I am pleased to announce that the FY20 budget proposal released by the Massachusetts Senate last week is very strong for public health! It included requested funding for several of MPHA's priority programs, including
new funding for the
State Action for Public Health Excellence (SAPHE) Program.
While we are grateful for the Senate's strong support for public health, we need to make sure that the final Senate budget includes requested funding for Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) and the Get the Lead Out Program.
Please contact your Senator TODAY and urge her or him to co-sponsor amendments 1136 by Senator Chandler and 845 by Senators Cyr and DiZoglio. If you can, please also ask them to support the amendments listed below for healthy food access and affordable housing.
Don't forget to thank your Senator for a strong public health budget and let them know why these programs matter to you!
The Senate will debate its budget next week so senators will be signing on to co-sponsor budget amendments in the next few days. Please make your calls by noon on Friday, May 17th!
To learn who your Senator is, click here. To find your Senator's contact information, click here. For MPHA's amendment request letter to the legislature, click here.
Thank you for all that you do for health equity in the Commonwealth!
Carlene Pavlos
Executive Director
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Ask Your Senator to Co-Sponsor the
Following Amendments
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Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) Funding - Amendment #1136 by Sen. Chandler.
This amendment will fully fund RTAs at $90.5m in base funding, as recommended by the Task Force on RTA Performance and Funding. The amendment also provides $4.5m in performance-based grant funding distributed by MassDOT as an incentive to RTAs without reducing stable base funding. RTAs, serving 262 communities outside of Greater Boston, connect residents, especially low-income residents and seniors, to medical care, substance use treatment, groceries, jobs, education, and other drivers of good health outcomes.
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Get the Lead Out Program - Amendment #845 by Sen. Cyr and Sen. DiZoglio.
This amendment will recapitalize the Get the Lead Out Program, which provides low- and no-cost loans to income eligible families to remediate lead paint hazards. Without recapitalization, funds will run out of money in mid-2020. Lead exposure in young children can cause severe and irreversible health effects, including impairment of cognitive and physical development, and has been correlated with future school performance, behavioral difficulties, and learning problems. Children living in low income communities are 3x more likely to be lead poisoned than those living in high income communities. Children of color are 1.5x more likely, and black children 2.5x more likely, than their white peers to suffer from lead poisoning. Past and present discrimination in housing opportunity, cost, and quality directly contribute to these inequities. Lead paint in the home is an especially serious threat to young children in MA. 71% of the housing in MA was built before 1978, and only about 10% of these homes have been reported to be de-leaded, leaving more than 1.8 million homes likely containing lead hazards.
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Healthy Incentives Program - Amendment #544 by Senator Gobi.
This amendment will meet increasing program demand by allowing it to operate year-round, allow for more participants, and fill geographic gaps in the program. HIP increases healthy food access by providing a one-for-one match, adding money back onto a SNAP recipient's EBT card when they use it to purchase fresh fruits or vegetables at a participating farm stand, farmers market, CSA, or mobile market. SNAP sales at farm retailers increased by 600% - to $8.3m - from 2016-2017 thanks to HIP.
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Closing the SNAP Gap Pilot - Amendment #434 by Senator DiDomenico
This amendment directs EOHHS to establish a pilot to allow residents to apply for SNAP (food assistance) automatically when applying for or renewing MassHealth or Medicare Savings Program benefits. The amendment would also task the Administration with identifying the costs of implementing this initiative. The "SNAP Gap" refers to the over 750,000 people who are enrolled in MassHealth and likely eligible for SNAP but are not receiving benefits.
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Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) - Amendment #715 by Senator Crighton.
This amendment will provide additional funding to increase the stock of affordable housing and produce new vouchers
. The number of households experiencing housing instability and homelessness persists as MA remains one of the most expensive states in the nation. Access to housing vouchers has been shown to increase stability and improve health outcomes for adults and kids
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