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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3028 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2257
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
David Allen Robertson
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act promoting efficient environmental public health protections and solutions.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:David Allen Robertson19th Middlesex1/19/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3028 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2257
By Representative Robertson of Tewksbury, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2257)
of David Allen Robertson for legislation to establish the environmental public health trust fund
for cancer surveillance and environmental data collection within the Department of Public
Health. Public Health.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act promoting efficient environmental public health protections and solutions.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Section XX: There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a
2fund to be known as the Environmental Public Health Trust Fund (EPHTF), which shall be
3administered by the Commissioner of the Department of Public Health. Expenditures from the
4fund shall not be subject to appropriation unless otherwise required by law. The fund shall
5provide funding for, but not supplant, funds previously designated to support public health
6investigations under Section 4 of Chapter 21e of the General Laws. The purpose of the fund
7shall be to provide initial and ongoing funding for cancer surveillance and environmental data
8collection and to ensure that studies initiated by the department to examine the human health
9impact of past and present environmental conditions are completed in as timely a manner as
10scientifically feasible. Funds may be provided from the EPHTF to support environmental public
11health activities including but not limited to research, environmental and biologic sample(s)
12design and collection modeling, surveys, public engagement and associated administrative costs. 2 of 2
13The commissioner shall administer the fund using methods, policies, procedures, standards, and
14criteria for the proper and efficient operation of the fund and studies supported by it in a manner
15designed to achieve equity, fairness, and efficiency. The secretary of administration and finance,
16in consultation with the secretary of health and human services, shall determine annually the
17expenses of administering the fund, which shall be charged to the fund. Any health surveillance
18and research efforts supported by the EPHTF shall be published electronically on the General
19Court website as well as the department’s website and filed with the clerks of the House and
20Senate. The commissioner shall report annually itemized expenditures from the fund to the clerks
21of the House and Senate and the Senate and House committees on ways and means.
22 (b) The fund shall consist of: (i) legislative appropriations; (ii) gifts or grants from private
23or public sources, (iii) any legislatively authorized transfers approved by the secretary of
24administration and finance; and (iv) state and/or federal funds received as a result of cost
25recovery efforts associated with health investigations related to state and nationally recognized
26hazardous waste for the specific purpose of the fund. Any amounts contained in the fund shall
27not revert to the general fund. All interest earned on the amounts in the fund shall be deposited or
28retained in the fund. The Comptroller shall pay, without further appropriation, any and all
29amounts certified by the Commissioner for payment as provided above.