Press Release: 5/7/2026
Senate Ways and Means Releases Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Recommendations
May 5, 2026
Senate Prioritizes Support for Local Communities, Schools, and the State’s Housing Needs
(BOSTON—5/5/2026) The Senate Committee on Ways and Means today released a $63.3 billion budget plan for Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) that invests responsibly in key areas like public education and support for municipalities, unlocks new opportunities for housing growth, and stewards the Commonwealth’s core commitments to its residents.
The Committee’s budget recommendation achieves this without any tax hikes or fee increases on Massachusetts residents, who are already feeling the weight of inflation, tariffs, and the impact of the federal government’s costly foreign entanglements.
“The Senate’s FY27 budget is a responsible, future‑focused plan that strengthens our fiscal foundation while making meaningful investments in the people of Massachusetts,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “With record local aid, historic support for our public schools, and major steps to streamline housing development and expand access to higher education, this budget reflects our commitment to affordability, opportunity, and long‑term stability. At a time when our residents are feeling real pressure, we are protecting essential services, easing burdens on cities and towns, and laying the groundwork for strong communities across the Commonwealth. I’m incredibly proud of the thoughtful work that went into this budget, and I believe it demonstrates the best of what we can accomplish when we put the needs of Massachusetts residents first.”
“For the eighth time as the Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, I am proud that we are putting forward a balanced and fiscally responsible budget that reflects the priorities and input of all 40 Senators and leads with a steady and stable hand in the face of continued economic and federal uncertainty,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D–Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “Firmly grounded in the principles of sound budgeting and fiscal responsibility, the Committee’s budget does not raise taxes or fees on our residents and businesses, while making major investments in education and local aid, emphasizing the Senate’s strong commitment to helping all 351 cities and towns. This budget also invests resources to make higher education more affordable, combat hunger, strengthen food security initiatives and protect core services for our most vulnerable, our growing aging population and individuals with disabilities. I am very grateful to Senate President Spilka for her partnership, along with my Vice-Chairs, Senator Comerford and Senator Feeney for their input, along with committee members and the entire Senate membership for sharing their voices and helping shape a budget that strives to build a more resilient and affordable future for our Commonwealth.”
The Committee’s recommendation is built on a responsible increase of 3.5 per cent in general budget spending over last fiscal year and a total bottom line of $63.3 billion in spending. The bottom line represents a reduction of $66 million from House 2, more strategically aligning revenues to address current spending pressures.
The Committee developed its plan in line with the FY27 consensus revenue estimate of $44.9 billion, which was agreed upon earlier this year and represents a 2.9 per cent increase over the FY26 benchmark. The Ways and Means recommendation includes $2.7 billion in Fair Share spending for public education and transportation initiatives.
The Committee’s budget does not raise any taxes on Massachusetts residents and would not spend any dollars from the state’s ‘rainy day fund.’ The bill would continue to responsibly save for the future by placing a $51 million deposit into the state’s savings account for a record balance of $8.2 billion by the end of next fiscal year.
“This budget proposal reflects the Senate’s shared commitment to building a Commonwealth that works for everyone,” said Senator Jo Comerford (D-Northampton), Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “It makes thoughtful, far-reaching investments in our people and communities—strengthening food security, expanding access to public education, and delivering record support for municipalities—while safeguarding essential services in a time of skyrocketing costs of living. In a moment of real uncertainty, the Senate is choosing stability, equity, and care. I am grateful to Senate President Karen Spilka and Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues for their steady, compassionate leadership in advancing this proposal.”
“With fiscal uncertainty being exported from Washington, along with dramatically increasing cost pressures here at home, the challenges in drafting the Commonwealth’s budget this year are significant,” said Senator Paul R. Feeney (D-Foxborough), Assistant Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “Guided by our collective values however, under the leadership of Senate President Spilka and Ways and Means Chair Rodrigues, this budget shows that we can maintain our commitments, create opportunities, and continue to lead, without raising taxes and despite the growing uncertainty. From a historic investment in local aid and student funding, to responsible spending that creates opportunities in every community, the FY27 Senate Budget accomplishes something very important—it invests in the people of Massachusetts.”
