Please take a moment to look at the bills I have filed this session pertaining to energy and protecting our environment.

You can also view all bills I’ve co-sponsored this session here.

Filed bills

An Act defining clean energy

In 2024, the legislature passed significant and necessary clean energy legislation (An Act promoting a clean energy grid, advancing equity and protecting ratepayers). However, provisions in the new law amended the way the state defines a clean energy generating source to newly include both nuclear fusion and pumped hydro storage power plants. Nuclear fusion, the process used to generate energy from nuclear power plants, is not a clean energy process — uranium mining, disposal of radioactive waste, and far-reaching consequences from nuclear power accidents represent serious risks and challenges to environmental and human health. Similarly, the construction of dams and reservoirs for pumped hydro storage facilities can affect local ecosystems, displace people and wildlife, and produce methane emissions, among other concerns. My bill removes nuclear fusion and pumped hydro storage from the definition of clean energy, and also prevents existing energy storage systems from being eligible for state procurements — ensuring that the state meets its climate goals by procuring new energy storage, and not by providing additional incentives for existing storage facilities. 

 

An Act establishing an ecologically-based mosquito management program in the Commonwealth to protect public health

Our current mosquito management system, based on a statute enacted in 1918, is woefully out of date. The structure is fragmented, does not reflect current scientific understanding, provides no opportunity for public input, and uses environmentally toxic pesticide spraying as the primary response to mosquito-related threats. My bill updates the state’s mosquito control system to prioritize education, monitoring, and habitat modification and allows pesticide use only for disease control. The bill prohibits aerial spraying of pesticides and completely bans the use of chemicals containing PFAS. The bill also allows residents and municipalities to opt out of ground-level spraying, unless the Governor has declared a state of emergency.

 

An Act investing in natural and working lands

When a parcel of forest, farmland, or a wetland is developed and permanently converted to another use, biodiversity, local food systems, and public and environmental health are negatively impacted, and the Commonwealth’s ability to fight climate change now and into the future is reduced. Although Massachusetts’ natural and working lands are critical to prevent runaway global warming, the state does not currently have a ‘no net loss’ goal or requirement. My bill gives the Commonwealth the mission to preserve our natural and working lands and wetlands. It directs state agencies to prevent the permanent conversion of these lands, and recognizes the financial burden on the municipalities that are stewarding the lands that we all need to survive. It also updates the threshold for an environmental impact review to grapple with modern day developments like solar and battery facilities.

 

An Act maintaining the state disaster relief and resiliency trust fund

In 2023, after a summer of devastating storms, I filed legislation to create the state’s first permanent disaster relief fund. Thanks to the work and partnership of the Governor and great colleagues, most of that policy was signed into law and the Disaster Relief and Resiliency Trust Fund was established. This fund will provide financial assistance to municipalities, organizations, farms, businesses, and individuals to recover from natural disasters. However, the language signed into law did not include a dedicated revenue stream for the fund. My bill protects the fund’s long-term sustainability by redirecting ten percent of the state’s excess capital gains taxes to the fund, ensuring that state support is always available to help our communities in the wake of future natural disasters.

 

An Act protecting consumers from unreasonable utility rate increases

Constituents are struggling with high costs for electricity and home heating. In 2023, Massachusetts had the fourth-highest average retail electricity rates in the nation. The gas and electricity rates that we pay to utilities must be approved by the Department of Public Utilities (DPU), and current rules allow utilities in Massachusetts to make higher profits than utilities in other states are allowed. My bill protects electricity and gas consumers by prohibiting the DPU from approving a rate request that would result in a utility earning a higher profit than what is allowed in neighboring states.

 

An Act protecting our soil and farms from PFAS contamination

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals that build up in our bodies and do not easily break down in the environment — which is why they are known as “forever chemicals.” Very small doses of PFAS have been linked to cancer, reproductive and immune system harm, and other diseases. When PFAS is introduced to soils used for growing crops, it contaminates the food grown in that soil and can then pass on to farmers and consumers. PFAS contamination in soil happens most frequently from the application of fertilizers made from treated wastewater, or sewage “sludge.” My bill bans the land application of sludge, requires manufacturers to test fertilizer for PFAS, provides important legal and financial protections for farmers, and provides funding to help farmers address PFAS contamination and pay for alternative fertilizers. My bill also requires the Department of Environmental Protection to create a plan to support municipalities in reducing and disposing of toxic sludge. 

 

An Act providing for energy assistance during the summer months

As heat waves become longer and summers become hotter, there has been an increase in the number of heat-related deaths, with heat in the U.S. killing more people than any other type of extreme weather. The Massachusetts Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) provides funding to eligible households to pay a portion of their home heating bills, helping low-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities stay warm during the cold winter months. My bill directs the state to also pay for a portion of eligible residents’ energy bills during the summer so that Massachusetts residents can stay safe and healthy during periods of extreme heat. 

 

An Act relative to solar and battery decommissioning and recycling

Solar panels and batteries contain metals and chemicals like silicon, cadmium, copper, lithium and more. Massachusetts is counting on solar and battery facilities to meet its renewable energy goals and emission reduction requirements, but does not have a plan for decommissioning or recycling this infrastructure. My bill directs the Department of Environmental Protection, in collaboration with a stakeholder working group, to develop a statewide plan with preferred methods for managing solar and battery end-of-life, including reuse, refurbishment, recycling, and procedures for the disposal of any hazardous waste. The bill also tasks the working group with considering whether any fees on installers or manufacturer take-back programs are needed to help decommission and recycle retired systems. 

 

An Act relative to the Quabbin watershed and regional equity

Nearly 87 years ago, the state disincorporated and flooded four towns so that eastern Massachusetts could have reliable access to pristine drinking water. The communities that surround (what’s now known as) the Quabbin Reservoir steward an invaluable resource, but they cannot access Quabbin water and receive minimal compensation for their sacrifice. My bill creates a Quabbin Host Community Development Trust Fund, into which the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) will deposit $35 million annually, indexed to inflation. These funds will be provided to Quabbin watershed communities for municipal needs and to non-profit and cultural organizations that serve the health, welfare, safety, and transportation needs of Quabbin watershed communities. The bill also provides payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) for the land under the Quabbin reservoir and adds representatives from Quabbin watershed communities to the MWRA board. Lastly, the bill prohibits the MWRA from approving any new transfer of water from the Quabbin Reservoir until they have completed a study and evaluation on providing Quabbin water to surrounding communities in western and north central Massachusetts. 

 

An Act to reform payments in lieu of taxes for state-owned land

The state-owned land “PILOT” (payments in lieu of taxes) program reimburses municipalities for the loss of property tax revenue due to tax-exempt state-owned land within their borders. However, the state-owned land PILOT reimbursement formula dramatically shortchanges western Massachusetts cities and towns and disproportionately rewards urban and suburban communities in eastern Massachusetts. My bill rebalances the formula for distributing PILOT funds based on recommendations from a 2020 State Auditor report to achieve fair reimbursements to western Massachusetts cities and towns. For the first time this session, my bill also proposes that we value the “ecosystem services” provided by our natural and working lands, like clean air, water, and carbon sequestration — those services that allow for life on earth.

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