HOUSE . . . . . . . . No. 4722
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
________________________________________
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, June 5, 2024.
The committee on Economic Development and Emerging
Technologies, to whom was referred the message from Her Excellency the
Governor recommending legislation relative to strengthening
Massachusetts' economic leadership (House, No. 4459), reports
recommending that the accompanying bill (House, No. 4722) ought to
pass.
For the committee,
JERALD A. PARISELLA.
 FILED ON: 6/4/2024
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 4722
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
_______________
An Act relative to strengthening Massachusetts' economic leadership.
Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to
forthwith finance improvements to the commonwealth's economic infrastructure, drive industry
innovation, and promote economic opportunity and job creation, therefore it is hereby declared
to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. To provide for a program of community development, economic
2 opportunities, support for local governments, increased industry innovation, job creation and the
3 promotion of economic reinvestment through the funding of infrastructure improvements the
4 sums set forth in sections 2 to 2C, inclusive, for the several purposes and subject to the
5 conditions specified in this act, are hereby made available, subject to the laws regulating the
6 disbursement of public funds. These sums shall be in addition to any amounts previously
7 authorized and made available for the purposes of those items. The sums set forth in sections 2 to
8 2B, inclusive, shall be made available until June 30, 2029. The sums set forth in section 2C shall
9 be made available until June 30, 2034.
10 SECTION 2.
1 of 150
11 EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
12 Office of the Secretary
13 7002-1352 For a grant program to coastal communities to be administered by the
14 Seaport Economic Council; provided, that funding shall be used for community planning and
15 investment activities that stimulate economic development and create jobs in the maritime
16 economy sector, and to construct, improve, repair, maintain and protect coastal assets that are
17 vital to achieving these goals; and provided further, that the planning, prioritization, selection
18 and implementation of projects shall consider climate change impacts in furtherance of the goals
19 of climate change mitigation and adaptation consistent with the integrated state hazard mitigation
20 and climate change adaptation
21 plan....………………………...................................................................................... $100,000,000
22 7002-1522 For grants administered by Massachusetts Technology Development
23 Corporation established in section 2 of chapter 40G of the General Laws, and doing business as
24 MassVentures; provided, that such grants shall be made on a competitive basis to growing
25 Massachusetts-based companies commercializing technologies developed with assistance of a
26 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR)
27 grant from a federal agency, including, but not limited to, the United States Department of
28 Defense, the United States Department of Energy or the National Science
29 Foundation…………………………………………………………………………….$25,000,000
30 7002-1523 For grants administered by Massachusetts Technology Development
31 Corporation established in section 2 of chapter 40G of the General Laws, and doing business as
32 MassVentures; provided, that such grants shall be made on a competitive basis to Massachusetts-
2 of 150
33 based companies in support of agricultural biotechnology or non-therapeutic biomanufacturing
34 technologies developed with assistance of a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or
35 Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant from a federal agency, including, but not
36 limited to, the United States Department of Energy, the United States Department of Agriculture,
37 the United States Food and Drug Administration or the National Science
38 Foundation……………………………………………………………...……………....$5,000,000
39 7002-8003 For the Massachusetts Technology Park Corporation established by
40 section 3 of chapter 40J for matching grants that support agricultural biotechnology or non-
41 therapeutic biomanufacturing among private entities, institutions of higher education, non-profits
42 and other public or quasi-public entities located in the commonwealth; provided, that grants shall
43 be awarded and administered consistent with the strategic goals and priorities of the advanced
44 manufacturing collaborative established by section 10B of chapter 23A; and provided further,
45 that grants shall be awarded in a manner that promotes geographic, social and economic
46 equity……………………………………………………………………………………$5,000,000
47 7002-8039 For the Scientific and Technology Research and Development Matching
48 Grant Fund established in section 4G of chapter 40J of the General Laws……….......$95,000,000
49 7002-8044 For a program to be administered by the Massachusetts Development
50 Finance Agency for site assembly, site assessment, predevelopment permitting and other
51 predevelopment and marketing activities that enhance a site’s readiness for commercial,
52 industrial or mixed-use development; provided, that a portion of the funds may be used to
53 facilitate the expansion or replication of successful industrial parks and to support the
54 revitalization of downtown centers…………………………………………................ $3,000,000
3 of 150
55 7002-8046 For the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation established pursuant to
56 section 2 of chapter 40W of the General Laws for a program to provide matching grants to
57 community development financial institutions certified by the United States Treasury or
58 community development corporations certified under chapter 40H of the General Laws to enable
59 them to leverage federal or private investments for the purpose of making loans to small
60 businesses; provided, that such programs shall prioritize socially or economically disadvantaged
