Fostering agricultural resilience in Massachusetts

Reproduced from the official legislative record. Confirm the current text and status at the official source.

1 of 24 FILED ON: 4/1/2026 SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3040 Senate, April 1, 2026 -- Text of the Senate Bill fostering agricultural resilience in Massachusetts (Senate, No. 3040) (being the text of Senate No. 2029, printed as amended) The Commonwealth of Massachusetts _______________ In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court (2025-2026) _______________ An Act fostering agricultural resilience in Massachusetts. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: 1

SECTION 1. Chapter 23A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after 2 section 10A the following section:- 3 Section 10A1/2. (a) The MOBD shall establish a Massachusetts food tourism task force 4 to identify, evaluate, make recommendations and implement such recommendations regarding 5 the challenges and benefits of marketing, promoting and selling consumer food, farm and 6 agricultural goods produced in the commonwealth. 7 (b) The task force shall consist of the director of MOBD or a designee, who shall serve as 8 chair; the secretary of the executive office of economic development or a designee; the director 9 of the office of real estate and economic development of the Massachusetts Department of 10 Transportation or a designee; the chief executive officer of the Massachusetts Port Authority or a 11 designee; the chair of the board of higher education at the department of higher education or a 2 of 24 12 designee; the commissioner of the department of agricultural resources or a designee; and the 13 executive director of the office of travel and tourism or a designee. 14 (c) The task force shall: (i) identify and assess state-operated and state-owned locations 15 suitable for marketing, promoting or selling consumer food, farm and agriculture goods produced 16 in the commonwealth; (ii) provide information to businesses that produce consumer food, farm 17 and agricultural goods in the commonwealth about state-operated and state-owned locations 18 where these businesses may sell their goods; (iii) develop and maintain a public list of businesses 19 or vendors of consumer food, farm and agriculture goods produced in the commonwealth; and 20 (iv) develop and implement a brand to identify consumer food, farm and agriculture goods 21 produced in the commonwealth for purposes of promoting and marketing said goods. 22 (d) The MOBD may expend such funds as may be appropriated therefor and may accept 23 federal funds or private gifts and grants to assist it in carrying out the purposes of this section. 24 (e) Annually, not later than November 1, the task force shall report to the clerks of the 25 senate and house of representatives and the joint committee on tourism, arts and cultural 26 development on the activities of the task force including, but not limited to: (i) any challenges 27 identified to the marketing, promotion and selling of consumer food, farm and agricultural 28 products produced in the commonwealth; (ii) actions taken or recommended to address such 29 challenges; (iii) an assessment of the effectiveness of connecting businesses that produce 30 consumer food, farm and agricultural goods with state-operated and state-owned locations where 31 such businesses can sell such goods; and (iv) any other factors as determined by the MOBD. 32 (f) The MOBD shall promulgate regulations to implement this section. 3 of 24 33

SECTION 2. Section 23B of chapter 7 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 34 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following subsection:- 35 (d)(1) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the state purchasing 36 agent, in collaboration with the commonwealth’s 4 regional food banks, the executive office of 37 aging and independence, the department of agricultural resources, the department of transitional 38 assistance, the department of higher education and the department of elementary and secondary 39 education, shall annually, not later than October 31, report on the distribution of products of 40 agriculture, which, for the purposes of this subsection, shall include seafood and processed 41 foods, through food assistance programs that receive state funding. The report shall include, but 42 not be limited to: 43 (i) the quantity of products of agriculture distributed, by dollar value and as a percentage 44 of total food distributed and, where possible, by weight; 45 (ii) a breakdown of the types of products of agriculture distributed, including, but not 46 limited to, seafood and processed food, including whether or not the processed food includes 47 ingredients grown, raised or caught in the commonwealth, by dollar amounts and as a percentage 48 of total food distributed and, where possible, by weight; 49 (iii) a breakdown of the number and names of farms, delineated by municipality, from 50 which products of agriculture are sourced for food assistance programs that receive state 51 funding; 52 (iv) the quantity of products of agriculture distributed by food assistance programs that 53 receive state funding including, but not limited to, the Massachusetts emergency food assistance 54 program, the Massachusetts healthy incentives program, universal free school meals, the hunger- 4 of 24 55 free campus initiative, the farming reinforces education and student health grant program, the 56 senior nutrition program, the Meals on Wheels program and the senior farm share program, by 57 dollar amounts and as a percentage of total food distributed and, where possible, by weight; and 58 (v) recommendations on how the commonwealth can increase the amount of products of 59 agriculture distributed through food assistance programs that receive state funding in future fiscal 60 years while maintaining affordability and fairly valuing local food, andas budgetary or policy 61 recommendations for implementing such recommendations. 62 (2) The report shall be made available on the operational service division’s website and a 63 copy shall be filed with the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, the joint 64 committee on agriculture and fisheries and the joint committee on children, families and persons 65 with disabilities. 66

