SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1914        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Rebecca L. Rausch

_________________

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 to empower communities against environmental damage.

_______________

PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1914        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

_______________

An Act to empower communities against environmental damage.

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

Chapter 214 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 7A the following section:-

Section 7B. (a) There shall be a task force known as the environmental enforcement task force. The task force shall consist of: the secretary of energy and environmental affairs or a designee, who shall serve as co-chair; the attorney general, or a designee, who shall serve as co-chair; the commissioner of the department of environmental protection, or a designee; the commissioner of the department of utilities, or a designee; the commissioner of the department of fish and game, or a designee; the colonel of the Massachusetts environmental police, or a designee; the chairs of the joint committee on the judiciary, or their designees; the chairs of the joint committee on environment and natural resources, or their designees; the chief justice of supreme judicial court, or a designee; someone from the Massachusetts Bar Association, or a designee; an individual experienced in environmental law enforcement; and an individual with experience representing environmental justice communities in legal proceedings. The chair may invite officials from other state or federal agencies to provide legal and technical input and shall have responsibility for coordinating the task force. The task force shall convene its first meeting no later than December 2025. The task force shall meet not less than monthly. 

(b) The task force shall: (i) study the commonwealth’s capacity to enforce environmental laws; (ii) developments in case law that have impacted the ability of individuals to enforce state and federal environmental laws; (iii) identify state agency enforcement needs; (iv) study the scope and use of civil actions under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 214, Section 7A; (v) identify challenges, including but not limited to financial barriers, facing individuals in bringing a civil action; and (vi) make recommendations to improve the environmental enforcement process in the commonwealth, including improving access to the civil action process, in order to limit damage to the environment. 

(c) The task force shall file its findings, recommendations and accompanying legislation, if any, with the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, the joint committee on the judiciary and the joint committee on environment and natural resources not later than December 31, 2026.