SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No.

2512
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court

SENATE, May 1, 2025.

The committee on Senate Ways and Means to whom was referred the House Bill making
appropriations for the fiscal year 2025 to provide for supplementing certain existing
appropriations and for certain other activities and projects (House, No. 4010); reports,
recommending that the same ought to pass with an amendment striking out all after the enacting
clause and inserting in place thereof the text of Senate document numbered 2512. (Direct
Appropriations: $1,283,200,000.00)

For the committee,

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court

1 SECTION 1. To provide for supplementing certain items in the general appropriations act

2 and other appropriation acts for fiscal year 2025, the sums set forth in section 2 are hereby

3 appropriated from the Education and Transportation Innovation and Capital Fund established in

4 section 2DDDDDD of chapter 29 of the General Laws, unless specifically designated otherwise

5 in this act or in those appropriation acts, for the several purposes and subject to the conditions

6 specified in this act or in those appropriations acts and subject to the laws regulating the

7 disbursement of public funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. All appropriations in this

8 section shall not be subject to section 5D of chapter 29 of the General Laws. These sums shall be

9 in addition to any amounts previously appropriated and made available for the purposes of those

10 items.

11 SECTION 2.

12 TRANSPORTATION

13 Massachusetts Department of Transportation

14 1596-2405 MBTA Low-Income Fare Relief $20,000,000

15 1596-2427 MBTA Workforce/Safety Reserve $100,000,000

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16 EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF EDUCATION

17 Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

18 7061-0012 Special Education Circuit Breaker $58,000,000

19 Student Opportunity Act Investment Fund........................100%

20 SECTION 2A. The sums set forth in this section are hereby appropriated from the

21 Education and Transportation Innovation and Capital Fund established in section 2DDDDDD of

22 chapter 29 of the General Laws, unless specifically designated otherwise in this act, for the

23 purposes and subject to the conditions specified in this section and subject to the laws regulating

24 the disbursement of public funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. All appropriations in

25 this section shall not be subject to section 5D of said chapter 29. These sums shall be made

26 available through the fiscal year ending June 30, 2028.

27 EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF EDUCATION

28 Office of the Secretary

29 1596-2513 For a grant program for capital improvements, long-term leasing of

30 additional space and other initiatives necessary to build capacity and safely accommodate

31 additional career technical education school opportunities; provided, that the funds shall be

32 administered by the executive office of education in consultation with the Massachusetts School

33 Building Authority and the executive office of labor and workforce development; provided

34 further, that funds shall be made available to both vocational technical schools and

35 comprehensive high schools; provided further, that in determining a process for awarding grants,

36 the executive office shall prioritize meeting the workforce demands of regional employers,

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37 reducing demonstrable waitlists at career and technical education schools and providing

38 equitable access to career and technical skills training for students likely to pursue a career in

39 their field of study; provided further, that not less than $15,000,000 shall be expended for a pilot

40 program for comprehensive high schools to support career and vocational technical annex

41 buildings on comprehensive high school campuses; provided further, that career and vocational

42 training offered within such annex buildings shall align with regional workforce demands;

43 provided further, that the pilot program shall prioritize communities that: (i) have demonstrable

44 waitlists for career and vocational technical programming; (ii) are taking meaningful steps to

45 produce new housing; and (iii) have adopted best practices to promote sustainable housing

46 development to be determined in consultation with the executive office of housing and livable

47 communities; and provided further, that the executive office shall prioritize projects within this

48 item that address disparities in opportunity gap data compiled by the department of elementary

49 and secondary education and support student populations that (a) consist of high school juniors

50 or seniors; (b) have not been accepted into a dedicated vocational school or program; (c)

51 experience historically low admittance rates into vocation technical school districts; and (d)

52 reside in the public school’s district $100,000,000

53 1596-2517 For local one-time education projects$100,000

54 1596-2518 For capital and development costs for the Holocaust Legacy Foundation,

55 Inc. to establish the Boston Holocaust Museum to provide interactive educational opportunities

56 in the commonwealth, including, but not limited to, history and social science frameworks;

