Up Next: The Greatest Environmental Investment in Massachusetts History
The Mass Ready Act is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to strengthen environmental preservation and climate resilience in the Bay State.
So much of what I love about Massachusetts reflects our beautiful and diverse environment. I grew up going to summer camp in the Berkshires; our kids now do the same. Each trip out to Western Mass takes me through the same timeless forests and mountains.
My family and I hit the slopes, hiking trails, beaches, swimming spots, and campsites throughout our gorgeous Commonwealth—places like the Blue Hills and Wachusett; the Harbor Islands and the Charles River; around the Quabbin, the Fells, the SNETT (Southern New England Trunkline Trail); Walden Pond, Goose Pond, and Cutler Pond; Breakheart Reservation, Hale Education, Ipswich River Valley Wildlife Sanctuary; from the trails at Jiminy Peak in Western Mass. to the vistas of World’s End on the Atlantic coast—the list is truly incredible, and we are truly lucky.
For added adventure, bring a large dog camping with you. Ours carries her own gear!
Nature both centers us and sustains us. Heading outdoors is healthy for our hearts, bodies, and minds. Indeed, we need a healthy environment to survive, and in turn, we must take responsibility for ensuring access for all to clean water, strong forests, great parks, open spaces, and so much more that collectively connect us to the natural world.
What’s Happening
I am so excited that today, the Massachusetts Senate will debate S.3050, An Act to build resilience for Massachusetts communities. Based on a proposal filed by Governor Maura Healey, it’s also known as the Mass Ready Act.
This once-in-a-generation $3.6 billion environmental bond bill bolsters climate action in every community in the Commonwealth with support for water management, waste reduction, outdoor recreation, and much more. Simply put, it’s about our earth—environmental action and resilience through healthy habitats—and our inherent relationship with it.
I can’t think of a better time than Earth Month to take up climate action legislation.
What’s in the Mass Ready Act?
This legislation is packed with policy and funding authorizations that will protect and preserve our planet, build win-win resiliency solutions, and uplift our connections with nature. Many of the provisions fall into a few big categories: water, waste, recreation, lands, and municipal supports.
Water first: it’s literally vital for life and it’s everywhere—but sometimes there’s not enough, sometimes there’s way too much, and sometimes it’s polluted. The Mass Ready Act authorizes more than $1 billion to manage and treat water. In fact, this legislation is packed full of funding for and policy about water. These provisions support flood control, wetlands restoration, and coastal infrastructure. They safeguard clean drinking water, including the removal of PFAS forever chemicals.
The bill also requires flood risk disclosures to potential buyers and renters, especially important in a state where more than a fifth of our residential land lies in a flood plain. And it advances nation-leading water access equity by ensuring utilities collect data on water shutoffs, because we can’t solve a problem we can’t measure.
Next up, waste. Did you know the plastics industry releases four times as many greenhouse gases as the airline industry? This climate action bill supports composting, recycling, and waste-reduction programs, including a ban on single-use plastic bags at larger retail stores. Once again, the Senate is leading the way by helping reduce litter in our waterways and microplastics in our bodies.
As the weather gets warmer, we get outside! The Mass Ready Act opens doors to outdoor recreation, supporting expanded access to accessible trails, parks, and our amazing DCR properties. It advances programs as diverse as the landscapes they will protect, helping conserve land, plant trees, and increase biodiversity. Wildlife will flourish in these healthy habitats, adding life and beauty to our environment.
Further strengthening our partnerships with towns and cities across Massachusetts, the Senate’s Mass Ready Act authorizes half a billion dollars for the wildly successful Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) grant program, which is helping nearly every community in the Commonwealth prepare for extreme weather. The legislation also creates a new resilience revolving fund to provide further municipal support, specifically on reducing emissions and strengthening climate resiliency. Climate action is a team effort, and we’re all in it together.
Taken as a whole, this bill proposes the greatest environmental investment in Massachusetts history. Supporting our natural resources and bolstering our climate resiliency will make us healthier, happier, and better prepared for whatever the future may bring.
Why It Matters
Climate Change Impacts Us All
Sadly, it’s clear that our environment is in trouble. Our coastlines are shrinking, seawalls are crumbling, forests are burning, and properties are flooding. The growing impacts of climate change are exacerbated by the federal administration’s hundreds of actions rolling back climate protections.
Extreme precipitation in the Northeast is growing faster than in any other region in the country. Droves of Bay State residents and businesses suffered significant damage from flash floods in recent years, and the risk of major flooding in Boston will grow tenfold by midcentury. The Mass Ready Act proposes major investments in dam restoration, flood control, and coastal resilience that protect our communities while improving native habitats.
Meanwhile, communities across our Commonwealth face vastly different problems—too few trees, little access to nature, and urban heat islands. Other towns struggle with PFAS contamination in their water or underfunded parks and trails. This landmark climate action bill will address each of these issues, uplifting all of our neighbors.
What Happens Next
My colleagues and I are set to debate the Mass Ready Act TODAY, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. You can read the proposed amendments and watch a livestream of today’s session on the Legislature’s website.
If passed by the Senate, the bill will move to our colleagues in the House of Representatives for their consideration. If passed by the House, any differences between the House and Senate versions will need to be reconciled—most likely in a conference committee—before the bill heads to Governor Healey’s desk for her review and signature.
For Your Consideration
If the issues of clean water, environmental protection, and resilient infrastructure are important to you, please:
Learn more in the Senate Press Room.
Keep an eye on the House of Representatives for further action on this bill.
Contact your State Senator to voice your support.
Follow the bill on the Massachusetts Legislature website.
Share this update with others!
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