Massachusetts House Ways & Means
Budget Proposal

 

The Massachusetts’ House Ways & Means fiscal year 2011 budget proposal was released on April 14. This is the second major step in the ten-step annual state budget process for the fiscal year that begins on July 1, 2010. See a schematic of the process.

While it is early in the process, there are a couple of items that may be that may be worth following.

• Health care coverage for LEGAL immigrants with “Special Status.” They would continue to be ineligible for Commonwealth Care- the Commonwealth Bridge program would continue to be available to these individuals, but only if they are currently in the program. MIRA estimates that this will lock out over 13,000 immigrants from healthcare coverage.

• Cuts to mental health programs totaling approximately 2 percent compared to FY 2010 current levels, not adjusting for inflation.

• The House Ways & Means FY11 budget proposal would allow the Governor to make his proposed cuts to MassHealth Adult Dental Benefits. Restorative dental services will not be covered for the 700,000 adults on MassHealth. Nearly one-tenth of the Commonwealth's population will only be able to receive preventive care and extractions- rather than restorative care. Courtney Chelo, Health Care For All’s Oral Health Advocacy Taskforce, in a written statement says that if this provision is enacted, “(a)lthough $56 million dollars of services will be eliminated, actual savings will be at most $11 million- we will lose $35 million in federal matching funds, and much more will be spent on people forced to use emergency services.”

• An overall reduction of $32.5 million for the Department of Children and Families when compared to current FY 2010 budget levels. Specifically, the House Ways and Means proposal includes a $20.2 million reduction in funding for Group Care Services and the elimination of the DCF Regional Administration line item, which currently receives $7 million in the FY 2010 budget.

• $219.5 million for elder services, including $136.3 million for the elder home care program, essentially level funding compared to FY 2010 current totals.

• $4 million for the new Housing Stabilization Initiative for homeless families. This new program, which allows DHCD to provides housing vouchers to help families move out of shelters and into more permanent housing, is expected to reduce reliance on the Emergency Assistance (EA) program. As a result, the Committee provides less funding for EA than the state expects to spend in FY 2010 (see below).

• $112.6 million for the Emergency Assistance Program (EA) which provides shelter and services to homeless families. This level is $21 million above the amount approved in the FY 2010 GAA. In FY 2010, however, $41.9 million in supplemental appropriations was added to the program due to an increase in caseloads. This supplemental increased total funding to $133.5 million, which is $20.6 million above the level recommended in the Committee’s budget. In addition, a supplemental appropriations bill currently pending in the legislature includes another $18.2 million. If this funding is approved, the HWM recommendation would be $39.1 million less than the amount the state expects to spend in FY 2010. Some advocates are concerned that despite the new line item noted in previous bullet point, that this cut to EA may lead to harsh eligibility changes an difficult cuts to providers.

HWM retained critical line item language from the FY'10 budget that would require the Administration to give the Legislature 60 days advanced notice before implementing any eligibility or benefit changes in the face of a deficit; allow families to receive temporary shelter placements while gathering needed verifications; as well as language that would require the Administration to track and report on who is approved for shelter, who is denied, the outcomes for families participating in the program, etc. New tracking language sought by the Coalition for the Homeless regarding outcomes for families receiving transitional housing and short-term housing assistance also was included.  

• $260,000 for Residential Assistance for Families in Transition, a housing voucher program for homeless families or families at risk of becoming homeless. This level is $100,000 above the amount the state expects to spend in FY 2010 but $2.8 million below the amount appropriated in the FY 2010 GAA. While not a substitute for RAFT, some families who otherwise could have been served by RAFT in FY'11 may be able to receive assistance through the federally funded Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP).

• $35.4 million for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher program an increase of $5.4 million more than the FY 2010 GAA and $2.5 million more than the amount the state expects to spend in FY 2010.

• Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children Program (EAEDC):  The  House Ways and Means budget would slightly increase funding for EAEDC to $84.7 million for FY'11. This is $4.1 million lower than the Governor's recommended level of $88.8 million, which included increased funds to match the caseload increase anticipated by DTA. HWM did include key language requiring 60 days advanced notice before implementing any eligibility or benefit changes in the line item.

• Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children Program (TAFDC): Both HWM and the Governor included increased funding over the FY'10 appropriation level, as DTA anticipates an increased caseload. HWM also included key language requiring 60 days advanced notice before implementing any eligibility or benefit changes in the line item.

• In total, the FY 2011 House Ways and Means budget proposes a $4.8 million decrease in funding for child care subsidies when compared to current FY 2010 budget levels, mirroring the Governor’s $4.8 million proposed decrease. The House Ways and Means budget proposal shifts child care resources into the two child care entitlement programs by increasing funding for child care for children served by the Department of Children and Families by $12.4 million and child care for families served by or transitioning from Transitional Aid for Families with Dependent Children by $11.1 million while reducing funding for income-eligible child care by $28.3 million.

-From: “Preliminary Analysis: The House Ways & Means Fiscal Year 2011 Budget”, Noah Berger, MassBudget.org, April 14, 2010, athttp://www.massbudget.org/documentsearch/findDocument?doc_id=722&dse_id=1137 retrieved 4/16/10; “Budget Watch: The House Ways & Means Committee Has Released Its Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Recommendations ”, Kelly Turley, Mass. Coalition for the Homeless, e-mail April 14, 2010; “House Ways & Means Budget: A Victory and a Call to Action” Courtney Chelo, Health Care For All, Oral Health Advocacy Taskforce, April 14, 2010; and “House Budget Released: MIRA Bulletin 15 April, 2010”, MIRA Coalition.

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