MA FUNDS FULL SNAP BENEFITS
On October 10, Governor Healey stated that all Massachusetts residents eligible for federal government food assistance have received their full SNAP benefits for this month. SNAP benefits are delivered on a staggered basis over the first half of each month, so the Governor acknowledged there is a timeline for when people will receive their SNAP benefits, but there should be no interruption. She stated that anybody eligible to date to receive SNAP or who missed their payments last week have now received them. SNAP benefits will continue to go out to others and to those who become eligible in the “normal” course, she stated.
PFML 2026 WORKPLACE POSTER & NOTICES ARE NOW AVAILABLE
All Massachusetts employers (including employers with private or self-insured benefits plans) are required to distribute certain information to their covered individuals under the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) law. Employers must distribute notices and display a workplace poster that explains PFML. PFML has updated the notices and posters so that they reflect the 2026 maximum benefit amount and contribution rates. There are specific notices for companies with fewer than or more than 25 employees that must be available in English and each language which is the primary language of 5 or more individuals in your workforce. DFML provides translations in English and 12 other languages. The employer is responsible for providing translation with regards to any language not provided by DFML. Click here to download what you need.
STATE DELAYS ITS LOOK AT RAINY DAY FUND USAGE
With a shift in federal government policy under the current administration and the impacts of a record-setting federal government shutdown, Massachusetts is looking towards a Task Force to study when and how to use any of its $8.3 billion “rainy day” fund. Through legislation signed into law last year, a commission was formed to study the proper use and size of the state’s stabilization fund, reviewing other states’ best practices, and assessing how withdrawals could affect Massachusetts’s bond rating and long-term fiscal health. The fund’s purpose includes covering losses of federal funds, revenue shortfalls, or other threats to the state’s financial stability. The commission’s findings were due in June, but they didn’t meet until September and extended the deadline until November 15, but according to the task force, they plan to submit recommendations during the week of December 15 after meeting four times this fall.
FEDERAL FUNDS AT RISK DUE TO LATE STATE BUDGET CLOSEOUT
On November 4 MA State Comptroller William McNamara sent a letter to the Healey administration, legislative budget leaders and Clerks that his office has (once again) missed the October 31 deadline to file necessary reports to close out the last fiscal year, including a Statutory Basis Financial Report (SBFR), since the closeout budget remains unfinished in the legislature. The SBFR is used by the state to create other significant reports, including the federal Single Audit. The federal government may choose to slow or withhold federal funds if the Commonwealth fails to comply with long-established requirements and deadlines related to reporting to the federal government and Single Audit. MA fiscal years end on June 30 annually. “[T]he consensus is that strict compliance with legitimate federal rules – such as the timely completion of the Single Audit – is especially important now, to avoid potential penalties,” McNamara said. “States are working hard to comply with federal requirements to prevent self-inflicted problems.” Massachusetts has missed its budget deadline every year since 2010.
