The FY25 $58 billion State Budget was released by the Chairs of Conference Committee on July 18, 2024. The Arc is grateful to Governor Maura Healey, Senate President Karen Spilka, Speaker Ronald Mariano, Chairman Michael Rodrigues, Chairman Aaron Michlewitz, and the entire legislature for their historic investments in the human services workforce. There is also significant funding for DDS line items and programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism and their families.
The legislature did add some funding and policy language that was NOT in the Governor’s budget. Your email to her can help ensure that these changes will NOT be vetoed by her.
We specifically included the restoration of PCA cuts and establishment of a PCA workgroup as noted here:
Personal Care Attendant (PCA) cuts were halted. Along with partner organizations, The Arc advocated successfully to reverse proposed eligibility and other cuts to the PCA program. The legislature acted and turned around these PCA cuts with language that requires eligibility to remain the same as this past year (2024). There is also language to convene a working group of key community and government stakeholders, including The Arc of Massachusetts, to review the scope of services and eligibility thresholds of the personal care attendant program. This language will also affect and delay the implementation of the Independent Assessment Entity(IAE) since assessments for the PCA program are included in the IAE. The workgroup report is not due to the legislature until March 2025.
