Thirty-fourth Middlesex District State Rep. Christine Barber.

State Representative Christine P. Barber (D-Somerville and Medford) filed legislation to provide state-funded financial support to immigrants who were excluded from the federal stimulus bill, in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Rep. Barber recently filed HD5036, An Act to Provide Equal S3mulus Checks to Immigrant Taxpayers with State Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier (D-Pittsfield). This bill would provide a state-funded stimulus check to Massachusetts ITIN holders who file taxes but are not eligible to receive federal relief under the recent Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

ITINs (Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers) are issued by the IRS for tatt filing purposes to individuals who are ineligible for Social Security Numbers. ITIN filers include undocumented immigrants and other vulnerable groups who pay taxes through alternative means. There are an estimated 57,000 ITIN filers in Massachusetts, yet the CARES excluded ITIN filers and their families from receiving critical stimulus checks. Families in which one member files their taxes with an ITIN, even if the other members are U.S. citizens or otherwise file with a Social Security Number, are also excluded from the stimulus funds – a significant issue which this legislation would also address.

“It is important for our state to step up to fill this gap left by the federal stimulus bill,” said State Rep. Barber. “These are our neighbors–members of our community who are paying their taxes but have been excluded from the financial assistance that has been critical for so many. This bill attempts to level that playing field to ensure that no members of our Commonwealth are left behind during this crisis.”

Rep. Barber is working with partners including the Welcome Project, the Brazilian Workers Center, the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition, the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, and the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, and others to advance this legislation. This bill is currently before the Joint Committee on Revenue.

— Office of State Rep. Christine P. Barber