SECTION 3. The third paragraph of subsection (a) of section 23 of chapter 20 of the 67 General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the second sentence the 68 following sentence:- 69 To determine the extent to which each factor contributed to the enrollment of land in the 70 program, the review may include an assessment of factors including, but not limited to: (i) the 71 suitability and productivity of land for agricultural use based on soil classification, physical 72 features and location; (ii) the degree of threat to the continuation of agriculture on the land due 73 to circumstances including, but not limited to, the landowner’s health, retirement, financial 74 positions, development pressure or insecurity due to rental agreements; (iii) the size or 75 composition of the land that determines whether it is economically viable for agricultural 76 purposes, and the likelihood that it will remain in agricultural use in the future; (iv) the estimated 5 of 24 77 amount and type of crop production; (v) soil health, water recharge areas, biodiversity, carbon 78 sequestration and other ecosystem services; (vi) existing infrastructure located on the land; (vii) 79 access to markets; (viii) access to land ownership for historically marginalized communities; (ix) 80 opportunities to meet or further environmental justice principles as defined in section 62 of 81 chapter 30; and (x) any other factors as determined by the department. The review may evaluate: 82 (A) the number of acres newly enrolled in an agricultural preservation restriction during the past 83 year and the total number of acres enrolled in an agricultural preservation restriction in the 84 commonwealth; (B) the total number of farms that have acquired a new agricultural preservation 85 restriction during the past year and the total number of farms holding an agricultural preservation 86 restriction in the commonwealth; (C) the geographic distribution of farms enrolled in an 87 agricultural preservation restriction; and (D) challenges to enrolling new land in an agricultural 88 preservation restriction. 89

SECTION 4. Said Chapter 20 is hereby further amended by adding the following 2 90 sections:- 91 Section 34. Subject to appropriation, there shall be established a food security 92 infrastructure grant program to support equitable access to healthy, local food and to strengthen 93 food supply and distribution systems in all geographic regions of the commonwealth, which shall 94 be administered by the commissioner. The commissioner may award grants under the program 95 to: (i) food producers, processors and distributors; (ii) emergency food distributors; (iii) 96 community and food organizations; (iv) school meal programs and summer meal sponsors; (v) 97 urban farms and community gardens; and (vi) nonprofit food security organizations; provided, 98 however, that grants awarded under this section shall be used to fund capital improvements, 99 including, but not limited to: (A) the purchase of new or used equipment; (B) contracted labor 6 of 24 100 costs in order to implement projects; and (C) costs associated with planning and design directly 101 related to capital projects that strengthen and improve the resiliency of the commonwealth’s food 102 system while facilitating greater access to fresh, local food and addressing systemic inequities. 103 Section 35. The department shall develop and maintain a plan to support agricultural, 104 seafood and processed food production in the commonwealth to mitigate the impacts of food 105 supply chain disruptions. The plan shall be developed in coordination with the Massachusetts 106 emergency management agency, the division of marine fisheries, the department of public health 107 and the department of transitional assistance and shall include consideration for food production, 108 transportation, storage and distribution. The plan shall be reviewed and updated every 5 years. 109 The commissioner shall submit the plan, along with any updates made pursuant to this section, to 110 the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, the joint committee on agriculture and 111 fisheries and the joint committee on emergency preparedness and management. 112

SECTION 5. Chapter 21G of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the 113 following section:- 114 Section 21. (a) Registration statements and permits for withdrawals for use in cranberry 115 production may be transferred to and used for mitigation by other permitted or registered users if 116 such statement and permits were valid from January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2005. The 117 portion of water lost to the basin may be eligible for use as mitigation by such permitted users. 118 (b) Consumptive loss to the basin shall be determined based on industry-wide water use 119 standards. 120 SECTION 6. Section 2WWW of chapter 29 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 121 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following subsection:- 7 of 24 122 (l) Money in the fund may be transferred to the Next Generation Farmers Fund 123 established in section 2OOOOOO. 124