The Ways and Means Committee’s budget makes historic investments in local towns and cities through record levels of Chapter 70 school aid, which helps support the full range of school expenses from teachers to school supplies, and Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA), which local leaders can use as flexible spending for everything from paving sidewalks to hiring police officers.
The recommendation would complete the Legislature’s promise to fully fund and implement the Student Opportunity Act with $7.66 billion in funding for local school districts; an increase of $297 million over last fiscal year in school aid to local municipalities; and a record $160-per-pupil minimum level for local school aid.
The Committee also recommends boosting UGGA, flexible direct municipal aid, by $53 million and sharing the funds with town and city halls across the state through a new, more equitable system. The increase to direct local aid would be allocated based on a town or city’s population, as the Senate seeks to proactively create a fair system and move away from an archaic funding distribution that has left some municipalities behind.
The Committee’s budget recommends reconvening the Foundation Budget Review Commission (FBRC) to examine the current K-12 funding formula. Fulfilling the Senate President’s call, the FBRC will assess potential new ways to address rising costs and the allocation of school resources statewide. This reflects the Senate’s recognition that school districts statewide face serious fiscal challenges related to escalating costs of special education, student transportation, personnel, educator health care, and other factors. The Committee also recommends convening a commission to study public school construction financing through the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) and ensuring that the authority’s grant funding formula allocates resources responsibly and equitably.
The Committee’s FY27 budget prioritizes construction of new housing across the state through provisions that build on last session’s Affordable Homes Act and streamline local permitting to help meet housing demand and drive down costs. Housing priority sections would make it easier for homeowners and developers to work with buildings or properties that don’t fully meet current zoning rules because they were built under older codes, provide reasonable timelines for projects to proceed under existing zoning rules, and modernize the variance standard.
The Committee’s FY27 budget takes proactive steps to support our most vulnerable, fight poverty and build upon investments in child assistance, anti-hunger, food security, and economic security initiatives. It provides over $265 million to support anti-hunger, supplemental nutrition assistance and food security initiatives. This includes $148 million for Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) caseworkers to support staffing needs to maintain program integrity, protect access to SNAP food benefits and comply with new federal SNAP requirements. It also provides $55 million for Emergency Food Assistance to assist residents in navigating the historical levels of food insecurity and $29.7 million for the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) to support local farmers and ensure access to healthy food options.
The Committee’s budget maintains recently increased benefit levels through the Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) and Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children (EAEDC) programs—fully annualizing prior increases in both programs to help fight deep poverty and including a clothing allowance of $500 per child for families receiving TAFDC benefits.
Other initiatives in the Ways and Means budget recommendation focus on improving safety and emergency protection at assisted living residences, responding to the tragic fire at the Gabriel House in Fall River last year; making higher education more affordable for local college students through Senate-led programs like MassEducate; and fully supporting jail diversion programs that connect people with mental illness and substance use disorders to appropriate treatment in order to improve their lives and strengthen public safety.
The legislation also requires a simpler way to cancel online subscriptions, protecting residents’ bank accounts from being nickel-and-dimed by ‘junk fees’ and repeat charges that come from hard-to-cancel monthly subscriptions. A section of the bill would require companies and sellers of subscription products to make canceling a subscription as easy as signing up.
A detailed summary highlighting the many key components of the Ways and Means budget is available in a fact sheet in the Senate’s press room.
Under the Senate Rules, Senators can file amendments to the Ways and Means recommendation until 3 P.M. on Friday, May 8. Following introductory speeches on Monday, May 18, the Senate will debate the FY27 budget proposal during a formal session which convenes Tuesday, May 19.
The FY27 Senate Ways and Means budget recommendations are available on the Massachusetts Legislature’s website: https://malegislature.gov/Budget/SenateWaysMeansBudget.