Press Release: 3/2/2026

Massachusetts Senate Passes the BRIGHT Act to Modernize and Invest in Public Higher Education Facilities

Press Release Image



February 26, 2026

 



Invests in Vital Repair Projects, Lab and Vocational Training Facilities, Campus Supported Housing Development



(BOSTON—2/26/2026) The Massachusetts Senate today unanimously passed the BRIGHT Act, a $3.28 billion bond bill that will invest in upgrades to public higher education campuses across Massachusetts and strengthen the learning experiences of students at community colleges, state universities, and UMass campuses.



The legislation—S.2962, An Act to build resilient infrastructure to generate higher-ed transformation—will update facilities and address the backlog of deferred campus maintenance by harnessing the power of ‘Fair Share’ revenues to back a new state bond issuance.



The generational investment package builds on recent Senate-led policies to make public higher education more affordable and accessible, including tuition-free community college and historic increases to financial aid. Recent advancements make a tuition- and fee-free education possible for all Pell-eligible students attending four-year universities, and allow students from moderate-income families to attend at half the cost.



“Massachusetts students deserve campuses that match the quality of their ambition,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “The BRIGHT Act will deliver just that: safe, modern, and energy-efficient classrooms that provide a strong foundation for academic and professional success for every student at every public institution in the Commonwealth. I applaud the education leaders who helped shape this bill, the faculty and staff who dedicate themselves to educating our residents, and the students who choose to pursue a world-class education at Massachusetts’ public colleges and universities. I am especially grateful to Chair Comerford for her leadership on this issue, and to Chair Rodrigues and Chair Mark for their stewardship.”



“The Senate has always made strategic investments in higher education a top priority, as we know that advanced education leads to a more highly skilled and compensated Massachusetts workforce. This comprehensive bond bill will help modernize aging college infrastructure and spur housing development in underutilized campus properties, providing a gateway for higher enrollment,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “I have long been advocating for a higher education deferred maintenance bond bill, and this proposal is the result of a strong working collaboration between the Legislature, the Administration, and the Commonwealth’s public colleges and universities. This initiative also requires smart investment in climate resilience, ongoing decarbonization, and pursues other energy efficient priorities. I thank Senate President Spilka and Higher Education Chair Comerford for their leadership and work to move this legislation forward.”



“Today, the Senate advanced urgently-needed legislation to transform public higher education infrastructure by leveraging Fair Share dollars to address deferred maintenance, modernize classrooms, and decarbonize campuses,” said Senator Jo Comerford (D-Northampton), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Higher Education. “I am grateful to Senate President Karen Spilka and Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues for their steadfast leadership and commitment to investing in every facet of public higher education. With the BRIGHT Act, Massachusetts is choosing not to retreat in the face of federal attacks on higher education, but to build forward—creating healthier, more sustainable campuses that reflect the future we are preparing our students to lead.”



An expected $2.5 billion worth of projects over the next 10 years will help cover deferred maintenance, repairs, and major capital projects through a mix of bonding and cash investments. Projects include lab modernization, workforce development facilities, and climate resilience and energy efficiency priorities. The bill will also provide support for public colleges and universities to turn unused campus property into housing or mixed-use developments, and simplify the process for selling or leasing surplus land.



To finance BRIGHT Act projects, the legislation would dedicate $125 million per year from the ‘Fair Share’ surtax on high-earning households to create and back a new special revenue bond. The state collected roughly $3 billion in total Fair Share revenues in 2025.



“The BRIGHT Act makes crucial investments in our public higher education campus facilities that will improve our competitive edge as a state, support equity, workforce development, and long-term growth, and promote increased economic activity including good paying jobs in the building trades, while also ensuring that our students, whether they live in the Berkshires, Boston, or anywhere in between, have access to high quality affordable public higher education,” said Senator Paul W. Mark (D-Becket), Acting Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets.



Looking beyond the funding and bonds that would be issued over the next 10 years, the bill ensures the state will permanently bolster the resources that are directed toward higher education capital projects. It requires that the annual $125 million stream of Fair Share surtax revenue continue to be directed toward higher education capital projects in perpetuity.



Originally filed by the Governor, versions of the bill have been heard by the Joint Committee on Higher Education, reviewed by the Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets, passed by the House of Representatives, and redrafted by the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. The Senate version of the legislation was reported to the full body by the Committee on Ways and Means with a 16-0 vote on February 19, 2026. All committee votes are posted on the Legislature’s website.



