Bill
S 541
Massachusetts would create a centralized Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all-hazards preparedness, response, and recovery across state, local, and private partners.
Note on inconsistencies in source materials
- The metadata provided contains conflicting titles and sponsor lists (e.g., a title referencing life‑sentences, an “ELITE Vehicles Act” name, and several federal senators listed as cosponsors). Those items appear to be errors or mixed records. The bill text and docket (Senate No. 541 / SD 2390) filed by Senator Barry R. Finegold focuses on reorganizing and modernizing Massachusetts’ emergency management system. This summary is based on the bill text excerpt establishing a new Chapter 22F.
Purpose and intent
- Establish a modern, centralized Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) within the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security to coordinate preparedness, response, mitigation and recovery from all‑hazards emergencies across federal, state, local, voluntary and private sectors.
Key provisions (from inserted Chapter 22F and repeal)
- Repeals Section 64 of Chapter 22C and inserts new Chapter 22F — “Massachusetts emergency management agency.”
- Definitions: defines “agency,” “director,” “emergency,” “emergency management functions,” “emergency response worker,” “emergency shelter,” “nuclear power plant areas,” “political subdivision,” and “secretary.”
- Agency duties: develop and maintain all‑hazards emergency response plans; train emergency personnel; provide public information; coordinate state response; deploy subject‑matter expertise and resources to incidents; and assist individuals, families, businesses and communities with preparation, mitigation, response and recovery.
- Scope of “emergency management functions”: explicitly includes firefighting, police, medical and public health, search and rescue, engineering, communications among responders, evacuation, radiological/chemical/other special‑weapons responses, emergency transportation, temporary utility restoration, emergency welfare services, public information dissemination, animal protection, volunteer/donation coordination, and similar functions. Excludes functions primarily assigned to non‑National Guard military forces.
- Director of Emergency Management:
- Appointed by the governor on the secretary’s recommendation; must be qualified by training and experience.
- Serves as agency executive and governor’s principal assistant on emergency management; devotes full time to duties and may not hold other public office.
- Position classified under Chapter 30 (sections 45 and 46C) for salary and classification.
- Director may appoint experts/assistants (employees are excepted from Chapter 31 civil service), accept grants/gifts (with secretary approval), organize the agency into departments/divisions, and make necessary expenditures subject to available funding.
- Emergency Management Advisory Council:
- Council to advise governor, secretary and director.
- Composition: the director plus at least eight members with emergency‑management experience; at least four must be local emergency management directors, at least one from a non‑profit emergency services organization, and at least one from the private sector.
- Appointments recommended by the director and made by the governor; terms of three years with a two‑term limit (excerpt truncated).
Who would be affected
- State executive branch (creation of a central agency and director role).
- Municipalities and local emergency management directors (formal coordination role and representation on advisory council).
- First responders, public safety agencies, public health entities, volunteer organizations, private sector partners, and communities within nuclear power plant radii and other hazard zones.
- Potentially state civil service structures (director’s direct hires are exempt from Chapter 31).
Procedural status and timeline (as provided)
- Filed (Senate Docket No. 2390) / Senate No. 541 — Presented by Barry R. Finegold.
- Introduced in Senate: 2025-02-12; read twice and referred to Committee on Finance; also referred to the Committee on Emergency Preparedness and Management.
- Hearing scheduled (per record): 2025-10-22, 1:00 PM–5:00 PM (A‑2).
- Text excerpt is truncated and the bill appears to be longer (indicated pagination 1 of 25); additional operational, funding, reporting, liability, intergovernmental coordination, and implementation provisions may appear later in the full bill.
Potential impacts and considerations
- Centralizes and clarifies state emergency management authority and coordination, which may improve preparedness and response consistency across jurisdictions.
- Enables the director to rapidly accept grants and structure agency staffing, but civil‑service exemptions and new authorities could raise questions about oversight, funding, and accountability—fiscal impacts are not specified in the excerpt.
- Municipal emergency managers gain formal representation in state advisory structures; first responders and volunteer organizations could see expanded coordination and standards.
- Full assessment requires review of the complete bill text for funding provisions, implementation timelines, interagency duties, and any changes to liability or procurement rules.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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