House Democrats are ready to act on a $2.25 billion spending bill that steers more than $2 billion to MassHealth and former Steward Health Care hospitals while withholding a $162 million request from county sheriffs pending an investigation into their spending practices.
The House Ways and Means Committee was voting Tuesday morning on the legislation, which appears headed for approval during a formal session planned for Wednesday.
The legislation outlines $1.67 billion in spending for MassHealth and $374 million in payments to former Steward hospitals. It also sets aside $10 million to help cover Massachusetts’ hosting costs for the 2026 World Cup and creates a new $15 million Sports and Entertainment Fund to attract large-scale events to the state.
The bill withholds most of a $162 million funding request from county sheriffs until the state inspector general completes an investigation by Feb. 27, 2026.
The probe will focus on spending practices, legal compliance and a long-term fiscal analysis within sheriffs’ departments. The budget does fund $14 million for Section 35 services in connection with individuals who are civilly committed and treated involuntarily via a court order, and $12.5 million for the no-cost calls program, allowing incarcerated people to place calls from inside prisons.
“Over the past few months, serious questions and concerns have been raised about the financial and operational integrity of our sheriffs’ offices across the commonwealth. As we work to maintain fiscal stability, live within our means and responsibly close the books on fiscal year 2025, it is clear that the Legislature must act to rein in questionable spending practices and restore public confidence in the sheriffs’ operations,” said House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz and Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues.
Elsewhere in the budget, lawmakers propose extending simulcast wagering — which would have become illegal in Massachusetts on Dec. 15 — for another two years, until December 2027. The legislation also ratifies seven collective bargaining agreements covering state workers.
The bill directs the distribution of excess capital gains revenue remaining after budget allocations. Approximately $337.7 million, or 90%, would be transferred to a slush fund called the Transitional Escrow Fund, while the remaining 10% would be split evenly between the State Retiree Benefits Trust Fund and the state’s Pension Liability Fund, each receiving $18.8 million.
The legislation also includes extensive language pertaining to the ongoing redevelopment of the former Naval Air Station in South Weymouth, a project that also involves the towns of Abington and Rockland.
A federal law approved in July endangers the health insurance of tens of thousands of residents and the bill includes $10 million for Health Care For All to conduct a public awareness campaign to “inform vulnerable populations about new Medicaid work requirements put in place by the federal government,” according to a fact sheet distributed by House Speaker Ron Mariano’s office.
“In the face of unrelenting attacks from the Trump administration that will strip health insurance coverage from millions of Americans and deny access to lifesaving vaccinations, this supplemental budget will help vulnerable residents prepare for, and avoid, a lapse in coverage, and ensure continued access to vaccines for every child in Massachusetts,” reads a statement from Mariano and Michlewitz.
Health insurance is required in Massachusetts and individuals without insurance can face tax penalties.