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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3655 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 963
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Richard M. Haggerty
_________________
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 further defining an environmental justice population.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Richard M. Haggerty30th Middlesex1/17/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3655 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 963
By Representative Haggerty of Woburn, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 963) of
Richard M. Haggerty relative to further defining an environmental justice population.
Environment and Natural Resources.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 824 OF 2023-2024.]
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 further defining an environmental justice population.
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 62 of chapter 30 is hereby amended by striking out the definition of
2“Environmental justice population”, as appearing in section 56 of chapter 8 of the acts of 2021,
3and inserting in place thereof the following definition:-
4 “Environmental justice population”, a neighborhood that meets 1 or more of the
5following criteria: (i) the annual median household income is not more than 65 per cent of the
6statewide annual median household income; (ii) minorities comprise 40 per cent or more of the
7population; (iii) 25 per cent or more of households lack English language proficiency; (iv)
8minorities comprise 25 per cent or more of the population and the annual median household
9income of the municipality in which the neighborhood is located does not exceed 150 per cent of
10the statewide annual median household income; or (v) the neighborhood is located within ½ 2 of 2
11mile of a site which is or has previously been designated a Superfund site as defined by 42 USC
12§ 1397h(c)(5); provided, however, that for a neighborhood that does not meet said criteria, but a
13geographic portion of that neighborhood meets at least 1 criterion, the secretary may designate
14that geographic portion as an environmental justice population upon the petition of at least 10
15residents of the geographic portion of that neighborhood meeting any such criteria; provided
16further, that the secretary may determine that a neighborhood, including any geographic portion
17thereof, shall not be designated an environmental justice population upon finding that: (A) the
18annual median household income of that neighborhood is greater than 125 per cent of the
19statewide median household income; (B) a majority of persons age 25 and older in that
20neighborhood have a college education; (C) the neighborhood does not bear an unfair burden of
21environmental pollution; and (D) the neighborhood has more than limited access to natural
22resources, including open spaces and water resources, playgrounds and other constructed outdoor
23recreational facilities and venues.