If all the amendments were accepted, they could boost spending by another $1.04 billion, according to a Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation analysis. “It is likely that the final House budget will increase spending by a further $60-$80 million,” something state finances support, said the…

Today, the House Committee on Ways and Means (HWM) released its $47.6 billion spending plan for fiscal year (FY) 2022. House members will file amendments to the budget in the coming days, with debate scheduled for the week of April 26th. This Bulletin provides an overview of major spending and…

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which became law when President Biden signed H.R. 1319 on March 11, will provide approximately $350 billion to state and local governments to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic. Section 602(c)(2)(A) restricts states from using the funds…

In flagging the MassHealth issue of next week’s House budget rollout, the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation pegged the fiscal 2022 MassHealth gross spending increase at about $1.45 billion over what the governor included in his initial budget recommendation.

The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, in a report outlining issues to watch in the House budget, classified it as "highly unlikely" that the House Ways and Means proposal would adjust the underlying revenue estimate.  "An upgrade to FY 2022 tax revenues may ultimately be warranted, but…

The House Ways and Means (HWM) committee will release its FY 2022 budget proposal the week of April 12th and much has changed in the ten weeks since the release of Governor Baker’s spending plan. The combination of action at the federal level, changing assumptions on the state’s Medicaid program…

With the House Committee on Ways and Means poised to release its budget next week, MTF says the “resource and spending implications for the FY 2022 budget … will need to be accounted for by both the House and Senate budgets.” The House budget “should also provide flexibility in the use of one-…

"For counties that are not units of local government, these awards will be distributed to the municipalities in the county based on population," the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation wrote in its initial summary of the relief package.

This bulletin provides an initial summary of key provisions of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) that are likely to impact Massachusetts, its residents and employers.  The ARP is an expansive $1.9 trillion relief that covers an enormous spectrum of policy areas.