$1,650,000 for birth centers!
In May, the Massachusetts State Senate voted to include $1.65M for birth centers in the state budget for fiscal year 2025.
$300,000 for Neighborhood Birth Center in Boston
$350,000 for Seven Sisters Birth Center in Northampton
$1,000,000 for maternal health grants that support new and existing birth centers
We are impressed by the tremendous and broad support for birth centers across the legislature. Supporters from every corner of Massachusetts contacted their State Representatives and State Senators in support of birth center investments, asking legislators to make this a priority!
The budget now goes to a conference committee where Senate and House representatives negotiate a final state budget. We hope to see these birth center items fully funded in the final budget and signed into law by Governor Maura Healey. Stay tuned for updates!
A big thank you to Senate President Karen Spilka, Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues, Senator Liz Miranda, Senator Jo Comerford, Senator Joan Lovely, Senator Cindy Friedman, and Senator Julian Cyr for their leadership on passing this funding in the Senate budget. Additional Senate cosponsors of birth center funding: Senators Nick Collins, Brendan Crighton, John Cronin, Lydia Edwards, James Eldridge, Adam Gomez, Robyn Kennedy, Jason Lewis, Paul Mark, Patrick O'Connor, Pavel Payano, Becca Rausch, Michael Rush, Bruce Tarr
In the House, efforts to fund birth centers were led by Representatives Chris Worrell, Brandy Fluker Oakley, Lindsay Sabadosa, and Marjorie Decker. Additional House cosponsors of birth center funding: James Arciero, JamesArena- DeRosa, Jenny Armini, Bruce Ayers, Daniel Cahill, Peter Capano, Tackey Chan, Michelle Ciccolo, Mike Connolly, Rob Consalvo, Manny Cruz, Mindy Domb, Daniel Donahue, William Driscoll, Kimberly Ferguson, Sean Garballey, Carmine Gentile, Jessica Giannino, Susan Gifford, James Hawkins, Natalie Higgins, Russell Holmes, Kevin Honan, Vanna Howard, Bradley Jones, Hannah Kane, Kristin Kassner, Patrick Kearney, Kay Khan, Meghan Kilcoyne, David LeBoeuf, Jack Lewis, David Linsky, Kate Lipper-Garabedian, Jay Livingstone, Bill MacGregor, Adrian Madaro, Samantha Montaño, John Moran, Tram Nguyen, Steven Owens, Edward Philips, Adrianne Ramos, David Rogers, John Rogers, Daniel Ryan, Lindsay Sabadosa, Danillo Sena, Priscila Sousa, Thomas Stanley, Steven Ultrino, Erika Uyterhoeven, Andy Vargas, Bud Williams