Massachusetts Policy Updates

More information about pending legislation can also be found at the Massachusetts Public Health Association.

FY13 State Budget Process

Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program (MEFAP)

MEFAP provided 2.5 million pounds of food (30 percent) and $148,000 in operating support to The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts in FY11.  The House Ways and Means Committee of the Massachusetts Legislature recently released its budget proposal for FY 2013. The budget provides level-funding* – $12.5 million – for the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program (MEFAP) which funds the distribution of food to 800 food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters across the Commonwealth.We are asking that MEFAP funding be increased to $15 million.  The additional funds requested through MEFAP will provide 3.9 million meals to those in need.

* A notable change from prior years is that the line item for MEFAP food purchases and a separate line item for MEFAP administrative support have been combined into a single line item (DAR 2511-0105) for FY 2013. By combining these line items, we have not gained MEFAP dollars; there is still $11.5 million allotted for food and $1 million for administrative support.

SNAP

In the Governor’s budget, the DTA worker account (item 4400-1100) would be increased to $64.2 billion, compared to the FY12 appropriation of $57.5 million.  The House’s FY13 budget proposal level-funds this item at FY12 amounts. But in FY12, the state also had access to about $3.3 million for DTA workers from other, one-time funding.  The proposed spending increase of $3.3 million keeps the actual funding for DTA workers level to the previous year.  This falls short of what is needed to address the current unmanageable SNAP and cash assistance caseloads.  Low income individuals and families would therefore continue to experience unacceptable problems accessing statutorily mandated benefits, and preventing billions of dollars of federal stimulus money from flowing into the Commonwealth.  We are asking that the DTA worker fund be increased to the Governor’s proposed allocation of $64.2 million.

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