SECTION 7. Chapter 29 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after 125 section 2NNNNNN the following 2 sections:- 126 Section 2OOOOOO. (a) There shall be established and set up on the books of the 127 commonwealth a separate, non-budgeted special revenue fund to be known as the Next 128 Generation Farmers Fund. The fund shall be administered by the secretary of labor and 129 workforce development, in consultation with the secretary of energy and environmental affairs, 130 the secretary of education and the commissioner of agricultural resources. 131 (b) The fund shall be credited with: (i) revenue from appropriations or other money 132 authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (ii) funds 133 from public or private sources, including gifts, grants, donations, rebates and settlements 134 received by the commonwealth that are specifically designated to be credited to the fund; and 135 (iii) interest earned on any money in the fund. Amounts credited to the fund shall be expended 136 without further appropriation and the unexpended balance in the fund at the close of a fiscal year 137 shall remain available for expenditure in subsequent fiscal years. No expenditure made from the 138 fund shall cause the fund to be in deficit at any point. Money in the fund shall be awarded as 139 grants for the purpose of agricultural workforce development to public institutions of higher 140 education, vocational technical schools and community-based organizations with existing 141 programs for providing workforce development training to entry-level farmers or the capacity to 142 create such programs. Priority consideration shall be given to programs that serve a high 143 percentage of historically underserved or low-income students or people with disabilities, 8 of 24 144 programs operated by nonprofit organizations that house homeless veterans and include food 145 production or distribution training and programs that include hands-on training and training in 146 agricultural practices that mitigate climate change and protect the environment. 147 (c) Annually, not later than May 30, the secretary of labor and workforce development 148 shall submit a report detailing the expenditures of the fund to the clerks of the house of 149 representatives and the senate, the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint 150 committee on economic development and emerging technologies and the joint committee on 151 agriculture and fisheries. 152 Section 2PPPPPP. (a) For the purposes of this section, the following words shall have the 153 following meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise:- 154 “Urban agriculture”, an activity which meets the definition of “agriculture” in 155 section 1A of chapter 128 and takes place in urban and suburban areas and which shall include, 156 but not be limited to, recreational and educational farming and gardening and other agricultural 157 enterprises. 158 “Vacant lot”, a parcel which is not actively used or occupied and that has not been 159 actively used or occupied within at least the preceding year, including, but not limited to, 160 abandoned, empty and foreclosed properties. “Vacant lot” shall not mean a parcel which is the 161 site of ongoing renovations or repairs due to fire or other casualty. 162 (b) There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate, 163 non-budgeted special revenue, fund to be known as the Vacant Lots to Urban Agriculture Fund. 164 The fund shall be administered by the department of agricultural resources and shall be credited 165 with: (i) revenue from appropriations or other money authorized by the general court and 9 of 24 166 specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (ii) funds from public and private sources such 167 as gifts, grants and donations; and (iii) interest earned on money in the fund. Amounts credited to 168 the fund shall not be subject to further appropriation and any money remaining in the fund at the 169 close of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund and shall remain available for 170 expenditure in subsequent fiscal years. No expenditure made from the fund shall cause the fund 171 to be in deficit at any point. 172 (c) The purpose of the fund shall be to support the introduction of urban agriculture to 173 vacant lots. Priority consideration shall be given to projects located in socially or economically 174 disadvantaged communities that support increased economic development, food security, climate 175 and heat resilience, agricultural education, job training, donations of food to food-insecure 176 residents, public engagement, utilization of controlled-climate growing infrastructure and 177 agricultural systems or other agricultural practices backed by climate science. Grants from the 178 fund shall be awarded for: (i) municipalities to collaboratively develop urban agriculture plans 179 with residents, local food system businesses, nonprofit organizations or other organizations and 180 regional planning agencies; (ii) municipalities, urban agriculture organizations or businesses to 181 assist in the purchasing of privately owned parcels; (iii) municipalities, urban farming businesses 182 or nonprofit organizations to purchase or lease land, renovate land, build infrastructure or assist 183 in urban agriculture startup costs; (iv) establishing pilot programs in socially or economically 184 disadvantaged communities to introduce urban agriculture to vacant lots; (v) moving a 185 municipally-held tax land lien that was foreclosed to agricultural use; or (vi) protecting a parcel 186 with a conservation easement. 187 (d) The department of agricultural resources shall provide outreach and application 188 materials for the grant program in multiple languages. 10 of 24 189 (e) The commissioner of agricultural resources shall promulgate regulations for the 190 administration and implementation of this section. 191 (f) Annually, the commissioner of agricultural resources shall file a report with the house 192 and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on agriculture and fisheries and 193 the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate which shall include, but shall not be 194 limited to: (i) a list of grant applicants and the municipalities in which the vacant lots are located; 195 (ii) a list of grant recipients and the municipalities in which the vacant lots y are located; (iii) the 196 amount of funds requested by applicants; (iv) the associated awarded grant amounts; and (v) the 197 number of socially or economically disadvantaged populations served by the awards made by the 198 fund. 199

