CAN Prioritized Bills
Equitable Building Decarbonization, Low-Embodied Carbon Building
H.3192/S.2144An act relative to building energy and decarbonization
Creates new departments in DOER, energy monitoring for large buildings etc. Meschino/Lewis
H.3203/S.2105 An act relative to the future of clean heat in the Commonwealth
Creates transition fund for replacement of gas appliances w electric, retraining gas workers, prohibits hydrogen in gas lines etc. Owens/Creem
Utility Reform
H.755/S.2091 An act reforming energy system planning for equity and climate transformation
Creates coordinated effort to regulate gas & electric utilities separating the planning function from the ownership of utilities. Blais/Comerford
Offers a suite of reforms to the Mass Save program to increase transparency and accountability and removes utilities as administrators of Mass Save. Barrett
H.3237/S.2135 An act establishing a moratorium on new gas system expansion
This bill would put a moratorium on the biggest gas infrastructure until 2026, at the earliest, and will prevent gas utilities from expanding gas pipelines into new towns. Williams, Ramos/Gomez
Funding, Incentives
H.3232/S.2365 An act establishing a zero carbon renovation fund
Requests $300M in funds to kickstart building decarbonization, focused on low-income. Vargas/Gomez
H.3774/S.675 An act creating a climate bank in Massachusetts
Establishes a climate bank in MA CEC to foster renewable energy and climate mitigation. Meschino/Mark
Forest/Land Protection
H.894 An act relative to forest management and practices guidelines
Establishes council of stakeholders to oversee five-year reviews of DCR and DFW; establishes protections to protect 30% of Mass lands by 2030. Sabadosa, Saunders
H.895 An act to require separate carbon accounting for working lands and natural lands
Requires separate reporting of benchmarks, baseline measurements, measures of carbon flux, Massachusetts’ climate “roadmap” goals and plans for agricultural lands, forest lands that produce wood products, forest lands in parks and reserves and not producing wood products, and other natural or working lands. Sabadosa
H. 904 An act relative to increased protection of wildlife management areas
Expand and make permanent the existing system of reserves on public Wildlife Management Areas administered by the Massachusetts DFW (30% by 2030). Sena
H.3225/S.2150 An act to encourage solar development on buildings and disturbed lands
Incentivizes building solar on buildings and disturbed land and removes existing caps and limits. Sabadosa, Garballey/Mark
Pesticides
H.814/S.540 An act empowering towns and cities to protect residents and the environment from harmful pesticides
Returns power to municipalities to regulate pesticides on private property. Gentile/Moran
H.825/S.487 An act relative to pesticides
Creates an online portal and database for pesticide use reporting records with online public access to the annual data and requires that pesticides be proven safe before being used on playgrounds and fields where children learn and play. Hawkins/Feeney
H.783/S.521 An act relative to the pesticide board
Creates pesticide task force. Domb/Lewis
YCAN- Youth Climate Action Now
H.496/S.260 An act implementing elementary and secondary interdisciplinary climate justice education across the Commonwealth
CAN Endorsed Bills
Equitable Building Decarbonization, Low-Embodied Carbon Building
H.764/S.2090 An act incorporating embodied carbon into state climate policy
Establishes guidelines and recommendations to measure, track, and reduce emissions from embodied carbon of building materials. Ciccolo, Owens/Comerford
H.3694 An act relative to the clean heat standard
Creates a clean heat standard like the RPS, credits would be established by buildings, homes, contractors, gas utilities etc. Driscoll
S.2094 An act to promote low-income access to solar
Requires DOER to ensure equity, accessibility, and promote participation by renters and low-income retail electric customers in the solar incentive program. Creem
H.3227/S.2093 An act expanding access to the fossil fuel free demonstration project
Expands fossil fuel free construction to any community that wishes to do so. Sabadosa/Comerford
H.2131/S.1382 An act to improve outdoor and indoor air quality for communities burdened by pollution
Mandates addressing and reducing air pollution. Barber, Connolly/Jehlen
Utility Reform
H.3137 An act relative to intervenors and utility work
Allows municipalities, state legislators, groups of at least 10 people within service area, to intervene in proceedings (rate cases or investigations). Armini
H.3228 An act relative to Mass Save reporting
Requires reporting to municipalities at least by zip code, yearly. Sabadosa
