Bill > HB426

This bill, known as the Native Habitats at Commonwealth Facilities Act, requires Commonwealth agencies, which are defined as executive, independent, or state-affiliated entities of the government (excluding legislative and judicial branches), to prioritize the use of native plants, especially those not treated with systemic insecticides, when undertaking construction or maintenance projects involving landscaping at state facilities. These agencies should also consider the environmental benefits of using native plants, such as creating habitats and reducing erosion, and explore opportunities to plant them or establish pollinator meadows, which are areas with over 50% native wildflowers designed to support the entire life cycle of native pollinators like monarch butterflies, on existing or planned turf areas. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) is tasked with maintaining or establishing pollinator habitats at its facilities, providing guidance to other agencies on using native plants, and developing a native pollinator conservation plan that outlines the status of pollinators, risks they face, mitigation strategies, and the DCNR's conservation efforts.