SECTION 8. Section 20 of chapter 30B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 200 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following subsection:- 201 (c) The department of agricultural resources shall conduct a public information campaign 202 to notify governmental bodies of the program to establish a preference for products of agriculture 203 as defined in section 1A of chapter 128 not less than every 5 years. The department may develop 204 a mechanism for a governmental body that establishes a preference under subsection (a) to notify 205 the department of such vote to establish such preference. 206 SECTION 9. Section 3 of chapter 40A of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby 207 amended by striking out, in lines 6 and 7, the words “or viticulture,” and inserting in place 208 thereof the following words:- , viticulture or for agritourism, as defined in section 1B of chapter 209 128, on land used for the primary purpose of commercial agriculture, aquaculture, silviculture, 210 horticulture, floriculture or viticulture. 11 of 24 211

SECTION 10. Section 5 of chapter 59 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby 212 amended by adding the following clause:- 213 Fifty-ninth. (a) For the purposes of this clause, the following words shall have the 214 following meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise: 215 “Agricultural”, the activity of raising, breeding and boarding of livestock, including, but 216 not limited to, commercial horse boarding operations. 217 “Structures and buildings”, structures and buildings or portions thereof used directly and 218 exclusively in the raising and production for sale of agricultural and horticultural commodities or 219 necessary for the storage thereof; provided, however, that a municipality may also vote to 220 include as “structures and buildings” the following: (i) structures and buildings or portions 221 thereof used for the processing of agricultural and horticultural commodities or the retail 222 merchandising of such commodities produced or raised in the commonwealth; (ii) structures and 223 buildings used to provide housing for regular and essential employees and their immediate 224 families who are primarily employed in connection with the operation of lands actively devoted 225 to agricultural and horticultural use, but not including structures and buildings occupied as a 226 residence by the applicant and the applicant’s immediate family; (iii) structures and buildings 227 used as indoor exercise arenas exclusively for training and exercising horses in connection with 228 the raising and production for sale of agricultural and horticultural commodities or in connection 229 with a commercial horse boarding operation; provided, however, that indoor exercise arenas 230 shall not include a horse ranch offering guest lodging and services or a riding academy that 231 solely provides equine riding lessons; (iv) structures and buildings used in the production of 12 of 24 232 maple syrup; and (v) structures and buildings used in the production of honey and beeswax 233 including those structures and buildings used for the storage of bees. 234 (b) A city or town that accepts this clause may exempt from taxation any increase in 235 value that results from the construction or reconstruction of structures and buildings essential to 236 the operation of land that is actively devoted to the primary purpose of commercial agriculture, 237 aquaculture, silviculture, horticulture, floriculture or viticulture and that is used and occupied to 238 carry out such operation consistent with section 1A of chapter 128 for a period of not more than 239 5 years. A city or town may establish a limit on the value exempt from taxation. 240 (c) An exemption from taxation under this clause shall be granted only upon an 241 application by the owner of the building or structure on a form prescribed by the commissioner. 242 The applicant shall furnish such information as the municipality’s board of assessors may 243 require. Such application shall be filed with the assessor of the municipality having the power to 244 assess property for taxation not later than the appropriate taxable status date of such municipality 245 and not more than 1 year after the date of completion of construction or reconstruction of 246 structures and buildings. The assessor of the municipality may approve an application upon a 247 finding the applicant is entitled to an exemption. Structures or buildings that receive such 248 approval shall be exempt from taxation as provided under this clause. The assessed value of any 249 exemption granted under this clause shall be entered by the assessor on the portion of the 250 assessment roll provided for property exempt from taxation. An exemption granted pursuant to 251 this clause shall continue, for not more than 5 years, only while such buildings and structures are 252 used and occupied as provided herein. 13 of 24 253 (d) In the event that land or buildings or structures in agricultural or horticultural use are 254 converted to non-agricultural or non-horticultural use during the period of an exemption granted 255 pursuant to this clause, the structures or buildings upon which the exemption was granted shall 256 be subject to roll-back taxes for the period during which the exemption was operative. The 257 assessors of the appropriate assessing unit shall enter on the taxable portion of the assessment 258 roll of the current year the assessed valuation or valuations of the structures or buildings on 259 which exemption was granted in any prior year or years at the assessed valuation or valuations as 260 set forth on the exempt portion of the assessment roll. The amount of roll-back taxes for 261 structures and buildings subject thereto pursuant to this clause shall be computed by the 262 appropriate tax levying body by applying the applicable tax rate for each such prior year to the 263 assessed valuation, as set forth on the exempt portion of the assessment roll, for such structures 264 or buildings. Such roll-back taxes shall be levied and collected in the same manner and at the 265 same time as other taxes are imposed and levied under this chapter. 266

