More than 1,000 amendments have been introduced to the Massachusetts Senate Committee on Ways and Means draft Fiscal Year 2026 budget (S.3). Senators now have one week to review and consider these amendments before debating and voting on a final budget starts on May 19th.
Senators may choose to cosponsor as many amendments as they wish to show support for efforts that serve their communities. Your senator needs to hear from you about the items that are most important to you and your neighbors, so please take this opportunity to review the amendments in this email as well as others, and contact contact your senator by May 16th to let them know your priorities. You can use this template to reach out to your state senator.
Dozens of the filed amendments relate to Massachusetts’ food system, proposing investments in local programs and projects, as well as in statewide efforts. The Collaborative has prioritized four amendments:
#327. Local Food Purchase Assistance Program, $7,000,000, Senator Eldridge. Local Food Purchasing Assistance program would support a previously federally funded program that was suddenly terminated by the Trump administration earlier this spring. Administered by the MA Department of Agricultural Resources, the program would provide nonprofit food assistance organizations with funding to purchase food from local farmers and fishers, to distribute to food pantries and other food access sites. This would increase access to local food in the emergency food assistance system (which is also facing decimating cuts), continue a market channel for local producers, and reduce food insecurity.
#328. Local Food for Schools Program, $2,500,000, Senator Eldridge. Local Food For Schools would continue a previously federally funded program that was abruptly terminated by the Trump administration earlier this year. Administered by the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the program would provide K-12 schools and early education programs with additional funds to purchase local foods for use in school meal programs, increasing access to nourishing foods for all students while supporting our local farmers, fishers, and food producers.
#469. HIP Enabling legislation, no cost, Senator Tarr. This amendment mirrors the language in the HIP enabling bill (S.104 / H.222), which would enact the program into law permanently, and re-create a trust for program funds. We will continue to support the Senate Ways and Means’ proposal for $25.4 million for HIP during the next steps of the budget process.
#625. Food Literacy, $1,000,000, Senator Lewis. This funding would support DESE in expanding opportunities for students to learn about nutrition, culinary skills, and other food system issues via another level round of FRESH grants and district wellness policy development and implementation coaching.
These four amendments represent a significant boost to our food security, local economy, and the growth of a sustainable, equitable, resilient food system.
