Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H935 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. 3589 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 935
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Michelle M. DuBois
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 limiting toxics release inventory facilities in environmental justice communities.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Michelle M. DuBois10th Plymouth1/17/2025 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3589 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 935
18	18	By Representative DuBois of Brockton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 935) of
19	19	Michelle M. DuBois relative to decreasing the siting or expansion of toxics release inventory
20	20	facilities within certain low income or minority populated neighborhoods. Environment and
21	21	Natural Resources.
22	22	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
23	23	SEE HOUSE, NO. 789 OF 2023-2024.]
24	24	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
25	25	_______________
26	26	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
27	27	(2025-2026)
28	28	_______________
29	29	An Act limiting toxics release inventory facilities in environmental justice communities.
30	30	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
31	31	of the same, as follows:
32	32	1 Chapter 30 of the General Laws, as so appearing in the 2020 official edition, is hereby
33	33	2amended by inserting the following sections:-
34	34	3 Section 62J. As used in this section and in section 62K, the following definitions shall
35	35	4apply, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
36	36	5 "Equal Protection," that no group of people, because of race, ethnicity, class, gender,
37	37	6gender identity, or handicap bears an unfair share of environmental pollution from industrial,
38	38	7commercial, state and municipal operations or have limited access to natural resources, including
39	39	8waterfronts, parks and open space, and water resources. 2 of 3
40	40	9 “Executive Office of EEA,” the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
41	41	10 "Lacking English Language Proficiency" refers to households that, according to federal
42	42	11census forms, do not have an adult proficient in English.
43	43	12 “Environmental justice population,” as defined in the Acts of 2021, section 56, chapter 8.
44	44	13 “Secretary of EEA,” the Secretary for Energy and Environmental Affairs.
45	45	14 “Toxics Release Inventory,” the Toxics Release Inventory and Toxics Release Inventory
46	46	15Program of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
47	47	16 “TRI Facility,” any industrial or commercial facility subject to the regulations, policies,
48	48	17or reporting requirements of the Toxics Release Inventory Program of the United States
49	49	18Environmental Protection Agency or comparable laws or regulations of the Commonwealth for
50	50	19the management and control of pollutants or toxins that pose a significant risk to public health or
51	51	20the environment.
52	52	21 Section 62K. The Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
53	53	22shall direct each Department, Board, or other agency or program in the Secretariat with
54	54	23jurisdiction over the permitting of any TRI Facility to issue recommendations for ways to
55	55	24substantially decrease the further siting or expansion of TRI Facilities within Environmental
56	56	25Justice Populations neighborhoods. This action shall be undertaken by the Secretary of EEA no
57	57	26later than 30 days after the bill’s passage.
58	58	27 By no later than 180 days after the effective date of this Act, the Secretary of EEA shall
59	59	28initiate a rule-making process that shall establish a cap on the total number of TRI Facilities that
60	60	29may be sited or expanded within any Environmental Justice Population neighborhood. That rule- 3 of 3
61	61	30making process shall prioritize and give substantial weight to achieving a substantial reduction of
62	62	31the risk of the exposure of residents of the neighborhood to toxins listed in the TRI Inventory and
63	63	32shall prioritize and give substantial weight to providing and preserving the access of the residents
64	64	33of the neighborhood to a clean and healthful environment regardless of race, income, national
65	65	34origin or English language proficiency.