SECTION 11. Section 2A of chapter 61A of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby 267 amended by adding the following subsection:- 268 (e)(1) As used in this subsection, the following words shall have the following meanings 269 unless the context clearly requires otherwise: 270 “Commissioner”, the commissioner of agricultural resources. 271 “Department”, the department of agricultural resources. 272 “Farm viability”, the financial and environmental ability of a farm to remain in 273 operation and produce crops over the short and long term. 14 of 24 274 “Farmland”, land primarily and directly used for agricultural purposes pursuant to section 275 1 or land primarily and directly used for horticultural purposes pursuant to section 2. 276 (2) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the department, in 277 coordination with the department of energy resources, shall, once every 10 years or at such other 278 frequency as determined by the commissioner, whichever is more frequent, review and consider 279 whether any amendments to statutory, regulatory and deed-based restrictions on the amount of 280 renewable energy allowed to be generated on farmland, including, but not limited to, land 281 assessed or taxed under this chapter and land in the agricultural preservation restriction program 282 established pursuant to section 23 of chapter 20, would help preserve or improve farm viability 283 while considering the commonwealth’s renewable energy goals pursuant to the roadmap plans 284 required under section 5 of chapter 21N. The department shall, in determining whether and 285 which amendments to recommend, consider whether alternative measures such as updated or 286 modernized farm management or business practices could achieve the same or similar 287 improvements in farm viability as well as the commonwealth’s current ability to support farmers 288 in updating said practices. The department shall additionally factor into its review and 289 consideration the impact on food production in the commonwealth, the promotion of healthy 290 soils and biodiversity, environmental sustainability and the commonwealth’s renewable energy 291 goals pursuant to the roadmap plans required under section 5 of chapter 21N. If the department 292 concludes that amendments to the restrictions on the amount of renewable energy allowed to be 293 generated on farmland are warranted, the commissioner shall include a list of the department’s 294 specific recommended amendments in the department’s report. 295 (3) The department, not later than 90 days after the completion of the review under 296 paragraph (2), shall report the findings of its review to the clerks of the house of representatives 15 of 24 297 and the senate, the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on 298 agriculture and fisheries and the joint committee on environment and natural resources. 299

SECTION 12. Section 12 of said chapter 61A, as so appearing, is hereby amended by 300 adding the following paragraph:- 301 For the purposes of this paragraph, “PFAS” shall mean a class of fluorinated organic 302 chemicals containing at least 1 fully fluorinated carbon atom. 303 No conveyance tax under this section shall be assessed on land removed from agricultural 304 or horticultural or agricultural and horticultural use due to regulatory action based on the actual 305 or suspected presence of PFAS in soil, water, livestock or agricultural products derived from 306 such land; provided, however, that said regulatory action: (i) is not taken in response to a willful 307 violation of law or regulation by the owner; and (ii) renders the continued use of such land 308 economically infeasible. The commissioner of revenue, in consultation with the commissioner of 309 agricultural resources and the commissioner of environmental protection shall promulgate 310 regulations to implement this paragraph. 311

