[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6083067,"mediaKeyId","2935406-972f9a754c3cbf0ffdd3d06bf4b5b432","parentId",2935406,"title","Deaf and hard-of-hearing advocates ask for $2M to modernize statewide interpreter and CART referrals, expand housing and training","audioSeconds",587,"startMs",8867000,"endMs",9454000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2935406-972f9a754c3cbf0ffdd3d06bf4b5b432&start=8867&end=9454","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2935406-972f9a754c3cbf0ffdd3d06bf4b5b432/thumbnail_8867000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6083067/Massachusetts/Deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-advocates-ask-for-2M-to-modernize-statewide-interpreter-and-CART-referrals-expand-housing-and-training","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6083067-6db9863478cd7fe011c3998e904103a0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770443067&Signature=ZR0jeSmvSwsRmtj-ty0ykGiYxd1OAAk4xZT8I5Gs3B3liTdafk7kDE-~K9yDz-ZqM~HSIqPMTOB5FyWAyXUbiqIStOnKGTCt~P-YrY5YXorC9182IJHrHpVVj0X7eR5dg6NOGE~xIl-B6LczaBWnuoFYda6POJvxZ97~jt9WLdPL0IQjuN3SmkeOWhipaZoGv69fhO0ns9Go~CyG8dstqTen19PXrTE~JuxekbOw-ja5ccuVSH-VuSToSXXE2H1fA~JjJfRnDLZeg1mIbHB065IrZIg4IpAC3BEPp0hS8jXhOo~caSgcLiRjMJPGXzL1zDwUgwsJNmyU-qpCWmdeTQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Massachusetts Legislature","date","2025-04-08T00:00:00Z","article","Representatives of the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community urged the Ways and Means committee to add funds for interpreter referral systems, Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) capacity, and housing for deaf seniors.

\"The Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing has been level-funded for the past couple of years while other agencies received increases,\" said Nini Silva of the Disability Policy Consortium. \"Their referral computer system is out of date and they need $2,000,000 to update it so requests are filled in a timely, high-quality manner.\"

Speakers described long waits for CART services, a shortage of qualified interpreters and a seven-year waiting list for the New England Home for the Deaf. Advocates noted demographic pressures as the population ages and said failing to expand services will increase isolation, cognitive decline and emergency-care needs.

Why this matters: Access to qualified interpreters and realtime captioning is a civil-rights and health-equity issue that affects people in hospitals, courts, schools and workplaces. Advocates framed the requested investment as a measure that protects access and reduces downstream costs by enabling fully accessible services.

Ending: Witnesses asked the committee to include a $2,000,000 modernization allocation in FY26 for the Commission's referral platform and to increase support for housing and interpreter-training opportunities.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Committee On Ways And Means - 4-8-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Advocates and service providers told the Ways and Means committee the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is underfunded, its referral system is outdated and statewide capacity for CART and housing for deaf elders is inadequate. They requested $2 million to modernize referrals and additional funding for residential capacity.","taxTitle","Joint Committee on Ways and Means, Joint, Legislative, Massachusetts","taxId",23922,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6083072,"Farmers, food banks and advocates ask state to restore Healthy Incentives and bolster emergency food funding",7160,10800000,17960000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2935406-972f9a754c3cbf0ffdd3d06bf4b5b432&start=10800&end=17960","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2935406-972f9a754c3cbf0ffdd3d06bf4b5b432/thumbnail_10800000.jpg","/articles/6083072/Massachusetts/Farmers-food-banks-and-advocates-ask-state-to-restore-Healthy-Incentives-and-bolster-emergency-food-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6083072-17e1a492fecb8e5a7b18e3ce6088abd8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770443067&Signature=asb4I0BxuqJoy~RvReeJaeHdAuAIz32xR1mro99Evgsd4ocSlo1HY08k72GkE64v28MWTyXHze-5PYd-84LYPzOVVDuXYxUZfEemDKt3QSr7VzgMLopEWXEFhCl3-yqJycequenM13kP2fTWPLxRvsV~MOFt3zWONkBK0RYZfO70O2tFvFk~ox7tCxW9vO1VY1~FdvCctwOVpRhrYR3Il9zcNwnaIt5OY-9j9YS8TAyP9rQzCmFRaBNqhdkl9sUNLiguEP2fO4N4zYPVNM26THo1sDgweGSP123I3nge20pyTzVKL23B-GTC9E89OKafDCGykdHgPZBs8rhAmWKAhA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Farmers, food-bank leaders and statewide food-security advocates told the Joint Committee on Ways and Means that recent cuts and looming federal reductions in nutrition support are jeopardizing the supply chain that feeds hundreds of thousands of residents in Massachusetts.

