CLIMATE LEGISLATION

The following is the list of climate-related legislation for the 2025-2026 session. In addition to these bills, we have also cosponsored many climate related bills. To read the full text of the bill, click on the bill name.

An Act to incentivize the adoption of local climate resilience policies

The bill establishes a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Plus (MVP Plus) program, providing grants to certified municipalities for climate resilience projects and personnel. To qualify, municipalities must complete a vulnerability assessment, adopt a resilience code, and implement key climate resilience measures. A new Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Trust Fund will finance the program, with funds distributed based on factors like population size and flood risk. The bill also mandates the creation of a specialized stretch resilience code for construction, incorporating forward-looking climate data and ensuring communities are prepared for extreme weather and flooding.

An Act to protect pollinators and public health

The bill defines neonicotinoids as a class of pesticides that includes chemicals like imidacloprid and thiamethoxam. Starting January 1, 2029, agricultural seeds for corn, wheat, and soybean treated with neonicotinoids cannot be sold or used without a waiver from the department. To obtain a waiver, users must complete pest management training, submit a pest risk assessment, and demonstrate that using neonicotinoid-treated seeds is necessary and environmentally safe. Waivers will be issued on a case-by-case basis, specifying the scope and duration, and will be publicly available online.

An Act to encourage solar development on buildings and disturbed land

The bill amends the definition of Class III net metering facility to allow solar facilities on built land with a generating capacity between 1 and 5 megawatts. It defines disturbed land and built land to include areas like parking lots and brownfields, where solar installations can occur. The bill exempts certain net metering facilities on built land from capacity limits and regulatory requirements, allowing them to accrue Class II net metering credits. Additionally, it mandates the Department of Energy Resources to revise solar incentives for built land, investigate funding for solar deployment on such land, and create an incentive for roof repairs as part of rooftop solar projects, particularly in environmental justice communities, by December 2025. Filed with Rep. Garballey.

An Act clarifying the definition of agriculture

The bill amends MGL 128 Section 1a to include "the growing and cultivation of both hemp and marijuana" alongside "floricultural or horticultural commodities." This expands the scope of agricultural activities covered under the section. The change acknowledges hemp and marijuana as part of the horticultural industry. The amendment reflects the evolving agricultural landscape to include these crops.