Bill > H4463

This bill establishes a Green and Healthy Public College and University Building Planning Commission to assess and improve the environmental and health conditions of public higher education buildings in Massachusetts. The commission will include representatives from various state agencies, educational institutions, labor unions, and professional organizations. Their primary tasks include evaluating existing public college and university buildings across multiple health and environmental criteria, such as air quality, water safety, energy efficiency, infectious disease protection, and accessibility. The commission will develop comprehensive standards for "green and healthy public higher education buildings" and create a publicly accessible online dashboard to share their findings. A dedicated fund will be created to support the implementation of the commission's recommendations, with the goal of renovating and upgrading all existing public higher education buildings to meet the new standards by December 31, 2037. The bill requires the commission to prioritize buildings with the greatest needs, consider environmental conditions and community impacts, and estimate costs and potential long-term savings. The commission must conduct public hearings at all public higher education institutions and publish their first comprehensive plan by December 31, 2028, with recommendations submitted to legislative committees.

Joint Committee on Higher Education (J)

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4463