How I Voted H.4005

H.4005:  An Act making appropriations for the fiscal year 2025 to provide for supplementing certain existing appropriations and for certain other activities and projects.

On Wednesday, April 9, 2025 – I voted YES on H.4005, Governor Healey’s supplemental budget request for FY 2025.  H.4005 is a $1.3 billion supplemental budget that consists of surplus funds generated from the Fair Share surtax. This supplemental budget includes $353 million for education related investments, and $828 million for transportation related investments.  The bill passed the House of Representatives 140-14. It now goes to the Senate for its consideration.

The supplemental budget passed on April 9th includes revenues generated from the Fair Share ballot initiative voters approved in November 2022, which established a new surtax of four percent on annual income above $1 million and invests these new public dollars to improve the state’s education and transportation sectors.  It now goes on to the Senate for consideration.

Key investments include:

Education

· $190 million for Circuit Breaker reimbursements, which provide financial assistance to public school districts to offset the cost of delivering high-cost special education services to students.

· $50 million for capital improvements at vocational schools

· $40 million for early education and care (EEC) workforce, affordability, and quality improvement supports

· $10 million for universal school meals for every public-school student in the Commonwealth

· $10 million for DHE Endowment Match

· $10 million for University of Massachusetts Endowment Match

· $10 million for Green SchoolWorks to decarbonize and increase efficiency in our schools through green energy projects

· $8.5 million for ESOL services waitlist

Transportation

· $400 million for MBTA Workforce and Safety Reserve

· $300 million for MBTA Deficiency Fund

· $60 million for MBTA physical infrastructure

· $25 million for MTTF Transfer RTA Workforce Development

· $20 million for reduced MBTA fares for riders with low incomes

· $13 million for MBTA Sumner Tunnel reimbursement

· $10 million for unpaved roads

Additional Investments

· $58 million from the Student Opportunity Act (SOA) Investment Fund for payment of additional reimbursements in FY25

· $5 million for the Holocaust Museum Boston

This supplemental budget also tasks the Inspector General with publishing a report on best practices for providing transportation services, including the procurement of those services, to help contain ever-increasing costs to cities and towns throughout the Commonwealth.

Contact Mark.Sylvia@MaHouse.Gov or Betty.DeBenedictis@MaHouse.Gov