House OK’s supplemental budget bill with COVID deficit amortization, MSBA increases

The House passed a fiscal 2026 supplemental budget bill on June 10 that would appropriate $227 million to address budget deficiencies while also proposing policy changes.

The bill would raise the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s annual grant cap from $1.2 billion to $1.3 billion, and would allow the MSBA to approve additional grants exceeding the cap by up to 10%.

The bill would allow municipalities with deficits related to the COVID pandemic to amortize the deficit over the course of up to three years.

The bill would also create a commission to study the functions of registries of deeds and consider consolidation of their services.

The bill would extend the maximum length of stay in the Commonwealth’s Emergency Assistance family shelter system from six months to nine. During a housing emergency, 30-day family shelter sites would be reopened, and the use of a 30-day shelter would not disqualify families from eligibility for a longer shelter program.

The bill includes funding for free calls for state prison inmates, state-level addiction and homeless programming, and “smart growth” community education payments under Chapter 40S.

The bill also includes funding for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Department of Conservation and Recreation to address costs related to snow and ice removal, and for winter weather staffing expenses for the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.

The bill was sent to the Senate, where it has been referred to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.