Today, the Legislature passed the FY18 closeout supplemental budget. The $540.4 million package closes the books on Fiscal Year 2018. It is the product of the House and Senate working together for the benefit of families across the Commonwealth.
This budget ensures we responsibly spend surplus funds, prioritizing long-term stabilization and immediate spending needs. Highlights include $12.4 million to implement our landmark criminal justice reform law, $40 million to repair our roads and bridges, $10 million to help cities and towns update water infrastructure, and $1.5 million to ensure proper administration of our new paid family and medical leave law.
The supplemental budget also allocates $7.5 million to fortify access to mental and behavioral health in public schools. The funding strengthens schools’ ability to provide comprehensive mental and behavioral services to students by allowing the schools to partner with community based health organizations. The result is that children and youth receive a continuum of care both in and out of school.
Understanding that gun violence affects youth in the community outside of school, we set aside $10 million for a neighborhood and community-based gun and violent crime prevention program targeting youth aged 17 to 24. To me, this is important work that recognizes violence as a public health issue and complements the new Office of Health Equity as we seek to improve public health outcomes for communities of color.
To address immediate disasters, we allocate a $10 million reserve for the Merrimack Valley, designed to support everything from public safety to housing stability, as the region continues to recover from the gas fires of September 13, 2018. The dedicated funding stream is meant to provide ongoing support for the three municipalities involved, until Columbia Gas reimburses any funds expended in this area. We also reserve $5 million to help families and individuals displaced by Hurricanes Maria and Irma in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
We limited recurring spending amounts that would create fiscal challenges in FY20, opting instead to put more money into the Rainy Day Fund. Notably, the budget directs $240 million into the Stabilization Fund, bringing the total above $2 billion, a key benchmark as the state bolsters its financial resiliency. It also directs extra appropriations into the Commonwealth’s OPEB Fund, which provides benefits for retired state and municipal workers.
Combined with the fiscally-responsible deposit into the stabilization fund, this supplemental budget improves both the fiscal health of our state finances and the physical health of our residents. As Massachusetts’ economy continues to grow, we are committed to planning for the future and ensuring that workers and families receive the support they need to thrive. Having been passed by the House and Senate, the FY18 closeout supplemental budget now goes to Governor Baker for his signature, after which the Comptroller will close the books on Fiscal Year 2018.