SECTION 13. Section 13 of said chapter 61A, as so appearing, is hereby amended by 312 inserting after the fourth paragraph the following paragraph:- 313 For the purposes of this paragraph, “PFAS” shall mean a class of fluorinated organic 314 chemicals containing at least 1 fully fluorinated carbon atom. 315 No roll-back tax imposed by this section shall be assessed on land that no longer meets 316 the definition of land actively devoted to agricultural, horticultural or agricultural and 317 horticultural use due to regulatory action regarding the actual or suspected presence of PFAS in 16 of 24 318 soil, water, livestock or agricultural products derived from such land provided that said 319 regulatory action: (i) is not taken in response to a willful violation of law or regulation by the 320 owner; and (ii) renders the continued use of such land economically infeasible. The 321 commissioner of revenue, in consultation with the commissioner of agricultural resources and 322 the commissioner of environmental protection shall promulgate regulations to implement this 323 paragraph. 324

SECTION 14. Said chapter 61A is hereby further amended by adding the following 325 section:- 326 Section 25. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall have the following 327 meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise: 328 “Agricultural land”, land deemed to be in agricultural use pursuant to section 1. 329 “Horticultural land”, land considered to be in horticultural use pursuant to section 2. 330 (b) The department of revenue, in consultation with the department of agricultural 331 resources, shall establish and maintain a central registry of all agricultural land in the 332 commonwealth. The department of revenue shall update the registry on a biennial basis or at 333 such other frequency as determined by the commissioner of revenue, whichever is more 334 frequent. The commissioner of revenue shall facilitate information sharing among federal, state 335 and local entities. The registry shall include, but not be limited to: 336 (i) in total and in each municipality, the number of parcels and the number of acres of 337 agricultural land and horticultural land; 17 of 24 338 (ii) in total and in each municipality, the number of parcels and the number of acres of 339 agricultural land and horticultural land taxed pursuant to this chapter; 340 (iii) in total and in each municipality, the number of parcels and the number of acres of 341 agricultural land and horticultural land that were disqualified from taxation pursuant to this 342 chapter during the preceding tax year; 343 (iv) in total and in each municipality, the number of parcels and the number of acres of 344 agricultural land and horticultural land that are taxed pursuant to this chapter that were not taxed 345 pursuant to this chapter in the preceding tax year; and 346 (v) the percentage of all cropland in the commonwealth, as reported in the most recent 347 United States Department of Agriculture Census of Agriculture, that is taxed pursuant to this 348 chapter. 349 (c) The department of agricultural resources shall, in consultation with the department of 350 revenue, integrate the data from the central registry established pursuant to subsection (b) into a 351 publicly accessible, interactive map with data shown at both the individual parcel and municipal 352 level. The map shall be created in a format that allows for comparison and overlays with existing 353 maps of soil conditions and types. The department shall make the central registry and the map 354 publicly available, downloadable and searchable on its website. 355

SECTION 15. Chapter 69 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the 356 following sectionn:- 357 Section 40. (a) (1) The department shall, subject to appropriation, administer a 358 Massachusetts farm-to-school program, consisting of a grant program to strengthen the 18 of 24 359 commonwealth’s food and agriculture economy, improve student health and nutrition and build 360 food literacy among students. The program shall build the capacity of primary and secondary 361 schools and licensed childcare programs to purchase ingredients grown, raised, caught and 362 processed in the commonwealth. 363 (2) The department shall establish an advisory committee to advise the department on the 364 development and administration of the farm-to-school program. The committee shall include a 365 representative from each of the department of agricultural resources, the department of early 366 education and care, the division of marine fisheries, Massachusetts Farm to School and the 367 School Nutrition Association of Massachusetts, Inc., and a geographically and demographically 368 diverse group of stakeholders appointed by the commissioner. 369 (b) Annually, the department shall submit a report of the farm-to-school program’s 370 activities to the clerks of the house and the senate, the house and senate committees on ways and 371 means, the joint committee on agriculture and fisheries and the joint committee on education, 372 which shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the number, type of organization and award amount 373 to grantees; (ii) details of food literacy education associated with the program; and (iii) any 374 recommendations to improve the performance of the program. 375

