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Bill

H 4420

Corey Bedenbaugh, 2026 SC Teacher of the Year

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Terry Alexander and 122 co-sponsors

Creates a dedicated, non-reverting fund to fund grants and technical support for climate adaptation in Massachusetts farms and fisheries.

Introduced and adopted
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Bill Summary · H 4420

Summary of H.4420: An Act to address the impact of climate change on farms and fisheries

Purpose and intent

  • Establish a dedicated, non Reversionary Fund to support Massachusetts farms and fisheries in adapting to climate change.
  • Create a structured grant program to plan, finance, and implement climate resilience and adaptation projects within the agricultural and fishing sectors.
  • Promote climate-resilient practices, energy efficiency, renewable energy, nature-based solutions, and data-driven monitoring of outcomes.

Key provisions

Establishment and administration

  • Creates the Agriculture and Fishery Vulnerability Preparedness Grant Fund, a separate fund in the Commonwealth.
  • Administered by the Commissioner of the Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR) in consultation with the Commissioner of the Department of Fish and Game.
  • The fund is dedicated and non-reverting: amounts credited are not subject to further appropriation and any remaining balance at year-end does not revert to the General Fund. Bond proceeds deposited into the fund are kept separate from other fund funds.

Funding sources

  • Fund revenues come from:
    • Appropriations explicitly designated to the fund
    • Interest earned on those revenues
    • Gifts, grants, and donations from public and private sources
  • Contributions are not restricted by donors in the sense of restricting usage beyond what the fund already authorizes.

Public purpose and eligible activities

  • Public purpose: administer a grant program to support farms and fisheries in planning climate change adaptation and resiliency initiatives, seeking resources to support implementation, and executing priority projects.
  • Eligible uses include (but are not limited to):
    • Controlled climate growing
    • Energy efficiency and renewable energy
    • Climate-resilient management practices
    • Nature-based solutions to climate impacts
    • Infrastructure needs to support climate resilience
    • Development and implementation of data collection and monitoring to measure impact
    • Other eligible purposes as determined by the secretary and the commissioners

Program design and support

  • Funds may be used to provide technical assistance to help farms and fisheries prioritize, plan, apply for grants, and identify funding sources.
  • Grants will be awarded to applicants from eligible sectors categorized by farm or fishery, with attention to regional and sector eligibility.

Regulation, oversight, and reporting

  • The commissioner shall promulgate rules/regulations for administering the fund and program.
  • Policies, rules, and regulations must be filed with the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries for review at least 30 days before their effective date.
  • Quarterly reporting to the House and Senate committees (Ways and Means), the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries, and clerks includes:
    • List of grant applicants and their counties
    • List of grant recipients and their counties
    • Amounts of funds requested and awarded
    • Applicant’s sector (farm or fishery)
    • Annual statement of fund sources and uses
    • Forecast of future payments based on binding obligations
    • Detailed breakdown of administrative costs
    • Description of technical assistance services provided

Affected entities

  • Primary beneficiaries: farms and fisheries across Massachusetts.
  • Administrative/oversight: Commonwealth agencies—Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR) and Department of Fish and Game—and the Secretary/commissioners involved in program design and implementation.

Procedural and timeline notes

  • Status: Reported favorably by the Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries; referred to the House Ways and Means.
  • Introduced: September 8, 2025 (House No. 4420; related draft House No. 119 discussed on the same date).
  • Effective date: Immediate upon passage of the act.
  • Regulatory timeline: The commissioner must file rules/regulations and policy documents with the relevant joint committee for review 30 days prior to their effective date.
  • Next steps in process: Likely consideration by the House Ways and Means committee and potential floor action following standard Massachusetts legislative procedures.

Potential impact

  • Provides dedicated, protected funding for climate adaptation in farming and fishing communities.
  • Encourages proactive planning, resource acquisition, and project implementation to increase resilience to climate impacts.
  • Enhances transparency through regular public reporting on grants, recipients, funding flows, and administrative costs.
  • Supports capacity-building via technical assistance and data collection to monitor effectiveness.

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

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