57 provided, that funds may be used for: (i) exhibit buildout; (ii) accessibility; (iii) security

58 infrastructure; and (iv) educational technology and curriculum $5,000,000

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59 Transitional Escrow Fund........................100%

60 Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

61 1596-2514 For educational grants to reduce the waitlist for English for speakers of

62 other language services; provided, that funds shall be administered by the department of

63 elementary and secondary education in coordination with the Workforce Skills Cabinet

64 established in Executive Order No. 560, dated February 26, 2015; provided further, that in

65 determining a process for awarding grants, the department shall prioritize programs focused on

66 providing English language skills training to workers for in-demand jobs that require such skills;

67 and provided further, that the commissioner of elementary and secondary education may transfer

68 funds to item 7035-0002 and expend said funds subject to the conditions specified in said item in

69 the general appropriations act for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2026 $10,000,000

70 1596-2515 For an early literacy high dosage tutoring initiative program directed by

71 the commissioner of elementary and secondary education; provided, that said program shall

72 support public schools and districts to partner with providers approved by the department of

73 elementary and secondary education to address pandemic-related learning loss and other

74 identified underperformance in order to support accelerated literacy growth for students in

75 kindergarten to grade 3, inclusive; provided further, that students characterized as below

76 benchmark in grade 1 shall be prioritized; provided further, that funds shall only be awarded to

77 support schools and districts that have adopted a high-quality, evidence-based reading

78 instructional model as defined by the department; provided further, that funds may support

79 activities including, but not limited to: (i) providing early literacy tutoring services for students

80 in kindergarten to grade 3, inclusive, who have not met relevant benchmarks on early literacy

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 81 screening assessments approved by the department of elementary and secondary education; (ii)

82 statewide coordinating activities to a third party to facilitate high-quality implementation of the

83 program; (iii) studying the impact of the tutoring provided; and (iv) providing foundational

84 skills-focused tutoring that aligns with the research-backed characteristics of effective high-

85 dosage tutoring practices; and provided further, that the department shall prioritize high-dosage

86 tutoring for schools and districts serving a large proportion of high-needs students $25,000,000

87 1596-2516 For a reserve to support reimbursements to school districts and direct

88 payments to service providers for special education instructional and transportation costs

89 pursuant to section 5A of chapter 71B of the General Laws and item 7061-0012; provided, that

90 reimbursements shall be made in the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2026 for costs incurred in the

91 fiscal year ending on June 30, 2025; and provided further, that funds may be transferred to said

92 item 7061-0012 and expended subject to the conditions specified in said item 7061-0012 of the

93 general appropriations act for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2026 $190,000,000

94 1595-2522 For a program to provide supplemental grants for school construction

95 projects previously approved for financing by the Massachusetts School Building Authority for

96 projects experiencing extraordinary cost increases of materials due to inflation; provided, that

97 notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, said program shall be made available

98 in addition to amounts previously approved by the authority’s board of directors for certain

99 cities, towns and school districts with core program school facility projects in the authority's

100 capital pipeline that have been impacted by unanticipated cost escalations; provided further, that

101 said program shall be used to assist school districts with escalations incurred in connection with

102 school facility construction projects that previously received project scope and funding

103 agreement approval by the authority’s board of directors; provided further, that notwithstanding

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104 any general or special law to the contrary, the authority shall establish the rules and policies

105 related to said program and the criteria for determining a project’s eligibility and the appropriate

106 amount of the supplemental grant; provided further, that the authority shall not award a

107 supplemental grant under this program to cities and towns not in compliance with the multi-

108 family zoning requirement established in section 3A of chapter 40A of the General Laws as

109 determined by the executive office of housing and livable communities; provided further, that

110 preference for supplemental grants under this program shall be given to cities and towns that are

111 taking meaningful steps to produce new housing or have adopted best practices to promote

112 sustainable housing development to be determined in consultation with the executive office of

113 housing and livable communities; provided further, that cities, towns and school districts shall