\"From 2020 to 2023, food pantry use rose 80% across the state,\" said Kate Adams of the Greater Boston Food Bank, which called for a $55.5 million appropriation for the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program (NEFAP). \"NEFAP ensures residents, regardless of immigration status, can access nutritious food.\"

Speakers also focused on the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP), the farmers-market matching program that triples the buying power of SNAP recipients at participating markets. Several vendors reported week-to-week declines of 25'60% in SNAP/HIP sales after the program's monthly caps were cut in December. \"We are down over $27,000 in SNAP transactions compared with last year,\" said one Franklin County vendor, who warned of layoffs and farm-business losses.

Farmers argued HIP drives local economic activity, supports regional food systems and increases access to produce in neighborhoods that lack grocery options. Food-bank leaders warned federal cuts to food support programs would shift demand onto state-funded channels.

Why this matters: HIP and NEFAP support both nutrition and local agriculture; reductions in either can reduce access to healthy food at the same time they put small producers at financial risk. Witnesses said modest state increases can have outsized effects by preserving purchasing power and local market demand.

Ending: Witnesses asked the committee to restore HIP caps to pre-December levels and to include $55.5 million for NEFAP in FY26. Farmers and food banks also urged longer-term strategies to protect farmers and ensure state-federal coordination for nutrition programs.","Farmers, food banks and hunger advocates told the Ways and Means committee that cuts to the Healthy Incentives Program and federal food assistance threaten local producers and the network of food pantries. They urged FY26 increases to HIP and the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6083077,"Municipal leaders and advocates urge Ways and Means to fund MRVP, HomeBASE and RAFT to avert more homelessness",0,5067000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2935406-972f9a754c3cbf0ffdd3d06bf4b5b432&start=5067&end=5067","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2935406-972f9a754c3cbf0ffdd3d06bf4b5b432/thumbnail_5067000.jpg","/articles/6083077/Massachusetts/Municipal-leaders-and-advocates-urge-Ways-and-Means-to-fund-MRVP-HomeBASE-and-RAFT-to-avert-more-homelessness","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6083077-a15d0653fe8e4fe39e21e3d25b717a99/orig.mp4?Expires=1770443067&Signature=QisInssTlDrNEN-5kL0pD5J7CemwNxk~3Z05WR6hUUx5KBeJie60V0i8c-65q2CXyOHyIs9wpKcLrGIU4VOH3PjxoncS2AcCIU928KP5BwnfPxJCdtOwBkgJO~WkzOPK3obxy~B~hacGzKZrJC52anAtE8SQJBLsJ609CVuH75CMMWIragcN8p5aebj11JAgzTmQ85l8uocxICZK4jvHZPaUiX31D-yZdgtU6v2p8qDTX2Ekoh-AULuuVerV6Vyxgd0BCs4edWiwdxuhFa5EZNm3H6M399qu5s8A~PhnL9MiVZ8FIWw0020lGXjP~Yi4N3j4i2KSc4-xYDdhLtGsrg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Municipal leaders, homelessness advocates and tenants told the Ways and Means committee that the FY26 budget should prioritize rental-voucher funding and prevention programs to avert a surge in family homelessness.

\"Our school budgets are not the only pressures municipalities feel,\" said Bill Murphy, Framingham public-health director. \"Without state investments in RAP, MRVP, and HomeBASE, our local systems will be overwhelmed.\"

Speakers asked the committee to increase the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) allocation by $47 million (an estimate supporters say would add roughly 2,300 vouchers), and to fund a year-two statewide expansion of a pilot \"bridge subsidy\" that helps older adults remain housed while they await permanent vouchers. Advocates also called for larger HomeBASE and RAFT appropriations and for the removal of new caps and time limits imposed on emergency-assistance family shelter that, they said, are forcing some families to sleep outside while they wait for paperwork and housing search help.

\"We could ask for another override this year, but people are already stretched too thin. We need more local aid from the state,\" Lunenburg Select Board chair Cesar Nuzzolo told the committee. Several towns and multi-town regional districts reported that local overrides and higher property levies are being used simply to cover school costs, leaving less for municipal safety-net services.

Why this matters: Advocates argued state investment in prevention and vouchers is cheaper and more effective than paying for repeated emergency care, hospitalizations, or court costs after eviction. They also flagged operational problems such as lengthy Section 8 wait lists and uneven access to shelter intake, which have exacerbated the crisis.

