Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H3622 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1051 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3622
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Marjorie C. Decker and Mindy Domb
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to protecting public health and reducing health care costs.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Marjorie C. Decker25th Middlesex1/18/2023Mindy Domb3rd Hampshire1/18/2023Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/25/2023William J. Driscoll, Jr.7th Norfolk1/27/2023James K. Hawkins2nd Bristol1/27/2023Jack Patrick Lewis7th Middlesex1/31/2023Mathew J. Muratore1st Plymouth2/1/2023Steven Owens29th Middlesex2/2/2023Jon Santiago9th Suffolk2/6/2023Christine P. Barber34th Middlesex2/14/2023Natalie M. Blais1st Franklin2/19/2023Dylan A. FernandesBarnstable, Dukes and Nantucket3/6/2023 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1051 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3622
18	18	By Representatives Decker of Cambridge and Domb of Amherst, a petition (accompanied by
19	19	bill, House, No. 3622) of Marjorie C. Decker, Mindy Domb and others relative to the health
20	20	impacts and costs of emissions associated with grid electricity and delivered fuels, and the
21	21	benefits of energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy. Public Health.
22	22	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
23	23	SEE HOUSE, NO. 2262 OF 2021-2022.]
24	24	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
25	25	_______________
26	26	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
27	27	(2023-2024)
28	28	_______________
29	29	An Act relative to protecting public health and reducing health care costs.
30	30	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
31	31	of the same, as follows:
32	32	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 111 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
33	33	2section 23 the following section:-
34	34	3 Section 23A. (a) The department, in order to protect public health and contain health care
35	35	4costs in the Commonwealth, shall create an assessment tool to quantify the health impacts and
36	36	5costs of emissions associated with grid electricity and delivered fuels, and the benefits of energy
37	37	6conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy in the Commonwealth. The assessment
38	38	7tool shall separately quantify health impacts and costs of emissions to environmental justice
39	39	8populations, the MassHealth program, community hospitals, the state budget and public health. 2 of 3
40	40	9 In creating the assessment tool, the department shall draw upon relevant agency expertise
41	41	10and resources, including but not be limited to, the Center for Health Information and Analysis,
42	42	11the executive office of health and human services and its MassHealth program, and the division
43	43	12of energy resources. In the design and operation of its assessment tool the department shall build
44	44	13upon existing health impacts assessment tools and analyses, including but not be limited to the
45	45	14health and health cost impacts used in the US Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power
46	46	15Plan, and Co-Benefits Risk Assessment, as well as Health Care Without Harm’s Healthcare
47	47	16Energy Impact Calculator. The assessment tool created by the department shall incorporate and
48	48	17analyze factors that have an impact on health, including but not be limited to, health impacts and
49	49	18costs due to particulate matter < 2.5 microns, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, carbon, carbon
50	50	19dioxide, and mercury emissions from energy sources. The assessment tool created by the
51	51	20department shall generate a breakdown of how the analyzed factors will impact specific
52	52	21measures of health status, including but not be limited to, health impacts costs and savings from
53	53	22premature death, cardiovascular events or injury, chronic bronchitis, asthma, respiratory
54	54	23symptoms, hospital admissions, restricted activity days, lost school and work days, and
55	55	24developmental/neurological problems, or, as applicable, their avoided impacts and cost savings
56	56	25resulting from energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy in the
57	57	26Commonwealth.
58	58	27 (b) The department shall update the tool every 3 years, or as needed, to maintain its
59	59	28accuracy. Beginning not later than 24 months after the effective date of this act, any new or
60	60	29revised policy, regulation, or program of the Commonwealth, or any ruling or adjudication by an
61	61	30agency of the Commonwealth that impacts polluting emissions, especially those for energy, 3 of 3
62	62	31buildings, transportation and waste, shall explicitly factor in the tool's output reflecting the
63	63	32action's health incidents, health costs or avoided impact's savings.
64	64	33 SECTION 2. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, not later than
65	65	3412 months after the effective date of this act, the department of public health shall submit the
66	66	35assessment tool, created pursuant to section 23A of chapter 111, and explanatory materials on its
67	67	36use to the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives, the secretary of the executive
68	68	37office of health and human services, and the secretary of the executive office of energy and
69	69	38environmental affairs.