114 submit budget and project documentation to the authority in a form prescribed by the authority to

115 be eligible for grants from the program funded under this item; provided further, that the

116 authority, with the approval of its board of directors, may waive certain cost cap limits or other

117 grant limits that have been established as part of the program funded under this item; provided

118 further, that the amounts awarded to cities, towns and school districts from this item shall not be

119 calculated as part of the limit in section 7 of chapter 70B of the General Laws on the estimated

120 amount of grants approved by the authority during a fiscal year; and provided further, that not

121 later than May 31, 2026, the authority shall submit a report to the executive office for

122 administration and finance, the joint committee on education and the house and senate

123 committees on ways and means detailing grant award recipients and the amount of the grant

124 awarded for each project $50,000,000

125 Department of Higher Education

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126 1596-2525 For a capital program at public institutions of higher education in the

127 commonwealth; provided, that projects supported under the program shall reduce the deferred

128 maintenance backlog of said institutions; provided further, that said projects may include, but

129 shall not be limited to: (i) building envelope repairs and renovations; (ii) heating, ventilation and

130 air conditioning systems replacement; (iii) Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility

131 compliance projects; (iv) electrical systems repair and replacement; and (v) water and

132 wastewater systems repair and replacement; provided further, that the program shall be

133 administered by the division of capital asset management and maintenance in collaboration with

134 the executive office of education; provided further, that the division of capital asset management

135 and maintenance may expend funds from this item for the defeasance of debt in order to enable

136 projects that reduce campus deferred maintenance backlogs; provided further, that not less than

137 $10,000,000 shall be expended for an expanded nursing simulation lab at the University of

138 Massachusetts at Amherst; provided further, that not less than $4,000,000 shall be expended for

139 a combined health services and public safety facility at the University of Massachusetts at

140 Dartmouth; provided further, that not less than $10,000,000 shall be expended for laboratory

141 modernization and upgrades at community colleges; provided further, that not less than

142 $3,000,000 shall be expended for capital improvements and infrastructure upgrades at the Reggie

143 Lewis Track and Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College; provided further, that not less

144 than $10,000,000 shall be expended for repairs and renovations at the Massachusetts College of

145 Art and Design; provided further, that not less than $6,600,000 shall be expended for debt

146 defeasance, revitalization or adaptive reuse of dormitory housing at Framingham State

147 University; and provided further, that not later than December 1, 2026, the division of capital

148 asset management and maintenance shall submit a report to the joint committee on higher

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149 education and the house and senate committees on ways and means that shall include, but not be

150 limited to: (a) the amounts awarded delineated by campus; (b) the amounts awarded delineated

151 by project; (c) the amount of deferred maintenance backlog eliminated by project; and (d)

152 planned spending from this item through June 30, 2028 $175,000,000

153 TRANSPORTATION

154 Massachusetts Department of Transportation

155 1595-2508 For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation

156 Authority to replenish the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority deficiency fund;

157 provided, that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall notify the Massachusetts

158 Department of Transportation, executive office for administration and finance, house and senate

159 committees on ways and means and the joint committee on transportation not less than 30 days

160 prior to withdrawing funds from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority deficiency

161 fund; and provided further, that not later than June 30, 2025, the Massachusetts Bay

162 Transportation Authority shall submit a written deficiency fund policy to the Massachusetts

163 Department of Transportation, the executive office for administration and finance, the joint

164 committee on transportation and the house and senate committees on ways and

165 means………………………………………………………………………………..$200,000,000

166 1596-2503 For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund

167 established in section 4 of chapter 6C of the General Laws for a program of culvert and small

168 bridge modernization, reconstruction, removal, repair, replacement and resilience improvements

169 to culverts and small bridges with a span of not more than 20 feet under procedures established

170 by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation in collaboration with the executive office of

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171 energy and environmental affairs; provided, that expenditures from this item may include the

172 costs of engineering, design, permitting, climate change adaptation and resilience and other

173 services essential to projects under this item; provided further, that funds may be expended from

174 this item for matching grants to municipalities for municipally-owned small bridges and culverts;

