State LGBTQ Youth Commission urges $1.6M baseline to expand Safe Schools assistance, research and youth leadership

Chappalay Brooks, executive director of the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth, urged the Joint Committee on Ways and Means to approve a $1.6 million baseline appropriation for FY26 to support the commission’s Safe Schools program, technical assistance, youth leadership development and expanded research.

Commission role and recent activity Brooks described the commission as an independent state agency that the legislature codified in 2006 (after the commission was formed in 1992) and said it remains the only state agency of its kind in the nation. The commission advises multiple agencies, manages the Safe Schools grant program in partnership with DESE (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education), and issues an annual recommendations report. Brooks said the commission works with more than 200 public schools and 20+ state agencies and regularly conducts trainings and public outreach.

Why funding is needed now Brooks said requests for the Safe Schools program’s technical assistance have risen sharply after recent national and regional anti‑LGBTQ rhetoric and executive orders. She said the program has experienced roughly a 25% increase in technical assistance requests in the ten weeks after the administration took office, and that the commission operates with a staff of six and relies on consultants. Brooks asked the committee to restore and formalize funding that had previously been provided on a supplemental basis: the FY26 proposal would raise the commission’s baseline from $1.1 million to $1.6 million.

Planned uses of added funding Brooks said additional funds would be used to: expand consulting capacity for research and training; scale a caregiver‑engagement curriculum that is being piloted for schools and that the commission plans to adapt for agencies such as DCF, DYS, DMH and DDS; bolster the GSA Student Leadership Council to train and empower student leaders; and expand data collection and reporting for the Safe Schools grant program and the commission’s annual recommendations.

Commission priorities in context Brooks emphasized the commission’s focus on intersectional needs — trans and nonbinary youth, youth of color, immigrant youth, youth with disabilities — and said the commission’s work addresses high risks such as bullying, family disruption and suicide. She told legislators the commission aims to produce a special report on transition‑age youth and research on LGBTQ immigrant youth and families in FY26.

Legislative ask Brooks asked the committee to approve the $1.6 million baseline in the governor’s budget to ensure the commission can meet the current spike in demand and to sustain programs that support LGBTQ youth in schools and communities.