Press Release: 6/22/2026

ELM Statement on House Vote to Pass the Mass Ready Act

 

June 18, 2026 — The Environmental League of Massachusetts applauds the Massachusetts House’s passage of H.5510, the Mass Ready Act, an environmental bond bill that will shape how we protect our communities and natural resources for years to come.   

“A strong Mass Ready Act will take significant strides toward addressing urgent and emerging environmental challenges,” said David Melly, Senior Policy Director at the Environmental League of Massachusetts. “ELM thanks the House and Chair Christine Barber for their hard work developing legislation that makes communities greener, healthier, and more resilient.” 

Communities across the Commonwealth are facing worsening climate impacts, aging water systems, growing waste management costs, and gaps in air quality protections. At the same time, uncertainty around federal funding makes strong state leadership more important than ever. The bill works to provide the Commonwealth with the resources needed to protect our communities and natural resources. 

Thanks to ongoing efforts led by Representative Barber and Representative Sam Montaño, H.5510 contains new policy for Massachusetts to improve its air quality monitoring and remediation strategies, convening a technical advisory committee of experts and requiring the identification of air pollution “hot spots” to be addressed. The House also passed a critical amendment filed by Representative Ted Phillips to create a program to fund mattress recycling, supporting municipalities currently responsible for the cost of pickups and recycling. 

Several other amendments were adopted during the floor debate that will strengthen the bill, including policies to make modern transportation fleets more affordable, limit nighttime light pollution, create a pilot program for zero-carbon building retrofits, and make recommendations for climate financing and “greywater” reuse. 

ELM thanks Speaker Ronald Mariano, Chair Aaron Michlewitz, and Chair Christine Barber for their tireless work to craft this legislation. We look forward to working with the House and Senate as they finalize the bill, ensuring it delivers the full scope of investments needed to protect the Commonwealth’s environment, public health, and economy.