175 provided further, that funds from this item shall not be expended to municipalities not in

176 compliance with the multi-family zoning requirement established in section 3A of chapter 40A

177 of the General Laws as determined by the executive office of housing and livable communities;

178 provided further, that preference for grants shall be awarded to cities and towns that are taking

179 meaningful steps to produce new housing or have adopted best practices to promote sustainable

180 housing development as determined by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation in

181 consultation with the executive office of housing and livable communities; and provided further,

182 that not later than March 30, 2026, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall submit

183 a report to the joint committee on transportation and the house and senate committees on ways

184 and means that shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the criteria used for distributing funds from

185 this item; and (ii) a list and description of projects funded through this item or planned to be

186 funded through this item, including the estimated costs for each project and the expected timeline

187 for completion of each project $25,000,000

188 1596-2505 For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund

189 established in section 4 of chapter 6C of the General Laws for a program to support grants for

190 workforce and training initiatives at regional transit authorities and support transit improvements

191 across the commonwealth; provided, that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall

192 oversee the distribution of grants under this item; and provided further, that not later than March

193 2, 2026, the department shall submit a report to the joint committee on transportation and the

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194 house and senate committees on ways and means that shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the

195 grant criteria used to determine awards; (ii) a list of grant recipients, including the amounts

196 received by each recipient; and (iii) a description of the specific uses by each

197 recipient..........................................................................................................................$25,000,000

198 1596-2507 For local one-time transportation projects $100,000

199 1596-2520 For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund

200 established in section 4 of chapter 6C of the General Laws for a program to support grants for

201 capital infrastructure improvements and equipment and facilities upgrades at regional transit

202 authorities to support transit improvements across the commonwealth; provided further, that

203 projects approved under this item shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the purchase of new

204 buses, including electric or hybrid buses; (ii) upgrades to electrical infrastructure to facilitate

205 charging of electric buses; (iii) capital projects to support microtransit initiatives and last mile

206 transportation solutions; and (iv) improvements to bus stops and stations to promote pedestrian

207 safety, user comfort, and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance; provided further, that the

208 Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall oversee the distribution of funds; and

209 provided further, that not later than March 1, 2026, the department shall submit a report to the

210 joint committee on transportation and the house and senate committees on ways and means that

211 shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the grant criteria used to determine awards; (ii) a list of

212 grant recipients, including the amounts received by each recipient; and (iii) a description of the

213 specific uses by each recipient $50,000,000

214 1596-2521 For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund

215 established in said section 4 of said chapter 6C for a program to support improvements to water

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216 transportation infrastructure across the commonwealth; provided, that funds shall be expended

217 for projects that enable transitioning seasonal ferry services operated by or under contract with

218 the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to year-round operations; provided further, that

219 not less than $16,000,000 shall be expended for the procurement of ferries to support and

220 maintain quality water transportation services in the commonwealth; provided further, that said

221 ferries shall be procured by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation but may be

222 operated by service providers under contract with the department; provided further, that said

223 ferries shall be utilized to expand commuter ferry services to communities that may include, but

224 not be limited to: (i) the East Boston section of the city of Boston; (ii) the city of Chelsea; (iii)

225 the city of Lynn; (iv) the city known as the town of Winthrop; (v) the city of Quincy; and (vi) the

226 city of Salem; provided further, that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall

227 prioritize expanded service for cities and towns that are taking meaningful steps to produce new

228 housing and have adopted best practices to promote sustainable housing development including,

229 but not limited to, the multifamily zoning requirement established in section 3A of chapter 40A

230 of the General Laws; and provided further, that funds shall be expended for port infrastructure

231 necessary to maintain and expand ferry services statewide $20,000,000

232 1596-2523 For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund

233 established in section 4 of chapter 6C of the General Laws for the construction and

234 reconstruction of municipal ways as described in clause (b) of the second paragraph of said

235 section 4 of said chapter 6C; provided, that a city or town shall comply with the procedures

236 established by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation; provided further, that a city or

