Federal Budget Reconciliation Grief & Action; New MA Eviction Sealing Law; Upcoming Social Security Training

Where We Go From Here - Turning Grief into Action

On July 4th, President Trump signed the bill passed by Republicans in Congress cutting the largest amount from food assistance and health care in history, all to fund tax breaks for the wealthy and well-connected. We share your grief and distress, and are deeply grateful for all of your advocacy opposing this bill. See MLRI’s statement on the bill’s cuts to SNAP and Medicaid (MassHealth) here - including a call to Governor Healey and our legislature: Massachusetts must now marshall its resources to mitigate harm and protect its residents from the unconscionable impacts of this Reconciliation Bill.

To channel a quote from one of our national partners, “working with you all has been a blessing amidst this dispiriting process. Countering misinformation, outright lies and bigotry with truth, speaking truth to power even when power ignores and dismisses you and fighting for your community when their elected officials refuse to -- your dedication, persistence and compassion inspires us each day.” As we look ahead, it is critical we a) work to reduce and document the harm of cuts, b) ensure our neighbors, communities, and elected officials understand the impact of the horrific federal cuts and how we got here, and c) set the groundwork for reversing these cuts in the future.

At our Coalition meeting on July 22 at 10 AM (Zoom link here) we will discuss what we know now and what you can do here in MA. In addition, we want to flag this July 2nd Boston Globe article which highlighted the significant impact of the federal cuts, as well as the risk to the state of underfunding the DTA case worker line item at a time when DTA will need even more staff to mitigate the bill's harms (see more on FY26 State Budget below).

Implementation? A number of the SNAP cuts including the expansion of the 3-month time limit and elimination of SNAP for many legally present non-citizens who fled persecution are technically “effective upon passage.” However, USDA needs to issue guidance and DTA will need to train workers and take steps to screen households before implementing the changes. So, no SNAP cuts have gone into effect yet - join us at Coalition on July 22 for updates. Other changes go into effect in 2026 or later. See MLRI analysis for a breakdown for each provision that impacts SNAP.

FY26 State Budget

While Rome was burning in DC, Governor Healey signed the FY26 State Budget on July 4th. It is worth noting that the MA Legislature and Governor moved the state budget faster than “normal” in recent years, in part, anticipating significant changes in federal revenues and policies in the upcoming fiscal year. Some quick highlights:

• TAFDC and EAEDC cash assistance grants are fully funded, and preserve the 10% grant increase that went into effect April 1st; TAFDC benefits for pregnant people start with the onset of pregnancy (vs. the last trimester); and the TAFDC September clothing allowance is funded at $500.
• The DTA case worker line item was, unexpectedly, underfunded by almost $42M despite Gov Healey and the Senate seeking $143M for that line item. However, in an FY26 Supp Budget, H.4251, filed by Governor Healey on Friday, the Governor is seeking $100M - in part to authorize funding to DTA to ensure caseworkers are not laid off.
• HIP is funded at $20.1M, less than the $25M that was hoped for. Note-effective July 1st, HIP benefits increased to $40/mo for all households (but not the higher HIP rates for larger households).
• The Hunger Free Campus Initiative is funded at $500K, same as FY25.
• Universal free school meals, funded through the Fair Share Amendment, is thankfully funded at $180M for the upcoming school year.

The FY26 budget does not include any funds to replace stolen SNAP. Efforts continue on this front - the legislature is moving towards finalizing a FY25 supplemental budget that includes funds for DTA to implement chip EBT cards. MLRI and partners are urging legislative leaders to also include replacement funds in the final FY25 supplemental budget. Please share this letter with your state representatives and ask them to raise this ask with leadership!

Eviction Record Sealing Law - HUGE Victory for Low Income Households

Effective May 5, 2025, thanks to the amazing Annette Duke of MLRI’s Housing team and State Senator Lydia Edwards - for the first time ever - Massachusetts tenants have the right to “seal” certain types of eviction records. “Seal” means that the court record will no longer be publicly available. For decades eviction records have been unfairly used against tenants when they are looking for a next place to live.

Now, tenants who are eligible can file a court petition to seal their record online (they don't physically have to go to court). Over 1,000 petitions have been filed within two months, but many tenants still don’t know about the law. Help us spread the word! Use these flyers in multiple languages. For more information, go to SealMyEviction.org.

Employment and Benefits Training for Social Security/SSI Recipients July 17th

Our colleagues at the Disability Law Center (DLC) are offering this free training Thursday, July 17th from 10 am – 2 pm at the Worcester Public Library. The training will be in English with Spanish language interpreters, CART and ASL interpreters. In this training, you will learn from DLC attorneys about reasonable accommodations in employment for Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities. You will also learn about the impact of working on your SSI and Social Security benefits. Registration is required. Register HERE.