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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1796 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 119
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Mindy Domb
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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 to address the impact of climate change on farms and fisheries.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Mindy Domb3rd Hampshire1/15/2025 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1796 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 119
By Representative Domb of Amherst, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 119) of Mindy
Domb for legislation to establish a separate fund to be known as the agriculture and fishery
vulnerability preparedness grant fund to address the impact of climate change on farms and
fisheries. Agriculture.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act to address the impact of climate change on farms and fisheries.
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 29 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following
2section:-
3 Section 2RRRRR. Agriculture and Fishery Vulnerability Preparedness Grant Fund
4 (a) There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate
5fund to be known as the Agriculture and Fishery Vulnerability Preparedness Grant Fund. The
6fund shall be administered by the secretary of energy and environmental affairs, in consultation
7with the commissioner of the department of agricultural resources and the commissioner of the
8department of fish and game. The fund shall be credited with: (i) revenue from appropriations or
9other money authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the
10fund; (ii) interest earned on such revenues; and (iii) funds from public and private sources such
11as gifts, grants and donations. Amounts credited to the fund shall not be subject to further 2 of 3
12appropriation and any money remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to
13the General Fund; provided, however, that such contributions shall not be further restricted by the
14donor or used by the commonwealth for any other purpose. Any bond proceeds deposited into
15the fund shall be kept separate from any and all other funds deposited into the fund.
16 (b) The public purpose of this fund shall be to administer the agriculture and fishery
17vulnerability preparedness grant program to support farms and fisheries in Massachusetts to
18engage in the process of (i) planning climate change adaptation and resiliency initiatives, (ii)
19seeking resources to support implementation, and (iii) implementing priority projects. In
20furtherance of this public purpose, the secretary, in consultation with the departments, shall
21administer the fund as grants to farms and fisheries to support controlled climate growing,
22energy efficiency, renewable energy, climate resilient management practices, nature-based
23solutions to climate impacts, infrastructure needs to support climate resilience, development and
24implementation of data collection and monitoring to measure the impact of these investments,
25and other eligible purposes as determined by the secretary and the commissioners.
26 (c) Program funds may also be used to establish and provide technical assistance to
27support farms and fisheries to prioritize and submit applications, plan climate change adaptation
28and resiliency initiatives, and identify and seek funding sources to support project
29implementation.
30 (d) Program funds shall be awarded to applicants from each eligible sector as categorized
31by farm or fishery proportionate to the amount of funds requested by applicants in each eligible
32sector. 3 of 3
33 (e) The secretary shall promulgate rules and regulations for the administration and
34implementation of subsections (a) and (b). The secretary shall file any policies, rules and
35regulations with the joint committee on agriculture for review and comment at least 30 days
36before the effective date of the policies, rules or regulations.
37 (f) The secretary shall file a quarterly report with the house and senate committees on
38ways and means, the joint committee on agriculture, and the clerks of the house and the senate
39on the following: (i) a list of grant applicants and the counties in which they are located, (ii) list
40of grant recipients and the counties in which they are located, (iii) the amount of funds requested
41by applicants, (iv) the associated grant amounts, (v) the applicant’s sector as categorized by farm
42or fishery, (vi) an annual statement detailing the sources and uses of funds, (vii) a forecast of
43future payments based on current binding obligations, and (viii) a detailed breakdown of the
44purposes and amounts of administrative costs charged to the fund. The report shall include a
45description of technical assistance services provided as part of this program.
46 SECTION 2. Section 1 shall take effect immediately upon the passage of this act.