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H 5518

Amendment H.5518

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

Creates a multi-year funding framework to advance climate resilience, coastal and flood protection, and environmental restoration across Massachusetts.

See S3064
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Bill Summary · H 5518

Summary of Bill H.5518 (194th Massachusetts General Court)

Purpose and overall intent

  • This act establishes a comprehensive climate change adaptation, resiliency, and environmental preservation program for Massachusetts. It is designed to fund projects that protect communities from climate impacts, preserve and enhance environmental and recreational assets, and advance mitigation and adaptation across the state.
  • The program provides new authorizations of funds through sections 2 to 2G, available until June 30, 2032, to support resilience, adaptation, and environmental initiatives.

Key provisions and major funding allocations

  • The bill places significant emphasis on coastal, flood, water quality, habitat restoration, and recreational infrastructure. It directs substantial capital investments to DCR (Department of Conservation and Recreation), DEP (Department of Environmental Protection), and Fish and Game, among others.
  • Representative sample of notable funding areas and items:
    • Land acquisition and stewardship for coastal habitats and inland movement of coastal habitats (40,000,000).
    • Forestry and urban tree planting to mitigate heat islands and support water quality and resilience (20,000,000).
    • Dams, flood control, coastal infrastructure, and related ecological works (308,100,000).
    • Broad DCR and park/recreation infrastructure projects, including bike paths, trails, parks, harbor facilities, and accessibility improvements (various amounts totaling hundreds of millions).
    • PFAS containment, clean water supply investments, and municipal flood risk protection grants (e.g., PFAS-related water investments: 120,000,000; flood risk grants: 75,000,000; oil/hazmat response: 42,000,000).
    • Land conservation, open space, biodiversity, and nature-based climate solutions (e.g., biodiversity grants, land preservation, MassTrails, and related programs totaling substantial sums).
    • Local environmental, recreational, resiliency, and preservation projects with targeted allocations to municipalities and organizations (extensive beneficiary list across cities and towns).
    • Zero Carbon Renovations program to retrofit buildings for energy efficiency and electrification, prioritizing affordable housing, schools, and environmental justice communities (1,000,000).
    • Vulnerability preparedness and municipal resilience grants, including the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program to support vulnerability assessments, resiliency planning, and adaptation strategies (315,000,000).
    • Specific local projects and requirements for reporting, prioritization, and ongoing oversight by affected committees, with semi-annual reporting requirements starting December 31, 2026 for some DEP grants.

Who would be affected

  • A broad set of state agencies, including:
    • Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)
    • Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)
    • Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP)
    • Department of Fish and Game
    • Office of the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs
  • Municipalities, regional planning agencies, land trusts, tribal governments, nonpublic entities, and private landowners would receive grants, loans, or capital support for projects.
  • Communities and residents would benefit through enhanced flood protection, cleaner water, safer coastlines, more resilient infrastructure, expanded parks and trails, and improved access and equity in climate adaptation efforts.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Funding is authorized as part of a dedicated climate resilience and adaptation program and made available until June 30, 2032.
  • The act requires annual or periodic reporting to House and Senate committees on Ways and Means and participating municipalities.
  • Some provisions specify reporting cadence (e.g., semi-annual DEP reports beginning December 31, 2026) and project prioritization criteria, including attention to disadvantaged populations and environmental justice communities.
  • The bill emphasizes coordination across multiple state and local actors to implement capital projects in line with the state hazard mitigation and climate adaptation plan.

Overall, H.5518 would create a large-scale, multi-year funding framework to advance climate resilience, coastal and flood protection, environmental restoration, and related infrastructure and community projects throughout Massachusetts.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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