Support local farmers and small businesses in the cannabis industry

H. 94 An Act clarifying the definition of agriculture

Since growing growing hemp and cannabis is not legally considered “agriculture,” it can be barred from cultivation on farmland set aside for agriculture. This forces growers to cultivate cannabis plans in much smaller indoor environments, which consume more energy, and pay a higher tax rate on their crops. As a result, farmers are faced with a huge barrier to expanding and diversifying their products and out of state businesses have grown to dominate the Massachusetts cannabis market. If passed, this bill would expand the legal definition of “agriculture” to include hemp and cannabis, helping local famers and small businesses become more profitable and driving much-needed economic growth in our rural community.

Support sustainability in the cannabis industry

H. 118 An Act relative to supporting sustainability in the cannabis industry

As a fairly new industry, we have a great opportunity to ensure that cannabis is sustainable from the start. If passed, this bill would create a sustainability working group to meet with the cannabis industry to discuss implementing sustainable practices and reducing the use of natural materials. Other issues will include how stakeholders and the Commonwealth can create a system of reusing returned packages for consumer use, and the development of best practices that the Cannabis Control Commission will issue to standardize regulations around disposal.

Promote forest management practices to help reduce emissions

H. 894 An Act relative to forest management and practices guidelines

Because they take in carbon dioxide, forests are essential to curbing global emissions. As such, careful forest management is an important strategy to address climate change and other ecological challenges. This bill will show how renewable energy sources and carbon sequestration* can address concerns about forest management practices as they relate to air quality and emissions.

*Carbon sequestration is a naturally occurring process where carbon gets stored in a carbon pool. It can be enhanced or achieved with the help of technology.

If passed, this bill would:

• Every five years, commission the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife to conduct formal reviews of their respective sustainability guidelines for forest management and the watershed lands under their care

• Direct the Department and the Division to solicit public input as part of the review process, including in person hearings and written testimony

• Create a Public Land Management Advisory Council to coordinate and oversee the review process

• Direct the Department and the Division to identify their respective reserve areas and expand those areas where appropriate going forward

Update carbon accounting guidelines and clarify what counts towards the MA net-zero goal

H. 895 An Act to require separate carbon accounting for working lands and natural lands and to eliminate from Massachusetts net-zero carbon emissions goal any carbon offsets sold to entities outside of the Commonwealth

Passing effective legislation to fight the climate crisis and protect Massachusetts residents requires accurate information. This bill will clarify our data collection guidelines so that we can access more specific information on where our carbon emissions are coming from and ensure carbon offsets* are working locally.

*Carbon offsets are tradable certificates linked to activities that lower the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. By buying these certificates, an individual or group “offsets” their own emissions because instead of lowering their own emissions, they are investing to counter their emissions elsewhere.

If passed, this bill would:

• Require that agricultural lands, forest lands managed for producing wood products, parks or reserves forest lands not available for producing wood products, and any other natural or working lands as deemed appropriate be counted separately in state data collection

• Ensure that only carbon offsets serving to counter carbon emissions within Massachusetts, as opposed to out of state offsets, are counted towards meeting our net-zero carbon emissions goal

Prevent price gouging by electricity companies

H. 3223 An Act relative to fair and stable utility pricing

Last year, electricity prices surged at a rate double that of inflation. In order to prevent this price gouging moving forward, we need to place a cap on how much electric companies can increase rates each year.

If passed, this bill would:

• Require that the average rates for distribution of a company’s electricity will not exceed the nation’s annual rate of growth (annual inflation)

• Require that electric companies receive approval from the Department of Energy Resources prior to issuing a rate increase

• Require that in order for a rate increase to be approved, the Department must first hold a public hearing and investigate the appropriateness of the proposed change

• Direct the Department to create rules and regulations to establish and require performance rates and establish service quality standards

Encourage the construction of solar panels on built land

H. 3225 An Act to encourage solar development on buildings and disturbed land

It’s important to encourage as much solar development as possible, including on existing buildings and disturbed land. H. 3225 clarifies and affirms state incentives to build solar panels on built land.

If passed, this bill would:

• Further incentivize net metering (households offsetting their energy use and transferring energy back to their electric companies in exchange for credit)

• Direct the Department of Energy Resources to create rules and regulations in the social incentive program to affirm incentives for solar facilities on built land (for example, parking lot canopies)

• Enable the Department to allow for the adjustment of incentives based on market conditions

• Require that the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs investigate the use of federal funds and unused COVID-19 federal funds in the equitable deployment of solar facilities

• Create a grant program for roof repair/replacement as part of a rooftop solar project if needed to make an economically sound choice

Promote fossil fuel-free construction and multi-family housing

H. 3227 An Act expanding access to the fossil fuel free demonstration project

In 2022, Department of Energy Resources established a demonstration project that enabled ten pilot municipalities to establish rules that require new building construction or major renovation projects to be fossil fuel-free. If passed, this bill would accept into the demonstration project any municipality that has received local approval and provided a zoning ordinance that provides for at least one district of multi-family housing as a right and without age restrictions. Towns would be encouraged to both increase affordable housing supply and build fossil fuel-free.

Include Mass Save Program aggregate energy efficiency services in the Mass Save report

H. 3228 An Act relative to Mass Save reporting

Mass Save is the Commonwealth’s energy efficiency program provider. It offers households and small businesses rebates and incentives for various energy efficiency projects and energy assessments. If passed, this bill would require that Mass Save reporting include a list of aggregate energy efficiency services provided through Mass Save, organized by municipality and zip code, and made available to municipalities within one year. This will give us a more comprehensive understanding of where Mass Save’s programs are making an impact.

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program Eligibility (LIHEAP)

H3226 An Act relative to LIHEAP eligibility

Individuals who are self-employed are regularly excluded from participation from this program because their eligibility is calculated on their income before deducting business expenses. Therefore individuals whose take home pay is well within the eligibility range are regularly excluded from getting any assistance. This bill would base eligibility off of their net income rather than their gross income.