House Bill 5518, An Act to build resilience for Massachusetts communities, was engrossed by the House of Representatives on a vote of 151-0 on June 17. The bill is a redraft of Senate Bill 3064, which passed the Senate on April 15 by a vote of 36-3.
Both versions of the bill include funding to assist municipalities in addressing a variety of environmental concerns, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in drinking water, dam repair and removal, coastal resilience, flood mitigation, and habitat restoration. In addition to determining final funding levels, the conference committee will reconcile several key policy differences between the House and Senate bills, including proposals related to Sunday hunting, plastic bag regulations, paint stewardship, and other environmental initiatives.
The Senate version, for example, includes a controversial proposal to ban single-use plastic bags by retailers and limit the use of disposable utensils and other plastic items in the food service industry. The Senate has also proposed a new fee on paint sales to fund a statewide paint recycling program. Neither of these proposals were included in the House bill. The House also adopted language repealing the Commonwealth's longstanding prohibition on Sunday hunting, which supporters argue would expand recreational opportunities, improve wildlife management, and bring Massachusetts in line with nearly every other state. The Senate bill does not include this provision, making it one of several policy differences to be resolved in conference.
“As the Ranking Minority Member on the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, Ken is well-versed on the issues impacting communities that the environmental bond bill seeks to address,” said Representative Jones. “I am confident he will work with his fellow conferees to build consensus on a final bill that allocates state resources prudently and effectively to help achieve positive results for our cities and towns.”
Representative Sweezey enters the conference committee following a successful House debate in which he secured and supported several investments benefiting the 6th Plymouth District. The House version of the bill includes $400,000 for the North and South Rivers Watershed Association to support permitting and early construction related to the Chandler Pond Dam removal project in Marshfield. It also includes $320,000 for the Association's River Center public access project in Pembroke, $550,000 for the replacement of the Park Street culvert in Pembroke, and $40,000 to support the North River Commission's enforcement of the North River Protective Order.
“I want to thank Leader Jones for entrusting me with this important responsibility,” said Representative Sweezey. “This legislation has the potential to make meaningful investments in clean water, coastal resilience, PFAS remediation, dam safety, and environmental restoration across the Commonwealth. I'm especially proud that the House bill already includes several priorities for our district, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to preserve those investments while reaching a balanced final agreement.”
Representative Sweezey most recently served on a conference committee that negotiated a $1.56 billion supplemental budget agreement allocating surplus Fair Share surtax revenues for a variety of education and transportation initiatives across the state. That bill was enacted on June 4 and signed into law by Governor Maura Healey on June 12 as Chapter 101 of the Acts of 2026.
This appointment marks Representative Sweezey's second conference committee assignment during his first term in the House of Representatives. Based on available records, it is believed to be the first time a freshman member has been appointed to two conference committees in a single legislative session.
