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The following was submitted by the Office of Rep. Michael Day:
Rep. Michael S. Day worked with his colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives to pass its Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) budget on April 29, 2026.
Funded at $63.41 billion, the House’s FY27 budget responds to the needs of residents by providing strong support for the Commonwealth’s cities and towns, including significant funding for education, transportation, health care, housing and workforce development.
Day also successfully amended the initial House budget to secure direct, targeted investments for the Town of Winchester.
“In the face of instability and inaction from Washington, Massachusetts continues to make critical investments in our communities and programs that make our state the healthiest, most educated and safest place to live,” said Day. “I am proud of the values this budget contains and appreciate the support of my colleagues in supporting my work to bring significant financial resources directly to Winchester.”
“As a result of the Trump Administration’s sweeping federal funding cuts and reckless trade war, as well as two proposed ballot questions that seek to cut the Commonwealth’s revenues by more than $5 billion annually, this budget has come during a period of significant economic uncertainty. That’s why I’m incredibly proud of the investments that this budget makes despite those challenges, from funding for free school meals and for the final year of the Student Act, to robust support for the MBTA, to nearly $10 billion for cities and towns across the Commonwealth,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano, D-Quincy.
Under the House budget, Winchester will receive a record $12.1 million in education funding, a $2.3 million increase over the last five years. Winchester will also receive $1.86 million in unrestricted general government aid, an increase of $230,000 over the last five years that will be available to the town to help defray municipal expenses.
Additionally, Day secured direct appropriations of $200,000 for Winchester.
As a result of Day’s budget amendments and advocacy, the House Budget appropriates $150,000 to Winchester for the modernization of first responder and dispatch communication equipment and $50,000 for the implementation of literacy programming in the Winchester Public School system.
“I am proud to have secured these direct investments for Winchester,” said Day. “From education funding to targeted support for first responder communications and literacy programming, this budget delivers meaningful resources that strengthen our schools, support our first responders and help the town meet its day-to-day needs.”
Local Aid and Education
The FY27 House budget funds statewide Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) at $1.33 billion, and Chapter 70 education funding at $7.65 billion.
With the advocacy of Day, the House budget provides an additional $85 per pupil, increasing the minimum aid to $160 per pupil. The budget also funds the final year of the implementation plan for the Student Opportunity Act (SOA), enacted to ensure that public schools have the necessary resources to provide high-quality education to students, regardless of zip code or income level.
The House budget also includes the following additional education funding initiatives: $805.4 million for the Special Education Circuit Breaker program; $57.1 million for regional school transportation; and $28.7 million for homeless student transportation. The House’s FY27 budget continues to fully fund universal free school meals programming for every public-school student in the Commonwealth, making Massachusetts one of only six states in the country ensuring food security for its students.
Public Health and Mental Health
The House budget funds the Department of Public Health at $1.16 billion and the Department of Mental Health at $1.32 billion for FY27.
Based on the House’s acceptance of Representative Day’s amendment, the budget includes $250,000 for The Nan Project, a program that has been utilized by Winchester Public Schools, designed to combat teen suicide by employing a peer-to-peer model in the classroom itself.
Additional investments include: $184.1 million for the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS); $35 million for HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention; $11.1 million for Gun and Violence Prevention Program; $10.1 million for Community Health Centers; $679.7 million for Adult Mental Health Supports; and $136.7 million for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
Affordable and Accessible Housing
The House budget increases funding for the “Access to Counsel" program for low-income tenants and landlords, a Day initiative that has helped families, landlords and the courts alike.
The FY27 budget also maintains the House’s commitment to protect renters and homeowners across the Commonwealth from eviction and homelessness by investing in the following programs: $258.6 million for the Emergency Assistance (EA) program, providing shelter to families with children and pregnant women; $281.3 million for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP); $210 million for Rental Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program $82.3 million for HomeBase; and $8 million for a new Winter Beds Program.
Early Education and Care
Continuing its longstanding commitment to improving the early education and care (EEC) workforce, the House budget includes $1.86 billion, $157.2 million more than in FY26, to sustain recent rate increases and other historic investments in childcare access and affordability across the Commonwealth.
Other early education and care investments in this budget include: $475 million for Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grants; $598.6 million for childcare for children involved with the Department of Children & Families and the Department of Transitional Assistance; $623.6 million for childcare for low-income families; $20 million for Head Start grants; and $7.5 million for an EEC educator scholarship and loan forgiveness program.
Workforce Development
The House budget funds the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development at $112.8 million and invests in the following initiatives: $58.4 million for Adult Basic Education Services; $20.4 million for DTA Employment and Training Services; $17.4 million for Summer Jobs for At Risk Youth; and $8.9 million for Career Technical Institutes.
Based on recommendations issued by the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) working group that was established in the FY25 budget, the FY27 House budget establishes a funding process to trigger cost-of-living adjustments for retirees in the State Employees’ and Teachers’ Retirement Systems and provides an opt-in for local retirement systems.
Energy and Environmental Affairs
In the face of continued cuts from the federal government, the House budget appropriates $477.1 million in Energy and Environmental Affairs programs, including: $153.3 million for the Department of Conservation and Recreation; $81.1 million for the Department of Environmental Protection; $71.4 million for the Department of Agricultural Resources; $63.4 million for the Clean Water Trust; and $10 million transfer to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.
Criminal Justice
With the leadership from Representative Day in his role as Chair of the Committee on the Judiciary, the House budget proposes to make the following investments to further cut crime and make the Commonwealth safer for all residents: $33.7 million for the Office of Community Corrections; $16.1 million for Community-Based Reentry Services; $6.9 million for Emerging Adults Pre-and-Post Release Reentry Grants; $52 million for Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corp. to provide legal services to the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable populations and $7 million for the Immigration Legal Assistance Fund for non-violent offenders.
The budget passed the House of Representatives 149-9 on Wednesday, April 29 after consideration and debate of more than 1,700 suggested amendments. It now moves to the Senate for consideration.
