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