Ending: Witnesses urged the committee to include increases to MRVP, HomeBASE, RAFT and other prevention tools in FY26 and to consider non-budget steps such as enactment of a statewide bridge-subsidy program and stronger enforcement of fair-housing law.","City and town officials, housing advocates and tenants appealed to the committee to increase state investments in rental vouchers, eviction-prevention programs and bridge subsidies for older adults, warning that new caps in the emergency shelter system have left families exposed.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6083082,"Parents and providers urge Ways and Means to halt DMH cuts, warn closure of Pappas and Pacasset would worsen crisis",2554,12591000,15145000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2935406-972f9a754c3cbf0ffdd3d06bf4b5b432&start=12591&end=15145","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2935406-972f9a754c3cbf0ffdd3d06bf4b5b432/thumbnail_12591000.jpg","/articles/6083082/Massachusetts/Parents-and-providers-urge-Ways-and-Means-to-halt-DMH-cuts-warn-closure-of-Pappas-and-Pacasset-would-worsen-crisis","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6083082-78a4cb8f747029839168e8e58a879dd7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770443067&Signature=i0CVNiThoHqxMwKmOPx4zQgTDzhoR1nCc6EnJTWmRKZ94pmgnyWeAIHpIG0M579nQAnroR5qGJd1GA0fq4ZIIuCMXRkhsqHBNwkk-rOzdFjTMLqfc3P~tBnpEGGvetSk5ovI4ylzbfBaRkzYVyO4SxqWg-xqXNyOmIVE4CgVusvqmduI3BmbG4dohY9z8HytKnJKBlJArZtv6G2HQrcdMHI4LULGplcF~2YoI2OaCinzqp5LC3qjpCHaWqA3eRG46QQ0npzrxvQMCPZ4g8HQBvoWQKmHPpfLBbltnXmN~rrqaJTNOOmf6ZTlHzZypKnskB9MOO0-S3Vl0zFUfk9LgQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Parents, clinicians and unions told the Joint Committee on Ways and Means that proposed fiscal changes to the Department of Mental Health would deepen a behavioral-health crisis that already leaves children and adults waiting in emergency rooms for care.

\"Pappas is like the human body: nurses are the heart, teachers are the brain,\" said Louis Bellows, a Pappas resident. \"Without Pappas, I wouldn't be who I am today.\"

Several witnesses described rapid and accelerating discharges and the uncertainty surrounding a February plan to close or restructure Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children in Canton and to pause operations at Pacasset Mental Health Center on Cape Cod. Clinicians and family members said alternatives proposed by the administration ' moving children into other hospitals or out-of-area placements ' would not replicate the intensive medical, educational and therapeutic wraparound Pappas provides.

\"Families can find comfort in knowing their children are safely supported by individuals who treat them as their own,\" a Pappas staffer said. \"Closing Pappas will cut available specialty beds and force families to travel hours for care — or receive none at all.\"

Unions and case managers warned separately that the governor's FY26 draft budget includes deep reductions to DMH's community-based case management workforce. Case managers described caseloads of roughly 20'40 clients and said halving the staff who maintain long-term relationships with people with serious mental illness would create severe service gaps and more costly downstream consequences such as hospitalization, incarceration and homelessness.

\"A 50% reduction in case management will create wait lists for services that are already short-staffed,\" said a DMH case manager. \"You can't replace trusted relationships with a revolving door of unfamiliar faces.\"

Hospital leaders and pediatric psychiatrists told the committee that specialized residential and intensive programs ' often the only safe alternative to prolonged emergency-room boarding ' are either fully subscribed or underused because referral workflows and capacity constraints prevent placements. Providers asked legislators to ensure DMH retains inpatient and intensive residential options for children, to restore FY25 funding levels and to require clear statewide referral timelines so hospitals can move patients to appropriate care.

Why this matters: Testimony emphasized human consequences and likely fiscal tradeoffs: removing inpatient or specialized residential capacity and shrinking community case management may reduce near-term line items but is likely to increase emergency and incarceration spending and reduce long-term recovery prospects for vulnerable children and adults.

