| 1 | 1 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . No. 4562 |
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| 2 | 2 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 3 | 3 | | ________________________________________ |
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| 4 | 4 | | HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES , April 22, 2024. |
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| 5 | 5 | | The committee on Environment and Natural Resources, to whom was |
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| 6 | 6 | | referred the petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 843) of Mary S. |
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| 7 | 7 | | Keefe and others for an investigation by a special commission (including |
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| 8 | 8 | | members of the General Court) relative to opportunities for improving |
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| 9 | 9 | | pollinator health, reports recommending that the accompanying bill |
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| 10 | 10 | | (House, No. 4562) ought to pass. |
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| 11 | 11 | | For the committee, |
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| 12 | 12 | | DANIEL CAHILL. 1 of 2 |
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| 13 | 13 | | FILED ON: 4/12/2024 |
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| 14 | 14 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 4562 |
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| 15 | 15 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 16 | 16 | | _______________ |
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| 17 | 17 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2023-2024) |
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| 19 | 19 | | _______________ |
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| 20 | 20 | | An Act to protect pollinator habitat. |
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| 21 | 21 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 22 | 22 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 23 | 23 | | 1 Section 1. (a) There shall be a special commission established to study statewide |
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| 24 | 24 | | 2opportunities for improving pollinator health by increasing and enhancing native pollinator |
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| 25 | 25 | | 3habitat. The commission shall focus on identifying statewide opportunities for enhancing and |
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| 26 | 26 | | 4expanding pollinator habitat in both developed and natural areas such as farm field borders, |
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| 27 | 27 | | 5forest borders, residential areas, parks, urban areas, industrial areas, energy transmission |
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| 28 | 28 | | 6corridors, energy generating facilities and transportation corridors. The commission shall |
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| 29 | 29 | | 7consider enhancing and expanding pollinator habitat for a broad range of native and managed |
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| 30 | 30 | | 8pollinators including but not limited to wild and managed bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, ants, |
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| 31 | 31 | | 9bats and birds. The commission shall report its findings, including any proposed legislation, to |
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| 32 | 32 | | 10the house and senate committees on ways and means, and the joint committee on environment |
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| 33 | 33 | | 11and natural resources no later than May 1, 2025. |
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| 34 | 34 | | 12 The commission shall consist of 11 members including: 1 member of the house of |
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| 35 | 35 | | 13representatives, without a designating party; 1 member of the senate, without a designating party; |
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| 36 | 36 | | 14the secretary of energy and environmental affairs or a designee, who shall serve as chair; the 2 of 2 |
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| 37 | 37 | | 15commissioner of the division of fisheries and wildlife, or a designee; the commissioner of the |
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| 38 | 38 | | 16department of agricultural resources, or a designee; and 6 members appointed by the governor: 1 |
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| 39 | 39 | | 17of whom shall be a university of massachusetts faculty member specializing in the science of |
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| 40 | 40 | | 18pollinator health; 1 of whom shall be a representative of the university of massachusetts |
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| 41 | 41 | | 19extension with knowledge in crops which rely on pollinators and pollinator health; 1 of whom |
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| 42 | 42 | | 20shall represent an advocacy group for farmers; 1 of whom shall be a beekeeper representing a |
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| 43 | 43 | | 21regional or statewide beekeeping organization; 1 of whom shall represent an advocacy group for |
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| 44 | 44 | | 22nurseries; and 1 of whom shall represent a membership based non-profit advocacy group |
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| 45 | 45 | | 23dedicated to land protection. |
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| 46 | 46 | | 24 (b) The special commission shall examine issues relevant to pollinator health, including: |
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| 47 | 47 | | 25(i) identifying current laws and regulations in the commonwealth and other states and countries |
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| 48 | 48 | | 26related to protecting pollinators and pollinator health; (ii) studying public education and outreach |
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| 49 | 49 | | 27plans regarding pollinator habitat that have been successful in other states; (iii) identifying |
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| 50 | 50 | | 28adequacy of funding for efforts to promote or protect pollinator habitat; (iv) investigating the |
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| 51 | 51 | | 29means used by other states to gather data on populations of pollinators; (v) evaluating existing |
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| 52 | 52 | | 30best management practices for promoting pollinator health including, but not limited to, foraging |
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| 53 | 53 | | 31and proper food source diversity; (vi) studying the use of agricultural and nonagricultural lands, |
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| 54 | 54 | | 32such as transportation corridors, energy transmission corridors, parks, and working forests, and |
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| 55 | 55 | | 33how they may be used to provide pollinator forage and unique opportunities to increase |
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| 56 | 56 | | 34pollinator populations; (vii) research and identify ways to expand and coordinate public |
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| 57 | 57 | | 35education programs outlining steps individuals and businesses can take to help address the loss |
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| 58 | 58 | | 36of pollinator habitat. |
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