Proposal for a legislative amendment to the Constitution requiring a supermajority vote for the utilization of rainy day funds
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Progress
Where this bill stands in the legislative process.
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Overview
This proposal seeks to amend the Massachusetts Constitution to require a supermajority vote – typically two-thirds – for the state to use funds from its ‘rainy day’ or reserve fund. Currently, the process for utilizing these funds may not always require such a high level of agreement, and this amendment aims to increase the level of consensus needed before these funds are deployed. The proposal was referred to the committee on Revenue and subsequently placed on file after consideration in joint sessions.
Key provisions
- Requires a supermajority vote (typically two-thirds) for the use of rainy day funds.
- Seeks to amend the Massachusetts Constitution.
- Introduced by Senator Bruce Tarr.
- The proposal has been reviewed and placed on file after consideration in joint sessions.
- The proposal has been referred to the committee on Revenue.
- Multiple similar proposals have been considered in the past.
- The proposal was initially introduced in 2023.
- The proposal was considered in joint sessions on multiple occasions between 2025 and 2026.
Who is affected
- State government
- Taxpayers
- Legislature
- The Governor’s office
- State budget officials
Notable changes
- Increases the threshold for utilizing rainy day funds from potentially a simple majority to a supermajority.
Bill text
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Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
3 on record
Primary sponsor
Cosponsors
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