Ending: Witnesses urged the Ways and Means committee to protect funding for DMH children'and adult services, pause any closures that lack clear transition plans, and require a workgroup that includes clinicians, family members and front-line staff to review alternatives before any final decisions.","County mental-health providers, parents and hospital staff told the Ways and Means committee that proposed cuts to Department of Mental Health services and plans to close or repurpose Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children and Pacasset Mental Health Center would displace patients, increase emergency-room boarding and raise long-term costs.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6083087,"Students, educators warn Ways and Means: chapter 70 and local aid shortfalls forcing staff, program cuts",147,1247000,1394000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2935406-972f9a754c3cbf0ffdd3d06bf4b5b432&start=1247&end=1394","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2935406-972f9a754c3cbf0ffdd3d06bf4b5b432/thumbnail_1247000.jpg","/articles/6083087/Massachusetts/Students-educators-warn-Ways-and-Means-chapter-70-and-local-aid-shortfalls-forcing-staff-program-cuts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6083087-b5321dc8f23b158ac01ff16c9b41c3b3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770443067&Signature=bbjwdwQa8phYuHaO7MrTow9MbMEBLDBxKEXfzpYbDRhmcpJlprtuUNLU3LzpqAyyrIaicVaEWxbib4RbqrYrec~FbQMcFNWY8VcIIRo6yxmPZYZ1y9vulesp146Hjqrd4KktWTUEuPYw~-UP53e6WJIaKj03n1WoeA6fWTzo~U7OGaQV87Keke8ewUiUOAVMvbT2z4SnwpTJ6pUWncMrhb-umDiRj6CYjlFYEcOohwRJcsehhIqlLZHwkYyBCdbHXi-oFfCeWn5CpszEU-KEVCyq7LqouaBzW0XWRVudrhZU-BcR1s4e5JmLFkvd7TKaZCQjaoECDnt2-v~9nItUUQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hundreds of students, educators and local officials told the Joint Committee on Ways and Means on April 1 that Massachusetts' current K'12 funding formulas are driving cuts across the Commonwealth and risking class-size increases, program eliminations and, in some districts, further layoffs.

\"Electives are a cornerstone of opportunity at every school,\" said Yatharath Rajakumar, a 16-year-old student who testified for Amherst Regional High School students. \"Cutting electives may seem right, but each class allows students to express creativity and have fun.\"

Parents, students and superintendents from Western and Central Massachusetts described similar scenes: districts that passed recent overrides but still face multi-million-dollar deficits; regional districts that say they are held harmless by the state formula yet still cannot meet level services; and rural districts that contend it costs substantially more per pupil to operate a small or regional school.

\"Chapter 70 has left countless school districts across Massachusetts behind,\" said Owen Daggett, a Northampton High School student. \"It would be a complete disaster for this motion to be overlooked and deny thousands of students across Massachusetts the education that they deserve.\"

Municipal leaders and school committee members gave a local budget view: Lunenburg, a nonregional district, reported a $2 million shortfall that equates to 9.5% of permanent staff; Groton'Dunstable and other regionals described repeated losses of positions and the prospect of further cuts if the state does not change the growth formula or augment targeted aids such as the special-education circuit breaker and transportation reimbursement.

Rep. Mindy Domb's colleagues and local senators repeatedly urged the committee to \"crack open\" chapter 70 so funding keeps pace with real costs and inflation. Students and educators highlighted immediate priorities: fully fund the circuit-breaker program for special education, reexamine Chapter 70's inflation adjustment, increase minimum aid and establish a multi-year schedule to fully reimburse in-district transportation costs.

Superintendents said their budgets are squeezed by health-care and collective-bargaining cost growth, rising special-education placements and long bus routes that do not qualify for additional state aid. \"We cannot provide adequate education with this financial strain,\" said one regional official.

Why this matters: Districts that cannot stabilize staffing and core supports risk losing programs that affect students' daily learning, such as reading specialists, school counselors, music and arts, and career programs. Several advocates warned that deferred action will push more districts toward repeated overrides, deep service cuts and long-term declines in access and outcomes.

Committee members noted the size and scope of the problem and repeatedly asked for concrete proposals. Speakers urged immediate supplemental steps for FY26 while recommending a broader statutory review of chapter 70 ahead of the next budget cycle.

End note: Testimony at the hearing included students from Amherst and Northampton, district superintendents and municipal leaders. Several witnesses asked legislators to fund proposals circulated by education associations and municipal coalitions; they also asked the committee to reconvene the K'12 funding review process to deliver a multi-year solution.","Dozens of students, teachers and municipal leaders told the Joint Committee on Ways and Means that the state's school funding formulas leave many districts unable to maintain staff and programs. Speakers pressed for fixes to chapter 70, full reimbursement for transportation and a higher minimum per-pupil grant.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Deaf and hard-of-hearing advocates ask for $2M to modernize statewide interpreter and CART referrals, expand housing and training

Farmers, food banks and advocates ask state to restore Healthy Incentives and bolster emergency food funding

Municipal leaders and advocates urge Ways and Means to fund MRVP, HomeBASE and RAFT to avert more homelessness

Parents and providers urge Ways and Means to halt DMH cuts, warn closure of Pappas and Pacasset would worsen crisis

Students, educators warn Ways and Means: chapter 70 and local aid shortfalls forcing staff, program cuts