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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1557 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 861
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Joan Meschino
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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 relative to maintaining adequate water supplies through effective drought management.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Joan Meschino3rd Plymouth1/9/2023Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/24/2023Tram T. Nguyen18th Essex1/24/2023Steven Owens29th Middlesex1/24/2023Hannah Kane11th Worcester1/25/2023Steven Ultrino33rd Middlesex1/25/2023Jack Patrick Lewis7th Middlesex1/25/2023Joanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and Worcester1/26/2023Samantha Montaño15th Suffolk1/26/2023Ruth B. Balser12th Middlesex1/27/2023Aaron L. Saunders7th Hampden1/31/2023Jacob R. OliveiraHampden, Hampshire and Worcester2/2/2023Thomas M. Stanley9th Middlesex2/2/2023David M. Rogers24th Middlesex2/3/2023Mary S. Keefe15th Worcester2/6/2023Susan Williams Gifford2nd Plymouth2/7/2023Paul McMurtry11th Norfolk2/8/2023Kay Khan11th Middlesex2/8/2023 2 of 2
Sally P. Kerans13th Essex2/13/2023Denise C. Garlick13th Norfolk2/15/2023Simon Cataldo14th Middlesex2/15/2023James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/19/2023James K. Hawkins2nd Bristol2/23/2023Bradley H. Jones, Jr.20th Middlesex2/24/2023Patrick Joseph Kearney4th Plymouth2/28/2023William C. Galvin6th Norfolk3/1/2023David Paul Linsky5th Middlesex3/6/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1557 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 861
By Representative Meschino of Hull, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 861) of Joan
Meschino and others relative to maintaining adequate water supplies through effective drought
management. Environment and Natural Resources.
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 relative to maintaining adequate water supplies through effective drought management.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Chapter 21A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby
2amended by inserting after section 2A the following section:-
3 Section 2B.
4 (a) There shall be established within the office the drought management task force. The
5secretary and the director of the Massachusetts emergency management agency shall appoint to
6the task force officials from state agencies and professional organizations with responsibility for
7areas likely to be affected by drought conditions; representatives of agencies that provide data
8used to assess drought conditions or that have the ability to respond to drought conditions; and
9public health and safety and environmental professionals, and may invite officials from federal
10agencies to participate. The secretary and the director shall have joint responsibility for
11coordinating the task force. The task force shall meet at least quarterly, but it shall meet at least
12monthly during drought. The task force shall be staffed by a director appointed by the secretary. 2 of 2
13 (b) The task force shall assist in collecting and assessing technical information,
14facilitating coordination and communication among task force members, agencies and the public,
15and provide recommendations to the secretary, the secretary of public safety and security and the
16governor on the level of drought and responses thereto. The task force shall also make
17recommendations for the end of drought, or reduction of the drought level.
18 (c) The task force shall maintain and periodically update a statewide drought
19management plan that addresses preparedness and response to drought conditions and protects
20public health, public safety, and the environment. The task force may update the statewide
21drought management plan at any time; provided, that the plan shall be updated at least every 5
22years.
23 (d) The secretary may order water conservation measures, including limits on
24nonessential outdoor water use, based on the severity of drought in drought regions to protect
25public health, safety or the environment. Such water conservation measures by the secretary shall
26apply uniformly to all water users within a drought region.
27 (e) Notwithstanding section 27C of chapter 29 of the General Laws or any ordinance, by-
28law, rule or regulation to the contrary, cities and towns shall enforce, water conservation
29restrictions issued by the secretary to the fullest extent permitted by law.