The $3.28 billion that the state would be authorized to issue in support of public higher education capital projects includes:




  • $1.25 billion for projects on state university and community college campuses;

  • $1.25 billion for projects on University of Massachusetts campuses;

  • $120 million to support well-equipped laboratories at public higher education institutions, modern facilities to foster career-oriented collaboration between community colleges and vocational technical schools, and health facilities to promote students’ wellbeing;

  • $100 million toward the creation of housing and mixed-use developments on campus properties;

  • $100 million to advance regional economic and workforce development through a competitive grant program for equipment and facilities for career technical education and training programs;

  • $275 million for the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) Tower Building, where high priority critical repairs are needed;

  • $80 million for campus energy efficiency and decarbonization;

  • $50 million for a competitive grant program for capital improvements at public higher education campuses, including climate resilience upgrades;

  • $30 million for campus master planning; and

  • $20 million for technology improvements that support students and facilitate remote and hybrid learning.



Additional details of the bill are available in a fact sheet in the Senate Press Room.



The Senate passed the bill on a 38-0 roll call vote and sent it to the House of Representatives for further review.



Statements of Support



Governor Maura Healey



“The BRIGHT Act is a vital investment to upgrade our college campuses, strengthen our competitiveness and create thousands of construction jobs. This bill will make sure our students have modernized facilities that meet the needs of today’s cutting-edge, applied learning models and better prepare them for success in the workforce. We're grateful to Senate President Spilka and the Senate for advancing this important bill.”



Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll



“As the first in my family to graduate from college, and a proud graduate of Salem State University, I’ve seen first-hand how life-changing our public college and university campuses can be for students from working-class families. The BRIGHT Act is about strengthening the foundations of our economy. By investing in our higher education campuses, we will create more jobs, and we will prepare more Massachusetts residents to thrive in them.”



Acting Secretary of Education Amy Kershaw



“We know that the spaces that students, staff and faculty spend time in can facilitate or inhibit learning. The BRIGHT Act will transform our public higher education institutions, giving students safe, green, innovative high-quality learning environments that will set them up for the ever-changing workforce of today and tomorrow. I want to thank the Senate for advancing this critical legislation.”



Commissioner of Higher Education Noe Ortega



“Our public higher education students deserve learning spaces that match the high quality of the education they’re receiving and set them up for the best success as they launch careers. I’m grateful that Governor Healey and our legislators see the value of investing in the spaces that will prepare so many of our future nurses, educators, and leaders here in the Commonwealth.”



Linda Thompson, President of Westfield State University; Chair of the State Universities Council of Presidents



“The BRIGHT Act represents a critical opportunity to modernize our learning environments and address long-overdue repairs to our state-owned buildings, which our institution has lacked the resources to complete. The passage of the BRIGHT Act is critical to ensuring our campuses remain competitive, relevant, and responsive to the rapidly evolving workforce and educational landscape. To prepare students for the future, we must first bring our classrooms into the present.”



Nate Mackinnon, Executive Director, Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges



“The BRIGHT Act represents an important acknowledgement that Massachusetts’ public higher education system is in need of targeted investments in order to best serve our students. The community colleges have done their best to keep up with the ever-growing need for deferred maintenance, but the BRIGHT Act represents a new day for strategic, targeted investment in the infrastructure of public higher education. We are grateful to the Senate for advancing this important legislation and look forward to final passage.”



University of Massachusetts President Marty Meehan



“At UMass, we are extremely grateful for the Senate’s action today in passing the BRIGHT Act, which makes a generational investment in public higher education that will benefit our students and communities for decades. By dedicating this significant funding for UMass, this critical capital investment creates significant opportunities across all five campuses to modernize facilities, lower emissions, and provide learning opportunities for the next generation of the Commonwealth’s workforce. I would like to thank Senate President Karen Spilka, Ways & Means Chair Michael Rodrigues, Higher Education Committee Chair Jo Comerford, and the entire Senate, as well as Governor Healey for her leadership in proposing this important investment in the Commonwealth’s public higher education institutions.”



Mary K. Grant, President of Massachusetts College of Art and Design



“Investments in campus infrastructure are investments in student success. This legislation will enable MassArt to modernize facilities, strengthen programs that support in-demand fields, and prepare our students to lead in today’s creative, cultural, and innovation economy. I am so grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration for introducing this transformative and visionary legislation and I thank the Senate for acting on this today. These investments will strengthen campuses across the Commonwealth, have a significant impact in our communities, and support the world class, life changing education and experiences our students deserve.”