Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
As Gov. Maura Healey signed the fiscal 2026 state budget into law on July 4, and vetoed $130 million in spending, she also filed a fiscal 2026 supplemental budget bill that she described as a “companion” to the state budget.
The bill (H. 4251) would appropriate $100 million for a flexible reserve and transfer $30 million to the Housing Preservation and Stabilization Trust Fund — both intended to provide flexibility to respond to potential federal policy implications.
The bill also includes a proposal that would expand the governor’s budget-cutting authority under Section 9C, to allow her to make emergency midyear budget cuts beyond the executive branch. This expanded authority would be authorized if fiscal 2026 revenues are at least $400 million under consensus revenue benchmarks, or if federal policy changes result in a negative impact of $400 million or more on the fiscal 2026 budget.
Section 9C of Chapter 29, a state law dealing with deficiencies in state revenue, authorizes the governor to make cuts to the state budget to bring into balance — commonly referred to as “9C authority” — but limits this power to executive branch agencies; it does not allow cuts to local aid, the courts, the Legislature, or constitutional offices.
Section 10 of the governor’s supplemental budget bill would temporarily expand 9C authority for fiscal 2026. The MMA is raising concerns about this provision, since it could put local aid at risk, and will be opposing its inclusion in the bill.
The governor’s bill also proposes:
• Authority to make midyear Group Insurance Commission health insurance plan changes to limit coverage of GLP-1 drugs
• Line-item transferability that would allow the administration to transfer funding between line items for one year, capped at 5% of the amount appropriated in each line item
• Limited authority to move a portion of Massachusetts Department of Transportation employee salaries into the capital budget
H. 4251 has been referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.