SECTION 16. Section 14D of chapter 75 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby 376 amended by striking out the second and third paragraphs and inserting in place thereof the 377 following 2 paragraphs:- 378 The board shall consist of the president of the university or a designee; the chancellor of 379 the University of Massachusetts at Amherst or a designee; the commissioner of food and 380 agriculture or a designee; and the following persons to be appointed by the governor: 4 members 19 of 24 381 of Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation, Incorporated chosen from a list of 12 members 382 submitted by said federation, 1 of whom shall represent cranberry producers; 1 member of 383 Massachusetts 4–H Foundation, Inc. chosen from a list of 3 members submitted by said 384 organization; 1 member of the Massachusetts Forestry Association, Inc. chosen from a list of 3 385 members submitted by said association; 1 member of Massachusetts Audubon Society, Inc. 386 chosen from a list of 3 members submitted by said society; 2 members of Massachusetts 387 Arborists Association, Inc. chosen from a list of 5 members submitted by said association; 1 388 member of a regional agriculture Buy Local organization chosen from a list of 3 members 389 submitted by said organization; 1 member of the Massachusetts Food System Collaborative 390 chosen from a list of 3 members submitted by said collaborative; 1 member from an organization 391 engaged in urban farming education or practices; 2 members of organizations that support 392 historically marginalized or new entry farmers and food producers; and the senate and house 393 chairs of the joint committee on agriculture and fisheries or their designees, who shall be 394 nonvoting members. The chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst shall appoint 395 the chair from among the membership of the board. Members of the board shall serve without 396 compensation but shall be reimbursed, subject to appropriation, out of any funds available for the 397 purpose, for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties. Non-voting 398 members shall serve on the board in an advisory capacity and shall not be reimbursed for 399 necessary expenses. 400 The appointed members of the board shall serve for terms of 5 years, except for persons 401 appointed to fill vacancies, who shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. The board 402 shall hold an annual meeting in January and not less than 3 other times during the year. The 403 University of Massachusetts Extension director shall attend all meetings of the board and shall 20 of 24 404 serve as secretary but shall have no vote in its deliberation. A simple majority of appointed 405 voting members of the board shall constitute a quorum. The board may, by vote of its members 406 then in office, adopt a policy for the conduct of business, including constitution of board 407 membership. Policies may be amended or repealed by a 2/3 vote of its members. 408

SECTION 17. Chapter 128 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after 409 section 1A the following section:- 410 Section 1B. (a) “Agritourism”, an agriculturally related educational, entertainment, 411 historical, cultural, commercial or recreational activity that allows or invites members of the 412 general public to observe, participate in, experience and enjoy that activity, and serves to 413 encourage the purchase of agricultural products that are produced on the land where the activity 414 takes place, or on other land within the commonwealth that is primarily used for commercial 415 agriculture, aquaculture, silviculture, horticulture, floriculture or viticulture and that is owned by 416 the same person who owns the land where the activity takes place, provided that the activity 417 conducted on land primarily used for commercial agriculture, aquaculture, silviculture, 418 horticulture, floriculture or viticulture as provided in section 3 of chapter 40A. 419 (b) The department shall promulgate regulations that include minimum land and revenue 420 thresholds for agritourism activities; provided, however, that such regulations shall ensure that 421 agritourism activities shall not unreasonably detract or derogate from agricultural production. 422

