FY'22 MRC SHIP BUDGET ASK

FY’22 Budget Ask Brain Injury Services—Statewide Head Injury Program

The FY ’22 state budget is now at Conference Committee and the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts (BIA-MA) asks you to support our highest priority to fund the Statewide Head Injury Program (SHIP). SHIP is funded by Line Item #4120-6000 and the Head Injury Treatment Services (HITS) trust fund. 

The HITS trust fund has decreased dramatically due to low traffic violations because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the increase in numbers of people killed or severely injured in automobile accidents because of increased speed when driving.    Vaccaro, Adam, “Driving decreased in Mass. last year, but not traffic deaths”, Boston Globe, February 7, 2021.   https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/02/08/metro/driving-decreased-mass-last-year-not-traffic-deaths/

The Governors FY’22 budget funded SHIP at $22,621,122 and the House increased it by $762,881 to $23,384,003.

What You Can Do To Help:

1. Ask your state Senator and state Representative to talk to their respective conferees and support the House version of funding for the Statewide Head Injury Program.Click here to Find my Legislator

2. If one of your legislators is a conferee, please reach out to them and directly discuss this priority:

Senator Michael J. Rodrigues of Westport, Chair                
Michael.Rodrigues@masenate.gov  

Senator Cindy Friedman of Arlington
Cindy.Friedman@masenate.gov

Senator Patrick O’Connor of Weymouth                            
Patrick.OConnor@masenate.gov  

Representative Aaron Michlewitz of Boston, Chair
Aaron.M.Michlewitz@mahouse.gov

Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante of Gloucester
Ann-Margaret.Ferrante@mahouse.gov

Representative Todd Smola of Warren
Todd.Smola@mahouse.gov

Talking Points:           

-Please support the House budget-Line Item #4120-6000 for $23,384,003,
-Funding for the Statewide Head Injury Program
-This amount will help to offset any potential losses to the HITS trust fund because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

For more information about Advocacy at BIA-MA, contact Kelly Buttiglieri at 508-475-0032 or kbuttiglieri@biama.org