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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 142 FILED ON: 1/11/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 475
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
James B. Eldridge
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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 :James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and WorcesterMichael O. MooreSecond Worcester1/24/2023Joanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and Worcester1/26/2023Jack Patrick Lewis7th Middlesex1/26/2023Hannah Kane11th Worcester1/26/2023Michael J. BarrettThird Middlesex1/31/2023Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire2/1/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex2/1/2023Jacob R. OliveiraHampden, Hampshire and Worcester2/2/2023Thomas M. Stanley9th Middlesex2/2/2023Kay Khan11th Middlesex2/9/2023Danillo A. Sena37th Middlesex2/23/2023James K. Hawkins2nd Bristol2/24/2023Patricia D. JehlenSecond Middlesex3/3/2023Michael D. BradySecond Plymouth and Norfolk3/4/2023Sal N. DiDomenicoMiddlesex and Suffolk3/10/2023 1 of 2
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 142 FILED ON: 1/11/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 475
By Mr. Eldridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 475) of James B. Eldridge,
Michael O. Moore, Joanne M. Comerford, Jack Patrick Lewis and other members of the General
Court for legislation to maintain adequate water supplies through effective drought management.
Environment and Natural Resources.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 530 OF 2021-2022.]
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 2018 Official Edition, is hereby
2amended by inserting after section 2A the following section:-
3 Section 2B. (a) There shall be established within the office the drought management task
4force. The secretary and the director of the Massachusetts emergency management agency shall
5appoint to the task force officials from state agencies and professional organizations with
6responsibility for areas likely to be affected by drought conditions; representatives of agencies
7that provide data used to assess drought conditions or that have the ability to respond to drought
8conditions; and public health and safety and environmental professionals, and may invite
9officials from federal agencies to participate. The secretary and the director shall have joint 2 of 2
10responsibility for coordinating the task force. The task force shall meet at least monthly during
11drought. The task force shall be staffed by a director appointed by the secretary.
12 (b) The task force shall assist in collecting and assessing technical information,
13facilitating coordination and communication among task force members, agencies and the public,
14and provide recommendations to the secretary, the secretary of public safety and security and the
15governor on the level of drought and responses thereto. The task force shall also make
16recommendations for the end of drought, or reduction of the drought level.
17 (c) The task force shall maintain and periodically update a statewide drought
18management plan that addresses preparedness and response to drought conditions and protects
19public health, public safety, and the environment. The task force may update the statewide
20drought management plan at any time; provided, that the plan shall be reviewed every 5 years,
21and updated at least every 10 years. The drought management plan must be approved by the
22Water Resources Commission.
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.