H.3187/S.2113 An act relative to energy facilities siting improvement to address environmental justice, climate, and public health
Requires a cumulative impact and an EJ impact assessment before the Energy Facilities Siting Board approves any electricity generating facility or oil, gas, or substation facility and requires disapproval of if the EJ impact statement shows harms to EJ populations. Madaro/DiDomenico, Edwards
H.3219/S.2145 An act supporting load aggregation programs in the Commonwealth
Provides timelines for DPU approval of aggregation and expansion of programming. Roy/Lewis
Funding, Incentives
H.3272/S.2277 An act to increase regional transit accessibility in the Commonwealth
This bill will fund RTAs at a minimum of $150M, require annual funding increases, and identify dedicated funding to support RTAs. Blais/Moran
Transportation
H.3366/S.2285 An act electrifying regional transit authorities
Requires RTAs to electrify over time to 90% of purchases by 2034. LeBoeuf/Oliveira
H.3139/S.2218 An act setting deadlines to electrify school buses and public fleets and establishing programs to encourage private fleet electrification
Sets goals of 50% in 2025, 75% in 2030, 100% in 2035. New vehicle purchases by the Commonwealth with goals of 60% by 2023, 80% by 2024, 90% by 2025, 100% by 2026. Barber, Meschino/Crighton
Investment Policy
H.2504 An act to mandate the review of climate risk in order to protect public pension beneficiaries and taxpayers
Creates a Climate Risk Investment Review Committee in the Treasurer’s Office, to review and divest from fossil fuel investments. Domb
Forest/Land Protection
H.869/S452 An act establishing the Municipal Reforestation Program
Establishes an advisory urban forestry council that would provide funding and technical assistance to participating municipalities to plant, replace and maintain trees in their communities. Owens, Armini/Creem
S.448 An act investing in natural and working lands
Gives the Commonwealth the mission to preserve our forests and farmland by ensuring that state agencies work to prevent development of such land and value them for the totality of services they provide, while allowing for economic development and respecting local land use and planning authority. Comerford
H.3210/S.2136 An act to remove woody biomass from the greenhouse gas emissions standard for municipal lighting plants
Amends the 2021 Climate Roadmap law to remove biomass from the list of “non-carbon emitting sources” that municipal lighting plants can use to meet the new MLP greenhouse gas emission standard. Ramos/Gomez
H.3211/S.2137 An act limiting the eligibility of woody biomass as an alternative energy supply
Makes commercial-scaled and institutional heating facilities that burn wood fuels ineligible for subsidies under Massachusetts’ Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (APS), while allowing those already qualified to continue. Ramos/Gomez
Pesticides
H.845/S.445 An act establishing an ecologically-based mosquito management program in the Commonwealth to protect public health
Ends broadscale aerial application of pesticides and supports a scientifically-based mosquito-borne disease management program to protect public and environmental health. LaNatra/Comerford
H.101/S.39 An act protecting our soil and farms from PFAS contamination
Calls for testing of sewage sludge for PFAS chemicals that may end up in agricultural land – and eventually our food, warning labels on products containing PFAS, and funding to help farmers access alternatives to products containing PFAS. Schmid/Comerford
S.517 An act relative to the use of glyphosate on public lands
Ends application of glyphosate on any lands owned or maintained by the Commonwealth without a special permit, when there is an immediate threat to human and environmental health, and there is no viable alternative to glyphosate. Lewis
Protection of air, water, and other natural resources
H.1816 An act to establish individual standing
Gives the public legal standing in court to hold state agencies accountable for protection of air, water, and other natural resources. Whipps
Agriculture and Food Justice
H.87/S.41 An act promoting equity in agriculture
Establishes a commission to develop recommendations for supporting investments, policies and practices designed to promote equity in agriculture for socially disadvantaged groups. Blais/Comerford
H.855 An act relative to food justice with jobs
Gives income-based agricultural grants to individuals for tools, seeds, garden boxes; provides advisors and prohibits the use of chemical pesticides. Madero
Promotes understanding of climate change in school curriculum and allows inclusion in science, history, social sciences, technology, or business. Hawkins/Cyr