Senator Sal DiDomenico

Press Releases

Press releases and opinion editorials from the Office of Senator Sal DiDomenico.

State Budget Permanently Funds DiDomenico’s Universal School Meals Priority

Program will provide free breakfast and lunch to all Massachusetts K-12 students 

BOSTON – This week, Senator Sal DiDomenico approved the Fiscal Year 2024 State Budget alongside his legislative colleagues, which included permanent funding for universal school meals, one of his top priorities. This program will provide free breakfast and lunch to students at every K-12 school in Massachusetts. Senator DiDomenico has advocated and filed legislation in support of this program for several sessions alongside his colleague, Representative Andy Vargas, and anti-hunger organizations led by Project Bread.

“This program demonstrates the best of our state’s ideals, using funding to guarantee every Massachusetts student will access food at school,” said Senator DiDomenico, Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “We have heard time and again from educators, advocates, and parents, that children cannot learn when they are hungry, so this program will ensure all our children can concentrate in class and enjoy being a kid. I want to thank Senate President Spilka, Chair Rodrigues, and all my colleagues for their work to get this transformative program funded.”

Schools across the state have been providing universal school meals throughout the pandemic because costs for this program were temporarily footed by the federal government. In 2022, federal support for the program was cut off, but Senator DiDomenico worked with his colleagues to secure enough funding in last year’s state budget to continue funding free school meals throughout the Commonwealth for the 2022-2023 school year. Thanks to this year’s budget, this program will be funded permanently so every K-12 school in Massachusetts will continue providing free breakfast and lunch to all students.

This program has been a massive success in Massachusetts over the past few school years. Over 80,000 more students were eating lunch daily when costs were lifted, which allowed them to focus on class and relieved a financial burden from their parents. This is a crucial program especially as costs for housing, transportation, healthcare, and more have risen. Universal school meals will continue to improve the well-being of our children and working families throughout the Commonwealth for years to come.

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Sal DiDomenico
DiDomenico Advocates for Providing More Support to Students with Diabetes

Senator DiDomenico testified at an Education Committee hearing in support of his bill, S.262, which would help children with diabetes management in school. DiDomenico explained to his committee colleagues, “I know how hard and time-consuming it is to manage diabetes for many of our students. We are in a time right now where we are reimagining schools and how we can best support our families. This bill will allow countless students to remain in their classrooms and receive the education and school experience they deserve.”

The bill, An Act providing for diabetes management in schools, would allow a school nurse or school physician to designate other school staff to give a glucose monitoring test or insulin in the case a student is unable to self-administer the test or give themselves insulin.

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Sal DiDomenico
Senator DiDomenico Fights for Early Education Alongside Advocates at State House Rally

Senator Sal DiDomenico joined his colleagues, as well as early education and care advocates for a State House rally in support of the Common Start bill. “From my first day in the Senate I have been pushing for expanded access to early education and increasing staff salaries to ensure the educators can earn a good living,” said Senator DiDomenico. “This critical legislation will ensure every child and family in Massachusetts can access affordable, high-quality, early education and childcare and deliver significantly better pay and benefits for early educators. We must pass this bill and keep our state a livable and welcoming home for families of all incomes.”

The Common Start bills in the Senate and the House, respectively, are S.301 and H.489, An act providing affordable and accessible high-quality early education and care to promote child development and well-being and support the economy.

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Sal DiDomenico