237 town may expend, without further appropriation, for these projects, amounts not in excess of the

238 amount provided to the city or town under this item upon preliminary notice of such amount,

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239 which shall be provided by the department to the city or town not later than March 2, 2026;

240 provided further, that the commonwealth shall reimburse a city or town under this item, subject

241 to the availability of funds as provided in section 9G of chapter 29 of the General Laws, within

242 30 days after receipt by the department of a request for reimbursement from the city or town,

243 which shall include certification by the city or town that actual expenses have been incurred on

244 projects eligible for reimbursement under this item and that the work on such eligible projects

245 has been completed to the satisfaction of the city or town according to the specifications of the

246 project and in compliance with applicable laws and procedures established by the department;

247 provided further, that not less than $82,500,000 shall be distributed using a formula based on

248 each municipality's population, locally-owned road miles and employment; provided further, that

249 not less than $82,500,000 shall be distributed using a formula based on each municipality’s share

250 of road mileage; and provided further, that funds from this item shall not be expended to

251 municipalities not in compliance with the multi-family zoning requirement established in section

252 3A of chapter 40A of the General Laws as determined by the executive office of housing and

253 livable communities $165,000,000

254 1596-2524 For improvements to the commuter rail system infrastructure of the

255 Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority; provided, that the authority shall consult and

256 receive approval from the executive office for administration and finance on the projects to be

257 funded by this appropriation; provided further, that in distributing funds from this item, the

258 authority shall prioritize projects that advance a rail system that is fully integrated into the

259 commonwealth’s transportation system and designed to make the system more productive,

260 equitable and decarbonized; provided further, that funds shall be expended to facilitate the

261 electrification of commuter rail; provided further, that preference for improvement projects,

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262 including, but not limited to, improvements to commuter rail stations, shall be awarded to cities

263 and towns that are taking meaningful steps to produce new housing and have adopted best

264 practices to promote sustainable housing development including, but not limited to, the

265 multifamily zoning requirement established in section 3A of chapter 40A of the General Laws;

266 and provided further, that not later than April 1, 2026, the authority shall submit a report to the

267 joint committee on transportation and the house and senate committees on ways and means that

268 shall include, but not be limited to: (a) the criteria used for distributing funds from this item; and

269 (b) a list and description of the projects funded through this item or planned to be funded through

270 this item, including the estimated cost for each project and the expected timeline for the

271 completion of each project $50,000,000

272 1596-2526 For an operating transfer to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund

273 established in section 4 of chapter 6C of the General Laws for a program to support grants for

274 capital microtransit initiatives and last mile transportation solutions including, but not limited to,

275 providers that: (i) expand mobility options for rural communities; (ii) extend service to veterans,

276 working families, older adults, people with disabilities and low-income individuals; (iii) provide

277 mobility choices to people with mobility needs; and (iv) extend equitable and affordable

278 transportation mobility improvements in the commonwealth; provided, that preference for grants

279 shall be awarded to cities and towns that are taking meaningful steps to produce new housing and

280 have adopted best practices to promote sustainable housing development including, but not

281 limited to, the multifamily zoning requirement established in section 3A of chapter 40A of the

282 General Laws $10,000,000

283 EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE

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284 Reserves

285 1596-2026 For a reserve for publicly incurred transportation costs associated with the

286 2026 World Cup matches hosted in Massachusetts; provided, that the Massachusetts Department

287 of Transportation shall prioritize commuter rail infrastructure and service improvements to

288 Foxborough that increase service capacity, frequency and reliability $5,000,000

289 SECTION 3. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, income surtax

290 revenue, as defined in section 2BBBBBB of chapter 29 of the General Laws, collected in the

291 fiscal year ending on June 30, 2024 but certified after July 20, 2024, shall be transferred to the

292 Education and Transportation Innovation and Capital Fund established in section 2DDDDDD of

293 said chapter 29 from the Student Opportunity Act Investment Fund established in section 35RRR

294 of chapter 10 of the General Laws, not later than 30 days after the effective date of this act.

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