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H278 • 2025

An Act relative to assisting elders and people with disabilities in the Commonwealth

An Act relative to assisting elders and people with disabilities in the Commonwealth

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Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
James J. O'Day
Last action
2025-12-29
Official status
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act relative to assisting elders and people with disabilities in the Commonwealth

An Act relative to assisting elders and people with disabilities in the Commonwealth By Representative O'Day of West Boylston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act relative to assisting elders and people with disabilities in the Commonwealth By Representative O'Day of West Boylston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 278) of James J.
  • O'Day, Patricia D.
  • Jehlen and Antonio F.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-12-29 House

    Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means

  2. 2025-08-27 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 09/09/2025 from 1:00 PM-5:00 PM in B-2

  3. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities

  4. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to assisting elders and people with disabilities in the Commonwealth
By Representative O'Day of West Boylston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 278) of James J. O'Day, Patricia D. Jehlen and Antonio F. D. Cabral relative to the emergency aid for elderly and disabled residents assistance program. Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.
Status:
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means

Current Bill Text

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Bill H.278

SECTION 1. Section 1 of chapter 117A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-Any person experiencing homelessness, (i) who has no established place of abode, or who lives in a temporary emergency shelter, and (ii) who is otherwise eligible under the provisions of this chapter, shall receive the same payment rate as recipients who incur shelter costs including, but not limited to rent or a mortgage. The department shall promulgate or revise any such rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this section.

SECTION 2. Chapter 117A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 10 the following new sections:-

Section 11. Effective July first of every year, the department shall increase the total budget of each eligible recipient, before taking into consideration any available income and resources, by a percentage amount equal to the percentage rise in the United States Consumer Price Index for January first of that year over the level of said index for January first of the previous year plus such additional percentage amount as is recommended annually by the department and appropriated by the general court. The department shall promulgate such rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this section.

Section 12. The department shall set the maximum benefit for the program in this chapter at the same level as the program in chapter 118 of the General Laws. The department shall promulgate such rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this section.

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