H4420 — An Act to address the impact of climate change on farms and fisheries

Summary

An Act to address the impact of climate change on farms and fisheries

Bill Text

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• Chapter 29 of the General Laws

  Section 2IIIIII. Agriculture and Fishery Vulnerability Preparedness Grant Fund (a) There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Agriculture and Fishery Vulnerability Preparedness Grant Fund. The fund shall be administered by the commissioner of the department of agricultural resources in consultation with the commissioner of the department of fish and game. The fund shall be credited with: (i) revenue from appropriations or other money authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (ii) interest earned on such revenues; and (iii) funds from public and private sources such as gifts, grants and donations. Amounts credited to the fund shall not be subject to further appropriation and any money remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund; provided, however, that such contributions shall not be further restricted by the donor or used by the commonwealth for any other purpose. Any bond proceeds deposited into the fund shall be kept separate from any and all other funds deposited into the fund. (b) The public purpose of this fund shall be to administer the agriculture and fishery vulnerability preparedness grant program to support farms and fisheries in Massachusetts to engage in the process of (i) planning climate change adaptation and resiliency initiatives, (ii) seeking resources to support implementation, and (iii) implementing priority projects. In furtherance of this public purpose, the commissioner, in consultation with the department of fish and game, shall administer the fund as grants to farms and fisheries to support controlled climate growing, energy efficiency, renewable energy, climate resilient management practices, nature-based solutions to climate impacts, infrastructure needs to support climate resilience, development and implementation of data collection and monitoring to measure the impact of these investments, and other eligible purposes as determined by the secretary and the commissioners. (c) Program funds may be used to establish and provide technical assistance to support farms and fisheries to prioritize, develop, and submit applications, plan climate change adaptation and resiliency initiatives, and identify and seek funding sources to support project implementation. (d) Program funds shall be awarded to applicants from each eligible sector as categorized by farm or fishery with consideration to objectives of regional and sector eligibility. (e) The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations for the administration and implementation of subsections (a) and (b). The commissioner shall file any policies, rules and regulations with the joint committee on agriculture and fisheries for review and comment at least 30 days before the effective date of the policies, rules or regulations. (f) The commissioner shall file a quarterly report with the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on agriculture and fisheries, and the clerks of the house and the senate on the following: (i) a list of grant applicants and the counties in which they are located, (ii) list of grant recipients and the counties in which they are located, (iii) the amount of funds requested by applicants, (iv) the associated grant amounts, (v) the applicant’s sector as categorized by farm or fishery, (vi) an annual statement detailing the sources and uses of funds, (vii) a forecast of future payments based on current binding obligations, and (viii) a detailed breakdown of the purposes and amounts of administrative costs charged to the fund. The report shall include a description of technical assistance services provided as part of this program.

  This establishes a new fund to support agriculture and fishery vulnerability preparedness in Massachusetts.

Sponsors

• Joint Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries · Primary

Subjects