Kids & Family
Rep. Garlick, MA House Vote To Override Veto of 'Lift the Cap'
Legislation Expands Benefits for Children in Need
State Representative Denise Garlick (D-Needham), along with her colleagues in the House of Representatives, voted today to override the Governor’s veto of legislation that lifts a decades-old family welfare cap.
The House originally voted on the measure on March 13th of this year, with the Senate voting on the legislation soon thereafter, on March 28th. The bill was vetoed by the Governor on April 8th. The Legislature can override the Governor’s veto with a two-thirds vote in both branches.
The family cap limited access to Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) benefits to children born prior to the date a family first began receiving benefits. Lifting the cap will extend cash benefits to the 8,700 Massachusetts children and their families who have previously been excluded due to this policy. Children will no longer be denied $100 a month in welfare benefits based on when they were conceived. This change will be retroactive to January 1, 2019.
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“This bill will provide much-needed help to some of the most vulnerable families in our state, repealing a cap that denies state assistance to families living in deep poverty,” said Representative Garlick. “I am proud that the House will stand to provide working families in Massachusetts with the resources that they desperately need.”
The veto override now moves to the Senate for further consideration.
