strip health insurance coverage from millions of Americans and deny access to lifesaving vaccinations, this supplemental budget will help vulnerable residents prepare for, and avoid, a lapse in coverage, and ensure continued access to vaccines for every child in Massachusetts. I want to thank Chairman Michlewitz for his hard work, and all my colleagues in the House for recognizing the importance of the investments that are included in this legislation.”
The bill passed on Wednesday appropriates $10 million for Health Care for All to conduct a public awareness campaign, and to conduct health coverage enrollment assistance for communities at risk of losing health care coverage as a result of the new Medicaid reporting requirements that were put in place by President Trump and Congress through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. It invests $10 million for the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, and includes $5 million in grants to reproductive health care providers. The bill passed also includes a policy section which authorizes the Department of Public Health Commissioner to determine routine childhood immunizations and vaccination schedules, rather than relying on the recommendations of the federal CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
In addition to the appropriations, the bill also invests in the state’s future by depositing the remainder of the funds to an escrow account ($337. 7 million), to support pensions ($18.8 million), and to the Other Postemployment Benefits Trust Fund ($18.8 million). Additionally, the House accepted an amendment from Chair John Lawn that updates and restructures existing assessments on Massachusetts hospitals used to fund the Health Safety Net and related hospital support trust funds. The changes modernize financial data used in the assessment, increase the amount hospitals contribute, and adjust how the resulting funds are distributed among hospitals.
The bill also addresses budget deficiencies, including:
● $1.67 billion in gross spending ($303 million net cost) for MassHealth
● $35 million for HomeBASE
● $14 million for the Section 35 Substance Abuse program
● $12 million for Universal School Meals
● $500,000 for Reproductive Health Care Direct Supports
The bill passed in the House of Representatives by a vote 141-14, and now goes to the Senate for its consideration.
