Formal legislative session ends with PPA in limbo
The formal legislative session ended last week without House and Senate negotiators reaching agreement on a number of major pending bills – including the economic development bond bill (the Mass Leads Act) that contained Physician Pathway Act legislation, a MIRA priority that enjoyed remarkable progress and support this session.
Legislative leaders have indicated that they hope to take up parts of the economic development bill during informal sessions this fall, as they did 2 years ago. We will be working with partner organizations to again prioritize the PPA for inclusion this fall.
While this outcome is deeply disappointing, we remain hopeful we can get the PPA over the finish line this fall, and will keep you posted.
A host of other bills also failed to emerge from their respective conference committees on the eve of the deadline, including a clean energy bill, a maternal health (and midwife licensing) bill, and bills on hospital oversight and prescription drug pricing. And these don’t include other MIRA priorities that never made it to conference committee, like the Language Access and Inclusion Act, Cover All Kids, and the Safe Communities Act, which will all get another run next session.
State budget delivers on policy, but restrained on funding
On July 29th Governor Healey signed a $57.8 billion FY25 state budget that includes significant investments in education, transportation, and early childhood education, and included 258 policy proposals, including two that MIRA Coalition supported that benefit immigrant students. Unfortunately, the budget included less funding for other priority line items for immigrants, reflecting continuing concerns about the volatile tax revenue forecast for the next year.
The final budget includes a Senate proposal for free community college regardless of immigration status, for enrolled students carrying at least 6 credits who have not previously earned a bachelor’s degree. Subject to appropriation, the state will waive the balance of tuition and fees owed after applying any financial aid awards.
The budget also includes two improvements to the Tuition Equity Law. It removes the requirement that applicants submit proof of registration with the Selective Service (registration is already required under federal law for most males aged 18 through 25). That proof is still one of the 4 optional documents that applicants can submit to qualify for in-state tuition and state financial assistance. More critically,the policy adds privacy protections for student and parent data—rather front of mind in light of the presidential election in November. Both initiatives will be effective 90 days after the Governor’s signature.
On funding, the budget shaved $146,722 in baseline funding (not including funds earmarked for individual organizations) from last year’s $60 million allocation for adult basic education and English classes (ABE/ESOL), despite a longstanding waitlist of some 20,000 prospective adult students. Baseline funding for citizenship programs (CNAP) increased $8,501 over FY24, but budget leaders cut funds earmarked for individual organizations by nearly 30 percent. The budget did however include the Senate’s proposed $3,000,000 for immigrant vocational training (the Employment Support Services Program), as well as a second tranche of $190,000 in funding for the Welcome Back Center for Internationally-Educated Nurses at Bunker Hill Community College to build program capacity and supplement test prep costs.