On Wednesday, April 30, State Rep. Kathy LaNatra joined her colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives to pass its Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget. Funded at $61.47 billion, nearly $500 million below Governor Maura Healey’s budget proposal, the House’s FY26 budget responds to the needs of residents, provides strong support for the Commonwealth’s cities and towns, and among many critical investments, includes significant funding for education, transportation, health care, housing, and workforce development.
“The House FY26 budget is a strong reflection of the Commonwealth’s commitment to delivering a best-in-the-nation education system, high-quality affordable health care for all, a transportation system that people can count on and a Commonwealth that delivers for hard-working middle class families,” said State Rep. Kathy LaNatra (D – Kingston). “I am proud of the record investments the House was able to make into childcare and early education, our public schools, the MBTA, higher education, mental health and so much more, all without raising taxes on families. At a time of so much uncertainty coming out of Washington, this fiscally responsible budget stands as a testament to our commitment to responsible governance. I’m deeply grateful to Speaker Mariano and Chairman Michlewitz for their leadership and their partnership in securing half a million dollars in critical investments in the communities of 12th Plymouth District.”
Representative LaNatra was proud to secure $500,000 in funding for the 12th Plymouth District to make investments into our local education, public safety, health care, tourism, libraries, and local planning needs. Rep. LaNatra worked closely with local municipal leaders and partners in the legislature to identify critical needs and support the following amendments to the budget:
$50,000 for the Fire Chiefs’ Association of Plymouth County, Inc. to maintain and upgrade emergency communication systems, to provide for mass casualty and major operations incident planning and training
$150,000 for Harbor Health Services Inc. for the planned expansion of their Plymouth Community Health Center
$25,000 for the Town of Plympton to purchase and install a new HVAC unit on Dennett Elementary School
$125,000 to address urgent technology upgrades to security, programs and support services for children and adult residents with complex disabilities at Latham Centers
$25,000 for improvements to the Pembroke Public Library’s new children’s library wing
$25,000 for ADA upgrades and other improvements to the historic Training Green in downtown Plymouth
$50,000 to Kingston 300, Inc. to print and design a book to support the town of Kingston’s 300th Anniversary Celebration
$50,000 to the Town of Halifax to update their Master Plan
The FY26 House budget funds Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) at $1.308 billion, and Chapter 70 education funding at $7.121 billion, representing a $257.2 million increase over the FY25 budget. The budget also funds the fifth year of a six-year implementation plan for the Student Opportunity Act (SOA), which was enacted in 2019 to ensure that public schools have the necessary resources to provide high-quality education to students, regardless of zip code or income level.
Utilizing Fair Share amendment funding, the budget provides an additional $120 per pupil in minimum aid supplements, increasing the minimum aid total to $150 per pupil. The budget also includes record investments into the special education circuit breaker, as well as fully funding universal schools meals for all public students in the Commonwealth. It includes a $1.67 billion investment into early education and childcare, $126.3 million over last fiscal year, demonstrating the Commonwealth’s belief that an affordable and reliable childcare system drives economic growth, affordability, and workforce development.
The House budget includes $22.43 billion for MassHealth, including $13.8 million in primary care rates and $5.3 million in behavioral health investments in outpatient and substance use disorder services. The House budget extends the Health Connector’s ConnectorCare Pilot program from two years to three years and expands its eligibility from 300% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) to 500% FPL.
There were 51,237 people enrolled in ConnectorCare Pilot as of June 2024.
The House’s FY26 budget also invests in the human services workforce, which provides services to our most vulnerable residents, by including $207 million for Chapter 257 rates for health and human service workers, and $132 million for rate increases for nursing facilities.
Speaker Mariano and the House Committee on Ways & Means introduced their FY26 budget proposal on April 16, 2025, following a review of the Governor’s proposal and a series of public hearings. The budget passed the House of Representatives 151-6 and now goes to the Senate for consideration.