Sec. 51-a.  ASSISTANCE GRANTS, MEDICAL CARE, AND CERTAIN OTHER SERVICES FOR NEEDY PERSONS; FEDERAL MATCHING FUNDS.  (a)  The Legislature shall have the power, by General Laws, to provide, subject to limitations herein contained, and such other limitations, restrictions and regulations as may by the Legislature be deemed expedient, for assistance grants to needy dependent children and the caretakers of such children, needy persons who are totally and permanently disabled because of a mental or physical handicap, needy aged persons and needy blind persons.
(b)  The Legislature may provide by General Law for medical care, rehabilitation and other similar services for needy persons.  The Legislature may prescribe such other eligibility requirements for participation in these programs as it deems appropriate and may make appropriations out of state funds for such purposes.  The maximum amount paid out of state funds for assistance grants,† to or on behalf of needy dependent children and their caretakers shall not exceed one percent of the state budget.  The Legislature by general statute shall provide for the means for determining the state budget amounts, including state and other funds appropriated by the Legislature, to be used in establishing the biennial limit.
(c)  Provided further, that if the limitations and restrictions herein contained are found to be in conflict with the provisions of appropriate federal statutes, as they now are or as they may be amended to the extent that federal matching money is not available to the state for these purposes, then and in that event the Legislature is specifically authorized and empowered to prescribe such limitations and restrictions and enact such laws as may be necessary in order that such federal matching money will be available for assistance and/or medical care for or on behalf of needy persons.
(d)  Nothing in this Section shall be construed to amend, modify or repeal Section 31 of Article XVI of this Constitution; provided further, however, that such medical care, services or assistance shall also include the employment of objective or subjective means, without the use of drugs, for the purpose of ascertaining and measuring the powers of vision of the human eye, and fitting lenses or prisms to correct or remedy any defect or abnormal condition of vision.  Nothing herein shall be construed to permit optometrists to treat the eyes for any defect whatsoever in any manner nor to administer nor to prescribe any drug or physical treatment whatsoever, unless such optometrist is a regularly licensed physician or surgeon under the laws of this state.  
(Added Aug. 26, 1933; amended Aug. 25, 1945, Nov. 2, 1954, Nov. 5, 1957, Nov. 6, 1962, Nov. 9, 1963, Nov. 2, 1965, Aug. 5, 1969, Nov. 2, 1982, and Nov. 2, 1999.)  (TEMPORARY TRANSITION PROVISIONS for Sec. 51-a: See Appendix, Note 1.)
† The language of this provision is identical to the language of the official legislative measure that originally proposed the provision. A digital image of the original text of the official enrolled measure can be found here.