Written Testimony to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means
On October 1, 2021, Children’s HealthWatch and the rest of the Healthy Families EITC Coalition submitted testimony to inform the distribution plan for the $4.8 billion in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding in Massachusetts. On behalf of the Healthy Families EITC Coalition, we strongly urge the Committees to allocate a portion of the funds to programs that reduce disparities in the Commonwealth. Specifically, we urge the Committees to use funds to increase the state match of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to 50 percent of the federal credit, expand EITC eligibility to immigrants who file taxes with an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN), and increase state support of Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites.