News Gov. Baker opens budget season with $42.7B plan for FY ’20

Governor Charlie Baker presented his fifth state budget on Jan. 23, a $42.7 billion budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2020 that includes a mixed bag of increases, cuts and level funding for human services line items. The overall budget represents a 1.5 percent increase over FY ‘19.

The full H1 budget bill is posted online here. You can also view the EOHHS section of the budget at this link and the EOHHS PowerPoint of Sec. Marylou Sudders’ budget breakdown here.

In his budget message, Gov. Baker touted education reform and spending as well as an investment of $266 million in funding across several state agencies for substance misuse and treatment services.

Other proposed of note include:

  • A 12 percent increase for Early Education and Care line item 3000-1020 Quality Improvement to $39.1 million, and a 10.5 percent increase in EEC 3000-3060 Supportive and TANF Childcare;
  • An increase for DCF Family Resource Centers to $15 million, up from $12.3 projected for FY ’19;
  • Continued investment in the Department of Developmental Disabilities Turning 22 program, including $25 million for individuals turning 22 in FY’20 and a 67.3 million increase to fund services for individuals aging out of Turning 22;
  • An allocation of 64.3 million for delivering the Adult Community Clinical Services (ACCS) model through the Department of Mental Health;
  • Level funding for most housing programs, with the exception of a cut to HomeBASE (line item 7004-0108) and an increase for shelter (7004-0101);
  • A 50 percent cut to the allocation for Re-Entry Programs (0339-1011), from $5 million to $2.5 million. Service providers will be seeking an increase in funding for re-entry programs to $7 million;
  • Department of Youth Services line item 4200-0200 Residential Services for Detained Populations at $28.2 million (5.6 percent decrease) as EOHHS projects a 17 percent decline in youths served; and
  • A 6.4 percent cut to Employment Services Programs (Department of Transitional Assistance line item 4401-1000), with an allocation of $13.7 million. The line items also leaves out language to specifically fund Competitive Integrated Employment Services (CIES) programs.

The Governor’s budget plan is the first step in the annual budget process. The House Ways and Means Committee budget is due in mid-April, follow by Senate Ways and Means in May. FY ’20 begins July 1, 2019.

To download our preliminary budget analysis — a partial list of line items we have historically tracked, their FY ’19 projected spending levels and the Governor’s FY ’20 House 1 recommendation — you can click here. If you have questions about the budget or a particular line item, please contact Bill Yelenak by email at bill@providers.org or call 617.428.3637 x122.

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