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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2487 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 738
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Lindsay N. Sabadosa and Joanne M. Comerford
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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
resolve:
Resolve providing for an investigation and study by a special commission relative to the
existential threats posed by nuclear weapons and climate change to the commonwealth of
Massachusetts.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/19/2023Joanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and Worcester1/19/2023Jack Patrick Lewis7th Middlesex2/6/2023Erika Uyterhoeven27th Middlesex2/22/2023Natalie M. Higgins4th Worcester2/23/2023David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf17th Worcester2/23/2023Patrick Joseph Kearney4th Plymouth2/28/2023 1 of 4
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2487 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 738
By Representative Sabadosa of Northampton and Senator Comerford, a joint petition
(accompanied by resolve, House, No. 738) of Lindsay N. Sabadosa, Joanne M. Comerford and
others for an investigation by a special commission relative to threats posed by nuclear weapons
and climate change. Emergency Preparedness and Management.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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Resolve providing for an investigation and study by a special commission relative to the
existential threats posed by nuclear weapons and climate change to the commonwealth of
Massachusetts.
1 Resolved, that there shall be a special citizens commission to investigate and make
2recommendations regarding the transition away from the development and production of nuclear
3weapons within the commonwealth towards the development and production of green
4technologies needed to address the climate emergency;
5 The citizens commission shall investigate and report on the extent to which jobs,
6businesses and communities in the commonwealth are dependent on the development and
7production of nuclear weapons and the extent to which funds under the control of the
8commonwealth are invested in those activities. The commission shall further investigate and
9make recommendations regarding any financial or legal measures that may assist or encourage
10the transition from nuclear weapons-related jobs and activities taking place within the
11commonwealth to jobs and activities that instead directly address the climate emergency. The
12commission shall determine what assistance from the federal government would be needed to 2 of 4
13implement its recommendations and how Massachusetts as a state might leverage the federal
14government to provide such assistance.
15 The citizens commission shall consist of 11 United States citizens who are residents of
16Massachusetts, 1 of whom shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; 1 of
17whom shall be appointed by the senate president; 1 of whom shall be appointed by the secretary
18of the commonwealth; 1 of whom shall be appointed by the attorney general; and 7 of whom
19shall be appointed by the governor, of whom 6 shall be selected by the governor from a group of
2010 individuals nominated by the Massachusetts Warheads to Windmills Coalition, a statewide
21coalition of peace and environmental organizations that includes Massachusetts Peace Action,
22Inc., Climate Action Now, 350 Mass, Massachusetts Interfaith Power and Light, Inc., Greater
23Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility and others; provided, however, that all appointments
24shall be made from a list of applicants who have publicly applied for such appointment. The
25governor’s office shall post all applications on a webpage, established for the public knowledge
26and oversight of the appointment to and operation of the commission. No person may be
27appointed to the commission who is a current employee of any company or military installation
28involved in the development, production or maintenance of nuclear weapons.
29 An application to serve on the commission shall state: (i) the intent of the applicant to
30comply with and advance the policy established by this resolve; (ii) the applicant’s qualifications
31and interest in serving on the commission; (iii) the city or town in which the applicant resides;
32and (iv) the employment of the applicant, if employed. The governor shall post the appointment
33opportunity on the official website of the commonwealth within 30 days of the effective date of
34this resolve. All applications for service on the commission shall be submitted within 30 days of
35the posting of the appointment opportunity. 3 of 4
36 All appointments shall be made no sooner than 90 days and no later than 120 days
37following the effective date of this resolve. In making appointments to the commission, the
38speaker of the house of representatives, senate president, secretary of the commonwealth,
39attorney general and governor shall consider the range of expertise needed on the commission,
40and shall seek to ensure that the commission reflects a range of geographical and demographic
41backgrounds. Appointees to the commission shall serve without compensation.
42 The governor’s initial appointee shall convene the first meeting of the commission no
43later than 30 days after the appointment of the final member of the commission. Members of the
44commission shall, at their first meeting, elect a chair or co-chairs, as the members of the
45commission may decide by majority vote. The commission shall meet on a regular basis to
46research and to gather evidence, testimony and advice in the manner that the members of the
47commission determine is most conducive to achieving the objectives of this resolve; provided,
48however, that the commission proceedings and activities shall be subject to the open meeting law
49established by sections 18 to 25, inclusive, of chapter 30A of the General Laws and shall be
50considered public records as defined in clause Twenty-sixth of section 7 of chapter 4 of the
51General Laws; and provided further, that all residents of Massachusetts have a reasonable
52opportunity to offer their views and ideas related to the policies herein to the commission.
53 The commission shall hold at least 5 public hearings in different parts of the
54commonwealth to inform citizens and legislators about the humanitarian consequences to the
55commonwealth resulting from any possible use of nuclear weapons and the implications of the
56Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, including but not limited to a full appraisal of
57how jobs, technologies and industries currently devoted to nuclear weapons within the 4 of 4
58commonwealth are likely to be affected by the Treaty and the options for converting these to jobs
59and activities that instead address the climate emergency.
60 The commission shall report the results of its investigation and study and its
61recommendations, if any, together with drafts of legislation necessary to carry its
62recommendations into effect, by filing the same with the clerk of the house of representatives
63and clerk of the senate, with copies to the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and all
64members of the Massachusetts federal congressional delegation, on or before December 31,
652025. The report may include recommendations for specific legislation aimed at reducing the
66exposure of private companies and public institutions within the commonwealth to the legislative
67risk of investing in nuclear weapons. The report may also include recommendations for the
68effective transferal of human and financial resources within the commonwealth away from the
69nuclear weapons business and towards the global effort to address the climate emergency.