Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H2389 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2146 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2389
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Marjorie C. Decker and Mindy Domb
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to protecting public health and reducing health care costs.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Marjorie C. Decker25th Middlesex1/15/2025 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2146 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2389
18	18	By Representatives Decker of Cambridge and Domb of Amherst, a petition (accompanied by
19	19	bill, House, No. 2389) of Marjorie C. Decker relative to the health impacts and costs of
20	20	emissions associated with grid electricity and delivered fuels, and the benefits of energy
21	21	conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy. Public Health.
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
25	25	(2025-2026)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act relative to protecting public health and reducing health care costs.
28	28	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
29	29	of the same, as follows:
30	30	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 111 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
31	31	2section 23 the following section:-
32	32	3 Section 23A. (a) The department, in order to protect public health and contain health care
33	33	4costs in the Commonwealth, shall create an assessment tool to quantify the health impacts and
34	34	5costs of emissions associated with grid electricity and delivered fuels, and the benefits of energy
35	35	6conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy in the Commonwealth. The assessment
36	36	7tool shall separately quantify health impacts and costs of emissions to environmental justice
37	37	8populations, the MassHealth program, community hospitals, the state budget and public health.
38	38	9 In creating the assessment tool, the department shall draw upon relevant agency expertise
39	39	10and resources, including but not be limited to, the Center for Health Information and Analysis,
40	40	11the executive office of health and human services and its MassHealth program, and the division 2 of 3
41	41	12of energy resources. In the design and operation of its assessment tool the department shall build
42	42	13upon existing health impacts assessment tools and analyses, including but not be limited to the
43	43	14health and health cost impacts used in the US Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power
44	44	15Plan, and Co-Benefits Risk Assessment, as well as Health Care Without Harm’s Healthcare
45	45	16Energy Impact Calculator. The assessment tool created by the department shall incorporate and
46	46	17analyze factors that have an impact on health, including but not be limited to, health impacts and
47	47	18costs due to particulate matter < 2.5 microns, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, carbon, carbon
48	48	19dioxide, and mercury emissions from energy sources. The assessment tool created by the
49	49	20department shall generate a breakdown of how the analyzed factors will impact specific
50	50	21measures of health status, including but not be limited to, health impacts costs and savings from
51	51	22premature death, cardiovascular events or injury, chronic bronchitis, asthma, respiratory
52	52	23symptoms, hospital admissions, restricted activity days, lost school and work days, and
53	53	24developmental/neurological problems, or, as applicable, their avoided impacts and cost savings
54	54	25resulting from energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy in the
55	55	26Commonwealth.
56	56	27 (b) The department shall update the tool every 3 years, or as needed, to maintain its
57	57	28accuracy. Beginning not later than 24 months after the effective date of this act, any new or
58	58	29revised policy, regulation, or program of the Commonwealth, or any ruling or adjudication by an
59	59	30agency of the Commonwealth that impacts polluting emissions, especially those for energy,
60	60	31buildings, transportation and waste, shall explicitly factor in the tool's output reflecting the
61	61	32action's health incidents, health costs or avoided impact's savings.
62	62	33 SECTION 2. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, not later than
63	63	3412 months after the effective date of this act, the department of public health shall submit the 3 of 3
64	64	35assessment tool, created pursuant to section 23A of chapter 111, and explanatory materials on its
65	65	36use to the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives, the secretary of the executive
66	66	37office of health and human services, and the secretary of the executive office of energy and
67	67	38environmental affairs.