Bill > S481

This bill establishes a climate change adaptation superfund and promotes polluter responsibility. The key provisions are: 1. It creates the Climate Change Adaptation Cost Recovery Program, which aims to secure compensatory payments from "responsible parties" (entities that extracted fossil fuels or refined crude oil during the covered period and are responsible for over 1 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions) to provide funding for climate change adaptive infrastructure projects in the state. 2. The cost recovery demands on responsible parties are based on their proportional share of covered greenhouse gas emissions, with a goal that at least 40% of the funds go towards projects that directly benefit environmental justice populations. 3. It establishes the Climate Change Adaptation Fund as a special revolving fund within the Department of Environmental Protection to receive the cost recovery payments and disburse funds for qualifying climate change adaptation projects. 4. The bill sets forth various implementation requirements, such as the development of a statewide climate change adaptation master plan, enforcement mechanisms, and provisions related to prevailing wage, use of apprenticeship agreements, and domestic steel requirements for projects receiving funds. 5. The program is subject to independent evaluation to determine its effectiveness in achieving its purposes.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S481