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H 3440MASSACHUSETTSSession 194thState Billin committee
High Impact

Massachusetts Creates Bureau and $850M Fund to Address Pandemic Disparities

Original title: An Act the Commonwealth housing, economic, education and equity in recovery and reconstruction

Last action · December 18, 2025: Accompanied H3439Sponsor: Bud Williams

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Would Do

Massachusetts establishes a new bureau and an $850 million fund to address social and economic disparities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on Black, Latino, and low-income communities. The measure funds small business support, re-entry programs for , and a youth service corps. The act takes effect immediately upon passage.

Why it matters

Residents in disparately impacted communities gain access to dedicated funding streams for small business recovery, micro-investments, educational resources, and job training programs over a multi-year implementation period.

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Small businesses in disparately impacted communities

Eligible for grants, forgivable loans, and low-interest loans up to $1 million to support ongoing operations, job retention, and economic stabilization.

Directly affected

Returning citizens

Eligible to participate in the incarceration to incorporation entrepreneurship program and re-entry support services, including micro-investments up to $50,000.

Directly affected

Youth aged 17 to 26

Recruited from disparately impacted communities to serve in the service corps and receive a stipend equivalent to $15 per hour.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary funding source for the new recovery fund?
The fund is initially capitalized by an $850 million transfer made by the Comptroller from the Commonwealth Stabilization Fund.
Who qualifies as a 'returning citizen' under the entrepreneurship program?
A returning citizen is defined as an individual who is within six months of release, or has been released, from a local jail, county house of corrections, or a department of corrections facility and who resides in a .
What is the maximum amount for small business loans or grants provided by the fund?
The maximum amount of any grant, forgivable loan, low-interest loan, or combination thereof shall not exceed $1 million.
What compensation do members of the service corps receive?
Corps members are compensated via a stipend equivalent to $15 per hour worked, whether performing on a full-time or part-time basis.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Procedural history

5 actions
  1. Dec 18, 2025House
    Accompanied H3439
  2. Oct 6, 2025Joint
    Hearing scheduled for 10/14/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in B-2
  3. Oct 6, 2025Joint
    Hearing scheduled for 10/14/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in B-2
  4. Feb 27, 2025Senate
    Senate concurred
  5. Feb 27, 2025HouseCommittee
    Referred to the committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Bud WilliamsHouse · District 11th HampdenDemocraticPrimary sponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

financial connection99% confidence

Cascading Fund Transfers

The bill establishes a main recovery fund capitalized by an $850 million transfer from the Commonwealth Stabilization Fund, which then cascades into subsidiary funds such as the small business stabilization fund ($300M) and the service corps fund ($100M).

Commonwealth Stabilization FundCommonwealth Covid-19 Health Economic Education Equity in Recovery Fund

Connected Entities

Hispanic chamber of commerce, Massachusetts AFL-CIO, Massachusetts Association for Community Action and 12 more
OrganizationHispanic chamber of commerce“Chamber consulted for the entrepreneurship program”Map →
OrganizationMassachusetts AFL-CIO“Organization with a member appointed to the service corps commission”Map →
OrganizationMassachusetts Association for Community Action“Organization with members chosen for the commission”Map →
PersonBud Williams“Representative who sponsored House Bill No. 3440”Map →
OrganizationBlack economic council of Massachusetts“Organization consulted for the entrepreneurship program”Map →
OrganizationNational Urban League“Organization with members chosen from local affiliates for the commission”Map →
OrganizationNational Association for the Advancement of Colored Persons“Organization with members chosen from two local chapters for the commission”Map →
OrganizationCenter for women and enterprise“Center consulted for the entrepreneurship program”Map →
OrganizationU.S. small business administration“Federal agency referenced for business startup topics”Map →
OrganizationCommonwealth Stabilization Fund“Source of the $850 million transfer for the recovery fund”Map →
OrganizationCommonwealth Covid-19 Health Economic Education Equity in Recovery Fund“New fund established on the books of the commonwealth with an $850 million trans”Map →
OrganizationMassachusetts Senior Action Council“Organization with a member chosen for the commission”Map →
OrganizationMassachusetts Bureau on Social and Economic Equity in Recovery and Reconstruction“New bureau established by the act to oversee recovery efforts”Map →
OrganizationMassachusetts Municipal Association“Organization with a member appointed to the service corps commission”Map →
OrganizationLatino chamber of commerce“Chamber consulted for the entrepreneurship program”Map →

Sources

Open source document

malegislature.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy50
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz60
    Current news / social attention level

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