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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1872 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 121
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Patricia A. Duffy
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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 urban farmland.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Patricia A. Duffy5th Hampden1/15/2025Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/29/2025Mindy Domb3rd Hampshire1/29/2025Joanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and Worcester1/29/2025Steven Ultrino33rd Middlesex1/29/2025Natalie M. Blais1st Franklin1/29/2025Danillo A. Sena37th Middlesex1/29/2025Erika Uyterhoeven27th Middlesex1/29/2025Samantha Montaño15th Suffolk2/5/2025Rodney M. Elliott16th Middlesex2/5/2025James C. Arena-DeRosa8th Middlesex2/12/2025Carlos González10th Hampden2/19/2025Natalie M. Higgins4th Worcester3/4/2025 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1872 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 121
By Representative Duffy of Holyoke, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 121) of
Patricia A. Duffy and others relative to the conversion of vacant lots to farms, community
gardens, and other agricultural enterprises in environmental justice populations OR relative to
urban farmland. 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 relative to urban farmland.
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
2following section:-
3 Section 2EEEEEE. Vacant Lots to Farms Grant Fund
4 (a)Definitions:
5 (i)“Vacant lot”, A property which is not being actively used or occupied and which
6has not been actively used or occupied within the preceding one year. This definition shall not
7apply to property which is undergoing renovations or repairs due to fire or other casualty. For
8purposes of this section, "vacant" also includes abandoned, empty, and/or foreclosed
9property(ies), and underutilized spaces.
10 (b)There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a
11separate fund to be known as the Vacant Lots to Urban Agriculture Fund. The fund shall be 2 of 3
12administered by the department of agricultural resources. The fund shall be credited with: (i)
13revenue from appropriations or other money authorized by the general court and specifically
14designated to be credited to the fund; (ii) interest earned on such revenues; and (iii) funds from
15public and private sources such as gifts, grants and donations. Amounts credited to the fund shall
16not be subject to further appropriation and any money remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal
17year shall not revert to the General Fund; provided, however, that such contributions shall not be
18further restricted by the donor or used by the commonwealth for any other purpose.
19 (c)The purpose of this fund shall be to support the conversion of vacant lots to farms,
20community gardens, and other agricultural enterprises in environmental justice populations, as
21defined in section 62 of chapter 30, in cities, as defined in Chapter section 128 of chapter 43, to
22support increased economic development, food security, and climate and heat resilience in urban
23areas. Priority shall be given to projects that support agricultural education, job training, donation
24of food to food insecure residents, and public engagement. The fund shall make awards as grants
25(i) to municipalities to collaboratively develop urban farming and gardening plans with residents,
26local food system businesses or organizations, and a regional planning agency (ii) to establish a
27pilot program in environmental justice communities, to transition vacant lots into farms,
28community gardens, and other agricultural enterprises (iii) move city-held tax land lien that was
29foreclosed prior to 2021 to agricultural use, (iv) to municipalities or urban agriculture
30organizations or businesses to assist in the purchasing of priority private parcels, and (v) to
31municipalities and an urban farming business or nonprofit organization to purchase or lease land,
32renovate the land, build infrastructure, and assist in farm, community garden, and other
33agricultural enterprise startup costs or (vi) to protect these parcels with a conservation easement. 3 of 3
34 (d)The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations for the administration
35and implementation of subsections (a) and (b).
36 (e)The commissioner shall file an annual report with the house and senate
37committees on ways and means, the joint committee on agriculture, and the clerks of the house
38and the senate on the following: (i) a list of grant applicants and the municipalities in which they
39are located, (ii) a list of grant recipients and the municipalities in which they are located, (iii) the
40amount of funds requested by applicants, (iv) the associated grant amounts, (v) the number of
41environmental justice block groups served by the awards made by the fund.