Today, the Senate Ways and Means (SWM) committee released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget proposal, a $63.29 billion spending plan. Their budget represents an increase of $2.25 billion (3.7 percent) over the FY 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) and is $66.3 million (0.1 percent) less than Governor Healey’s proposal. Compared to the House, which finalized its budget less than a week ago, the Senate spends $120 million less; however, the SWM proposal is only $37 million less than the HWM budget released from committee. 

Compared to the House budget, the SWM proposal increases spending for local aid and support services; predominantly driven by a higher funding level for Unrestricted General Government Aid to cities and towns, as well as restored funding for caseworkers at the Department of Transitional Assistance. The Senate’s plan includes less funding for programs related to housing, energy, and the environment than the House. 

The SWM budget includes a relatively small number of policy sections – 58 – with only 15 unique sections not also included by the administration or the House. Notable SWM policy proposals include the establishment of a new Foundation Budget Review Commission to assess the state’s school finance funding formula and make recommendations for improvement.

Prior to the release of their FY 2027 operating budget proposal, the Senate finalized its version of the Innovation and Capital Fund supplemental budget. This spending bill included $1.28 billion in surtax-supported investments for education and transportation, many of which are intended to complement their operating budget recommendations. As in MTF’s analysis of the HWM budget, in the sections that follow, supplemental spending is presented alongside operating budget spending to provide a wholistic picture of the resources proposed for FY 2027.