Bill > H3316

This bill requires the Massachusetts treasurer, in coordination with the Secretary of the Commonwealth, to publish an annual online summary by March 15 that provides transparency about government spending. The summary will include two key components: first, a detailed breakdown of how federal income tax dollars paid by Massachusetts residents are allocated across various discretionary spending categories (such as housing, education, healthcare, public transit, defense, and other areas), using data from the Congressional Budget Office and presented as a pie chart or bar graph. The summary will also clarify that Medicare and Social Security are trust fund programs not financed through income taxes. Second, the report will outline the Commonwealth's own annual budget, showing the percentage of funds allocated to similar categories (housing, education, healthcare, etc.) and highlighting the amount of federal funds returned to Massachusetts in those areas, also to be presented visually. The bill allows for the information to be sourced from nonpartisan third-party organizations that regularly compile such data, and potentially create an agreement with such an organization to produce the report, with the ultimate goal of increasing budget transparency and public understanding of government spending.

Government Affairs

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H3316