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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 50 FILED ON: 1/10/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 578
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Bruce E. Tarr
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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 :Bruce E. TarrFirst Essex and MiddlesexSal N. DiDomenicoMiddlesex and Suffolk3/9/2023 1 of 2
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 50 FILED ON: 1/10/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 578
By Mr. Tarr, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 578) of Bruce E. Tarr and Sal N.
DiDomenico for legislation to maintain adequate water supplies through effective drought
management. Environment and Natural Resources.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 535 OF 2019-2020.]
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 SECTION 1. Chapter 21A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official
2Edition, is hereby amended 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
10responsibility for coordinating the task force. The task force shall meet at least quarterly, but it 2 of 2
11shall meet at least monthly during drought. The task force shall be staffed by a director appointed
12by the secretary.
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 secretary may order water conservation measures, including limits on
19nonessential outdoor water use, based on the severity of drought in drought regions to protect
20public health, safety or the environment. Such water conservation measures by the secretary shall
21apply uniformly to all water users within a drought region.
22 (d) Notwithstanding section 27C of chapter 29 of the General Laws or any ordinance, by-
23law, rule or regulation to the contrary, cities and towns shall enforce, water conservation
24restrictions issued by the secretary to the fullest extent permitted by law.