BOSTON – Last week, Senator Sal DiDomenico joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts State Senate in passing a $368.7 million supplemental budget for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23).  Several DiDomenico priorities were included in this legislation to fund vital services that support vulnerable populations and address food insecurity, housing instability, the state’s long-term COVID-19 response, economic development, essential support services for incoming immigrants and refugees, and more. Notably, the bill also extends initiatives first implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as outdoor dining, remote public meeting access, and support for assisted living residences. The bill further authorizes $814.3 in bonding to bolster the Commonwealth’s clean water and other public works projects for cities and towns, as well as to support the Commonwealth’s ability to compete for competitive federal grant funds.

“I was proud to vote for this supplemental budget which prioritizes feeding, housing, and financially supporting people across backgrounds in our state,” said Senator DiDomenico, Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “I am also especially pleased that we have included funding for several of my priorities including the extension of Universal School Meals through the end of the year, supporting early education providers, extending SNAP benefits, and providing wraparound services for immigrants and refugees. I want to thank Senate President Spilka, Chair Rodrigues, and their staff for bringing the supplemental budget to the floor.”

DiDomenico spoke during the Senate debate and highlighted the fact that the bill invests $368.7 million to address several time sensitive needs for an array of programs relied on by some of the most vulnerable residents of the Commonwealth, including $130 million for SNAP food assistance benefits to provide a glide path for families who were receiving enhanced SNAP benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic, $68 million for the Early Education C3 stabilization grant program, $65 million for the continuation of free school meals, $45 million for emergency shelter assistance, and over $40 million to support affordable housing for immigrants and refugees. Other measures funded in the bill include:

• $8.3 million for judgments, settlements, and legal fees

• $7 million for coordinated wraparound services for incoming immigrants and refugees

• $2 million for the reimbursement of SNAP benefits for victims of benefit theft

• $2 million for the preparation and execution of the 114th National NAACP conference, which is taking place in Massachusetts in 2023, which was adopted via an amendment from Senator Liz Miranda

• $1 million for a public awareness campaign to educate the public about the misleading tactics of so-called crisis pregnancy centers and their lack of medical services

• $250,000 for Reproductive Equity Now’s free abortion-related legal hotline

The bill also authorizes $814.3 billion in capital expenditures to support economic development projects. Notably, these include $400 million for the MassWorks Infrastructure Program, which provides grants to cities, towns, and other public entities for infrastructure projects, and $200 million for state matching funds to compete for federal grant opportunities, including those funded through the CHIPS and Science Act, which encourage innovation in Massachusetts. Other bonding items authorized by the bill include:

• $104 million for the Clean Water Trust Fund

• $34 million for a program to revitalize underutilized properties

• $30 million for state matching funds to compete for federal broadband expansion grants and improve state broadband infrastructure

• $15 million for the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative, which supports innovation within the state’s manufacturing industry, including by offering technical assistance to manufacturers and attracting talent from outside of the state

• $14 million for the Massachusetts Manufacturing Accelerate Program

• $9.3 million for broadband middle mile supports

• $8 million for the Smart Growth Housing Trust Fund

Recognizing the societal shifts that have taken place during the pandemic, the bill also addresses several pandemic-era related measures, including:

• Permanently allowing public corporations and nonprofits to hold meetings by means of remote communication

• Permanently allowing notaries public to conduct remote online notarization using communication technology

• Extending the ability of graduates and students in their last semester of nursing education programs to practice nursing in accordance with guidance from the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing

• Extending the ability of municipalities to allow outdoor dining services

• Extending the ability of public bodies to allow remote participation by members in public meetings

• Extending flexibilities given to cities and towns that allow for town meetings to be held in hybrid or fully remote capacities and that ease the threshold for a quorum

• Extending the ability of nurses employed by assisted living residences to provide skilled nursing care in accordance with valid medical orders, provided the nurse holds a valid license to provide such care

Senator Liz Miranda (D-Boston) and Senator Robyn K. Kennedy (D-Worcester) both gave their inaugural Senate speeches during consideration of the supplemental budget. Senator Miranda spoke on behalf of her amendment for $2 million to support the NAACP’s 114th national conference, which will be taking place in Massachusetts in 2023. The amendment was subsequently unanimously adopted. Senator Kennedy highlighted how the supplemental budget’s $68 million investment in C3 early education grants will provide crucial stability to the early education sector.

As a previous version of this legislation has passed the House of Representatives, the two branches will now reconcile the differences between the bills.

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Senator Sal DiDomenico hosted students and staff from the Devens School at the State House recently. The Senator showed them his office, the Senate chamber, the State House balcony, and then the group went on a tour of the entire State House. “It is always such a pleasure to host young people from my hometown who are interested in government and learning more about Massachusetts history,” said State Senator Sal DiDomenico. "I had a great time showing them the Senate and talking about how what we do at the State House affects the city of Everett and our schools."

DiDomenico filed legislation to provide basic benefits to legally present immigrants

CHELSEA – Last week, Senator Sal DiDomenico joined La Colaborativa, The Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, and Representative Judith Garcia to launch the Feeding Our Neighbors campaign. The campaign’s purpose is twofold: to raise awareness to the plight of the immigrant community who lack access to basic needs and benefits, and to highlight the need for both legislation (which Senator DiDomenico filed alongside Rep. Garcia and Rep. Cabral) and funding to restore basic food and cash assistance benefits for legally present immigrants.

This legislation would enable the Commonwealth to provide legally present immigrants, who are ineligible for federal programs, with access to both state-funded supplemental food (SNAP) and, for families with minor children, cash assistance benefits.

“I am proud of the legislation we filed, and it will be a top priority of mine this session,” said State Senator Sal DiDomenico. “This bill will help set a higher standard in Massachusetts, and for the entire country, when it comes to supporting and respecting immigrants living in our neighborhoods. I am looking forward to working with my colleagues and community leaders to advance this legislation.”

The campaign launch event was held at La Colaborativa’s Food Pantry at 63 Sixth Street in Chelsea. La Colaborativa distributes emergency food to roughly 5,000 families each week from Chelsea and surrounding communities.

"Our organization has been at the forefront of the challenges our families face pre- and post-pandemic. At the top of the list of needs is food insecurity, which comes to no surprise as most of our community members serve our state as essential workers and were drastically impacted economically," said Gladys Vega, Executive Director of La Colaborativa. "We see hundreds of families form our food lines for hours on a weekly basis and it's only getting worse."

Over 25 years ago, the 1996 Welfare Reform Law slashed core food and cash assistance benefits to thousands of legally present immigrants across the nation -- including victims of violence, “Dreamers,” immigrants with pending asylum, and immigrants with Temporary Protected Status. The bulk of immigrants are working low-wage jobs, but are unable to meet their basic food needs for their families. In 1997, the Massachusetts Legislature authorized basic cash and food assistance for needy immigrants, but the benefits ended in 2002. Six states in the nation currently provide state-funded benefits to eligible immigrants, including California, Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota and Washington State.

The Feeding Our Neighbors campaign comes at a critical time. During the summer of 2022, more than 2,000 individuals arrived in Massachusetts, double the number who arrived a year earlier. That trend is expected to continue as numerous global economic challenges and political conflicts force more people to flee their home countries. The legislation will provide a framework for critical basic needs to help these individuals acclimate to their new surroundings and provide supplemental nutrition benefits to their low-wage earnings as well as help other immigrant families who are continuing to struggle economically since the onset of Covid.

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