Senate President Karen Spilka said the bill strikes a balance between “our fiscal responsibility to Massachusetts taxpayers, and our moral obligation to moms, dads, and kids who are in a

Gov. Maura Healey asked for the funding to recapitalize the program in early January, calling it “both timely and necessary,” and funds for family shelters then ran out at the end of the month.

A 128-23 vote advanced the bill, which aims to fund the shelter system until fiscal 2025 ends June 30. It would also place a 4,000-family cap on family shelters for all of the calendar year 2026, along with other reforms,

The bill aims to fund the shelter system until fiscal 2025 ends June 30. It would also place a 4,000-family cap on family shelters for all of calendar year 2026, along with other restrictions such as requiring Massachusetts criminal background checks for all people entering the system on a permanent basis.

Representatives voted along party lines Tuesday to advance inter-branch compromise emergency shelter reforms, which are now on track for potential enactment this week along with<a class="excerpt-read-