House Insists on Amendments to FY2025 Supplemental Budget, Appoints Conference Committee

The Massachusetts House of Representatives insisted on its amendments to Senate Bill 2540, a supplemental appropriation for fiscal year 2025 totaling $536,832,564, and appointed a committee of conference after the Senate non‑concurred with the House amendments.

The action matters because the House and Senate must resolve differences before the supplemental appropriations can be finalized; the House adopted a Ways and Means amendment and then moved to insist on its changes, triggering a conference process to negotiate the final language.

The Committee on Ways and Means reported that it recommended passage of the Senate bill with an amendment striking out all after the enacting clause and inserting the text contained in House document 4265, listing a total appropriation of $536,832,564. The House adopted the Ways and Means amendment by voice vote and ordered the bill to a third reading as amended. Later, the House was informed that the Senate had non‑concurred with the House amendment and had appointed a committee of conference.

Representative Michael Woods of Boston moved that the House insist on its amendments; the motion carried by voice vote. A subsequent motion to appoint a committee of conference passed, and the chair announced the appointment of Representatives Mikowitz of Boston, Ferrante of Gloucester and Smola of Warren to the conference committee.

All procedural voice votes were recorded in the transcript as “the ayes have it”; no roll‑call tallies were provided in the floor record excerpt. The House then adopted an order adjourning to meet Wednesday next at 11 a.m.

Next steps: the appointed committee of conference will meet to reconcile differences between the branches; the supplemental appropriation cannot be enacted until both branches resolve their discrepancies and any further procedural steps are completed.