On April 15th, the Senate passed S.3050, the Mass Ready Act, also known as the environmental bond bill. The EBB is a once every 5 year bill (the last was passed in 2018). Bond bills authorize funding amounts for the state to fund capital grant programs. The EBB was first introduced by the Governor in July 2025, and it was heard by the Committees on Environment and Natural Resources and Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets before being referred to Senate Ways and Means in January 2026.
The bond bill as released from Senate Ways and Means mirrors the Administration’s proposal with some additions:
- $125M authorization for the Food Security Infrastructure Grant program
- $5M authorization for the Massachusetts Food Trust Program – NEW
- $26M authorization for CSAP, FVEP, urban agriculture, compost, food safety, Farmland Plan implementation, plus a commitment to carry forward $26.3M of unspent funds from the 2018 environmental bond bill
- $42M authorization for APR, plus a commitment to carry forward $18M of unspent funds from the 2018 environmental bond bill
- $5.5M authorization for a Healthy soils Program under EEA’s general land acquisition line item – NEW
- $20M authorization to promote and support the growth and economic competitiveness of the commonwealth’s agricultural, commercial fishing and
cranberry-growing sectors – NEW - An outside section (4) that will unlock the milk producers security fund, allowing MDAR to better serve more dairy farmers.
- An outside section (5 and 6) that adds UMass Extension and the Division of Marine Fisheries to the Massachusetts Food Policy Council.
- An outside section (21 and 22) that grants MDAR a right of first refusal, positioned behind a municipality’s, on agricultural land protected under Chapter 61A when it comes up for sale. This is a critical step toward slowing the rate of farmland loss.
- An outside section (45 and 46) that modernize animal commercial feed regulations.
- An outside section (69) that requires DEP to write a report on the organics waste ban by December 31, 2027 and include recommended legislative
changes or resources necessary to increase the rate at which food and organic waste is composted. NEW
- An outside section (70) that establishes a port development commission, including the seafood industry. NEW
- An outside section (72) that establishes a commission to study revenue sources for wastewater treatment plants on the Southcoast in response to nitrogen pollution affecting water quality and shellfish producers. This is a priority of the new Aquaculture Policy Coalition. NEW
During debate, amendments relating to the food system that were adopted include:
- An amendment that creates a ban on rodenticides
- An amendment that creates a drought management task force, including the MDAR Commissioner.
Amendments that were not adopted that the Collaborative supported:
- An amendment sponsored by Senator Comerford to create a working capital loan program, to be administered by MDAR in partnership with a CDFI or similarly qualified institution.
- An amendment sponsored by Senator Comerford to ban the land application of sludge and create a PFAS Relief Fund for farmers, capitalized with $50 million.
- An amendment sponsored by Senator Gomez to authorize $5 million for the urban agriculture grant program.
- An amendment sponsored by Senator Lovely to capitalize MDAR’s new Buy-Protect-Sell authority with $10 million.
The bond must now be debated and passed by the House, any differences must be worked out by a conference committee, and it will then be sent to the Governor for her signature. Bond authorizations are then drawn down into capital budgets (or capital improvement plans), which are set by the Governor’s Administration on an annual or 2 year basis. Stay tuned for future action alerts!