SECTION 18. Said chapter 128 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after 423 section 2E the following section:- 424 Section 2F. (a) The department of transitional assistance, in partnership with the 425 department of agricultural resources and the department of public health, shall, subject to 21 of 24 426 appropriation, operate a healthy incentives program. The program shall provide that recipients 427 actively receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, established pursuant to 428 the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, 7 U.S.C. section 2011, hereinafter referred to as SNAP, shall 429 be entitled to an additional benefit via their electronic benefit transfer card redeemable for 430 eligible fruit and vegetable purchases at participating vendors in an amount to be established by 431 the department. When expanding the number of participating vendors, the department shall 432 prioritize improving access in areas with limited access to fresh, local produce and that are 433 historically underserved by the program. The department shall collaborate with local food 434 coalitions and nonprofit groups to develop community outreach strategies that ensure equitable 435 access to, and knowledge of, the program. 436 (b) The department of transitional assistance and its partners may apply for any available 437 federal programs such as the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program administered by the 438 United States department of agriculture to provide matching benefits. 439 (c) The department of transitional assistance shall, annually on or before January 31, 440 submit a report of the healthy incentives program’s activities to the clerks of the house and the 441 senate, the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on children, 442 families and persons with disabilities and the joint committee on agriculture and shall post the 443 report on the department’s website. The report shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the number 444 of households utilizing the program, including household size, age and racial demographic 445 information; (ii) the number of program transactions; (iii) the number and name of vendors 446 processing program transactions; (iv) a breakdown of the total number of program participants 447 and vendors, by their municipality; (v) the number of vendors, by their municipalities, who 448 applied to be a vendor with the healthy incentives program but were not accepted as a vendor 22 of 24 449 due to funding or administrative shortages; (vi) the department’s efforts, plans and timeline for 450 identifying geographic areas that are underserved by the program and increasing program 451 activity in those areas, including metrics and factors to be used to make determinations for the 452 addition and siting of vendors; and (vii) any further recommendations to improve the 453 performance of the program. 454

SECTION 19. The department of agricultural resources, in administering the climate 455 smart agriculture program, may prioritize projects that incorporate carbon dioxide removal 456 methods including, but not limited to, biochar, terrestrial enhanced weathering and agricultural 457 soils carbon sequestration. The department may, to the extent feasible, align the program’s 458 standards for carbon dioxide removal with the United States Department of Agriculture, Natural 459 Resources Conservation Service, conservation practice standards that are applicable to carbon 460 dioxide removal. 461

SECTION 20. The department of elementary and secondary education, in consultation 462 with the department of agricultural resources, shall conduct a study and make recommendations 463 on the feasibility of establishing additional county agricultural schools under chapter 74 of the 464 General Laws. 465 The study shall: (i) assess the statewide and regional demand for agricultural and 466 agricultural technical education pathways; (ii) evaluate the workforce needs across agricultural 467 and other related sectors; and (iii) identify potential sites or host districts for new or expanded 468 agricultural schools. 469 The department of elementary and secondary education and the department of 470 agricultural resources shall solicit public input and hold not less than 4 public hearings to collect 23 of 24 471 public comment for the study, one of which shall be in Worcester county. Notice of said public 472 hearings shall be provided to the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, 473 Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents and Massachusetts Municipal Association. 474 The department of elementary and secondary education shall post on their website a draft report 475 not later than December 31, 2026 and hold 1 additional public hearing to solicit comment on said 476 draft report. The department shall submit a final report with their findings and recommendations, 477 including any regulatory or legislative changes that may be necessary to implement the 478 recommendations, not later than July 1, 2027, to the clerks of the house of representatives and 479 senate, the joint committee on education, the joint committee on agriculture and fisheries and the 480 senate and house committees on ways and means. 481

SECTION 21. Not later than 1 year following the effective date of this act, the 482 Massachusetts emergency management agency shall complete the first plan required under 483 section 18BB of chapter 6A of the General Laws. 484 SECTION 22. Not later than 120 days following the effective date of this act, the 485 Massachusetts department of business development shall promulgate regulations to implement 486 section 10A1/2 of chapter 23A of the General Laws. 487 SECTION 23. Not later than 120 days following the effective date of this act, the 488 department of agricultural resources shall promulgate regulations to implement section 34 of 489 chapter 20 of the General Laws. 490 SECTION 24. Not later than December 31, 2026, the department of environmental 491 protection shall establish regulations necessary to implement section 21 of chapter 21G of the 492 General Laws. 24 of 24 493 SECTION 25. Not later than 6 months following the effective date of this act, the 494 department of agricultural resources shall complete the first report required by subsection (e) of 495 section 2A of chapter 61A of the General Laws. 496

SECTION 26. Not later than 1 year following the effective date of this act, the 497 department of revenue shall establish and host on its website the registry and map required 498 pursuant to section 25 of chapter 61A of the General Laws.

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