Legislation restores critical financial aid funding for students, implements important transparency measures, and responds to federal actions
(BOSTON—10/23/2025) Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington) and her colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate today unanimously approved legislation that responsibly closes the books on Fiscal Year 2025 and advances policy proposals that would ensure integrity in government operations, support the families of former residents of state institutions, and guard student access to financial aid.
Senators voted 39-0 to approve the closeout supplemental budget, S.2655, which seeks to reestablish public trust in county sheriffs’ offices by creating a Sheriff Fiscal Oversight Council to hold these offices responsible for spending goals and performance metrics. The bill also commissions an investigation of sheriffs’ Fiscal Year 2025 spending in response to sharp annual growth in the sheriffs’ spending deficits—more than 200 per cent in the last fiscal year alone.
The legislation also shines light on a dark chapter of state history by allowing access to former resident records from more than 25 state-run institutions—many of them now closed—for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities or mental health conditions. The Senate’s proposal helps provide closure to families and recognize the dignity of former patients while remaining mindful of appropriate limits for personal privacy and sensitive medical records.
As amended by the Senate, the bill restores $18.3 million in funding for student financial aid assistance ahead of the spring semester and proactively protects additional support for community college students earning degrees through the MassEducate program. A new Public Higher Education Student Support Fund ensures that a key stipend for books and supplies remains fully funded as the Senate reaffirms its commitment to universal higher education.
“Despite recent actions by the federal government that instill fear and uncertainty for our residents, the Massachusetts Senate is learning to weather the storm with fiscal responsibility and strong policy action,” said Senator Friedman, Chair of the Senate Committee on Steering and Policy. “The meaningful legislative solutions included in the Fiscal Year 2025 closeout supplemental budget demonstrates the Senate’s commitment under Response 2025 to adapt to these new conditions and ensure that we are able to protect our residents and defend our values. I am especially thankful for my colleagues’ support of initiatives to ensure access to vaccines and strengthen our Health Safety Net, which will be needed more than ever as individuals become at risk of losing health insurance coverage due to federal changes in Medicaid eligibility.”
The legislation contains targeted policy and spending provisions that respond to recent federal uncertainty as part of the Senate’s Response 2025 initiative,, which is being guided by the Friedman-led Senate Committee on Steering and Policy An investment of $10 million would fund technology enhancements at the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) in order to improve the accuracy of benefit payments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This Senate-led appropriation would both improve the customer experience for SNAP users and aim to avert harmful cuts brought on by recent federal legislation.
The state would gain greater flexibility in determining childhood vaccine schedules under one section of the bill, which decouples the state definition of ‘routine childhood immunizations’ from federal standards. Further, at a time when federal agents’ actions are sowing controversy and disruption in local communities, the false impersonation of a federal officer would be penalized as a state crime under another provision.
Senator Friedman also spoke on the Senate floor to outline the importance of strengthening the Health Safety Net in this supplemental budget. The Health Safety Net is a program providing payments to acute care hospitals and community health centers for certain essential health care services provided to qualified uninsured and underinsured Massachusetts residents. With federal changes to MassHealth eligibility and the pending expiration of the premium tax credits, thousands of Massachusetts residents will lose access to health care, and the Health Safety Net is expected to run a deficit. This budget updates the hospital assessment that helps fund the Health Safety Net, subject to federal approval, which will increase the amount of funds available to reimburse for this care.
The supplemental budget features a total $2.3 billion to close out government spending for Fiscal Year 2025, which will result in a net final cost to the state of $795 million after revenue from federal reimbursements has been accounted for. The bill funds a range of programs to support essential government services and aid vulnerable populations, including:
- $12 million to support the universal meals program for school children;
- $12.5 million to cover no-cost phone call communications for incarcerated people;
- $14 million to aid people in treatment for substance use and alcohol addiction through Section 35 programs;
- $2.04 billion for MassHealth (with a net cost to the state of only $539 million after reimbursements) covering the rapidly rising cost of providing healthcare;
- $18.5 million to support public health hospitals;
- $18.3 million to strengthen student financial aid assistance;
- $5 million in direct support for reproductive health care;
- $75 million for the Housing Preservation and Stabilization Trust Fund, which supports affordable rental housing in Massachusetts; and
- $60.7 million for MassDOT’s snow and ice removal expenses.
Additional policy sections include the following provisions:
- Strengthens Fishing Violation Penalties. Allows the Massachusetts Environmental Police to charge by the pound—or charge the total value of the catch up to $10,000—when imposing fines for fishing violations.
- Helps Implement Multistate Nurse Licensure. Facilitates fingerprint-based background checks for the multistate Nurse Licensure Compact that Massachusetts entered into through the 2024 economic development law.
- Respects Privacy of People Seeking Name Changes. Removes the automatic requirement of a public legal notice for name-change petitions, instead allowing the court to require public notice in a particular case for good cause.
- Updates State Police Injury Compensation. Updates state police compensation for life-altering injuries to focus on the manner of an attack on an officer rather than the design of the weapon used in the attack.
- Facilitates Broadband-Related Work. Allows municipalities to pay utility companies’ estimates for work to prepare utility poles, rights of way, and other infrastructure for broadband projects.
- Institutes New CBAs. Ratifies seven collective bargaining agreements for public employees.
During the course of debate, Senators adopted an amendment to protect thousands of Massachusetts residents who are employed by the U.S. government and currently not receiving paychecks due to Washington’s ongoing federal shutdown. Amendment 2, adopted on a 38-0 roll call vote, would protect federal workers and Armed Forces service members from losing their housing to a residential eviction or foreclosure during a federal government shutdown.
All 91 proposed amendments to the bill are posted on the Legislature’s website together with all subsequent votes and a recording of today’s session.
The Senate passed its version of the closeout supplemental budget as an amendment to a version previously approved by the House of Representatives on October 15, 2025. The underlying legislation was originally filed by the Governor on August 14, 2025. The bill now returns to the House of Representatives for further consideration. A fact sheet prepared by the Senate Committee on Ways and Means in advance of Senate debate can be found on Senator Friedman’s website.
###