SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1832        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 524

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Marc R. Pacheco

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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 2030, 2040, and 2050 emissions limits.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1832        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 524

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 479 OF 2017-2018.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

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An Act relative to 2030, 2040, and 2050 emissions limits.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Subsection (b) of section 3 of said chapter 21N, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out clauses (2) and (3) and inserting in place thereof the following 2 clauses:-  (2) a 2030 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit accompanied by plans to achieve this limit in accordance with said section 4; provided, however, that the 2030 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit shall maximize the ability of the commonwealth to meet the 2050 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit; (3) a 2040 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit accompanied by plans to achieve this limit in accordance with said section 4; provided, however, that the 2040 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit shall maximize the ability of the commonwealth to meet the 2050 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit.

SECTION 2. Subsection (a) of section 4 of said chapter 21N, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the first sentence the following 2 sentences:- The secretary shall further adopt the 2030 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit pursuant to clause (2) of subsection (b) of section 3, which shall be not less than 50 per cent below the 1990 emissions level and shall plan to achieve that reduction pursuant to subsection (h) of section 4. The secretary shall further adopt the 2040 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit pursuant to clause (3) of said subsection (b) of said section 3, which shall be not less than 75 per cent below the 1990 emissions level and shall plan to achieve that reduction pursuant to said subsection (h) of said section 4.

SECTION 3. Said subsection (a) of said section 4 of said chapter 21N, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out the last sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:-  The 2020, 2030 and 2040 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits and implementation plans shall comply with this section.

SECTION 4. Said section 4 of said chapter 21N, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 17, the word "limit” and inserting in place thereof the following word:-  limits.

SECTION 5. Said section 4 of said chapter 21N, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 29, the word “shall” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- , in consultation with the department of public health, shall.

SECTION 6. Said section 4 of said chapter 21N, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 42, the words "emission limit and implementing plan" and inserting in place thereof the following words:-  , 2030 and 2040 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits and implementing plans.

SECTION 7. Said section 4 of said chapter 21N, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out subsection (h) and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:-

(h) The secretary shall issue a 2050 emissions reduction plan that shall describe in detail the commonwealth’s actions and methods for achieving the 2030, 2040 and 2050 emissions limit required by subsection (b) of section 3. The 2050 emissions reduction plan shall: (i) address all sources and categories of sources that emit greenhouse gas emissions; (ii) take into account the imposition of market-based compliance mechanisms required in section 7A; (iii) indicate for each source or category of sources how, to what extent and when the commonwealth will act to reduce its emissions in order to achieve the 2050 emissions limit required by said subsection (b) of said section 3; and (iv)  include or be accompanied by any analysis quantitatively assessing proposed and planned actions, methods, regulations and programs designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for their economic, environmental and public health impacts, particularly those that may benefit or burden low-income or moderate-income people. The 2050 emission reduction plan shall be developed following public hearings. The secretary shall evaluate, adjust if necessary and publish updates to the 2050 emissions reduction plan not less than once every 30 months, including assessments of the effectiveness, to date, of all actions, methods, regulations and programs designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the extent to which the actions, methods, regulations and programs disproportionately impact low-income households and minimize administrative burdens and leakage.

SECTION 8. Subpart (4) of subsection (b) of section 3 of chapter 21N of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking it out and inserting in place thereof the following:- (4) a 2050 statewide emissions limit that achieves at least net zero statewide greenhouse gas emissions.

SECTION 9. Section 16 of chapter 298 of the acts of 2008 is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 3 and 4, the words “, and shall expire on December 31, 2020”.