61 businesses, which may include, but shall not be limited to, minority-owned, women-owned,
62 veteran-owned and immigrant-owned small businesses, that have historically faced obstacles to
63 accessing capital……………………………………………………………................ $35,000,000
64 7002-8053 For the Brownfields Redevelopment Fund established in section 29A of
65 chapter 23G of the General Laws……………………………………….…................ $30,000,000
66 7002-8054 For the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation, established in section 2
67 of chapter 40W of the General Laws to provide, in consultation with the microbusiness
68 development center within the Massachusetts office of business development, grants to low- and
69 moderate-income entrepreneurs to acquire, expand, improve or lease a facility, to purchase or
70 lease equipment or to meet other capital needs of a business with not more than 20 employees
71 and annual revenues not exceeding $2,500,000, including alternative energy generation projects;
72 provided, that preference shall be given to businesses located in low-income or moderate-income
73 areas or socially and economically disadvantaged businesses, which shall include, but shall not
74 be limited to, minority-owned, women-owned, immigrant-owned and veteran-owned businesses;
75 and provided further, that grants shall be awarded in a manner that promotes geographic
76 equity…………………………………………………………………..........................$10,000,000
4 of 150
77 7002-8056 For a competitive grant program administered by the office of travel and
78 tourism; provided, that funds may be used to improve facilities and destinations visited by in-
79 state and out-of-state travelers, with the goals of increasing visitation, enticing repeat visitation
80 and increasing the direct and indirect economic impacts of the tourism industry in all regions of
81 the commonwealth; provided further, that grants shall support the design, repair, renovation,
82 improvement, expansion and construction of facilities owned by municipalities or non-profit
83 entities; provided further, that in evaluating grant applications, priority shall be given to projects
84 located in state-designated cultural districts and projects that promote nature-based, agricultural
85 and other forms of rural tourism; provided further, that all grantees to improve facilities and
86 destinations visited by in-state and out-of-state travelers shall provide a match based on a
87 graduated formula determined by the Massachusetts office of travel and tourism; provided
88 further, that grant recipients shall be required to measure and report on return-on-investment data
89 after the expenditure of grant funds; provided further, that grants shall be awarded in a manner
90 that promotes geographic equity; and provided further, that a portion of the funding may be used
91 to make capital investments that support the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the
92 founding of the United States…………………………………………..…................ $40,000,000
93 7002-8057 For the Commonwealth Zoological Corporation established in section 2 of
94 chapter 92B of the General Laws, for costs associated with the preparation of plans, studies and
95 specifications, repairs, construction, renovations, improvements, maintenance, asset management
96 and demolition and other capital improvements including those necessary for the operation of
97 facilities operated by Zoo New England, including the Franklin Park Zoo and the Walter D.
98 Stone Memorial Zoo…………………………………………………….…................ $10,000,000
5 of 150
 99 7002-8058 For the Massachusetts Broadband Incentive Fund established in section
100 6C of chapter 40J of the General Laws, for capital repairs and improvements to broadband
101 infrastructure owned by the Massachusetts Technology Park Corporation established by section
102 3 of chapter 40J………………………………………………………….…................$10,000,000
103 7002-8059 For the Massachusetts Technology Park Corporation established by
104 section 3 of chapter 40J for grant programs that support collaboration among manufacturers
105 located in the commonwealth and institutions of higher education, non-profits or other public or
106 quasi-public entities; provided, that eligible grantees shall include, but not be limited to,
107 participants in the Manufacturing USA institutes, public and private academic institutions, non-
108 profits and private business entities; provided further, that grant programs funded from this item
109 shall consider the strategic goals and priorities of the advanced manufacturing collaborative
110 established by section 10B of chapter 23A; and provided further, that grants shall be awarded in
111 a manner that promotes geographic, social, racial, and economic equity…………...$99,000,000
112 7002-8061 For the MassWorks infrastructure program established by section 63 of
113 chapter 23A of the General Laws…………………………………………................$400,000,000
114 7002-8062 For a program to provide assistance to projects that will improve,
115 rehabilitate or redevelop blighted, abandoned, vacant or underutilized properties to achieve the
116 public purposes of eliminating blight, increasing housing production, supporting economic
117 development projects, increasing the number of commercial buildings accessible to persons with
118 disabilities and conserving natural resources through the targeted rehabilitation and reuse of
119 vacant and underutilized property; provided, that such assistance shall take the form of a grant or
120 a loan provided to a municipality or other public entity, a community development corporation,
6 of 150
121 non-profit entity or for-profit entity; provided further, that eligible uses of funding shall include,
122 but not be limited to: (i) improvements and additions to or alterations of structures and other
123 facilities necessary to comply with requirements of building codes, fire or other life safety codes
124 and regulations pertaining to accessibility for persons with disabilities, where such code or
125 regulatory compliance is required in connection with a new commercial, residential or civic use
126 of such structure or facility, and (ii) the targeted removal of existing underutilized structures or
127 facilities to create or activate publicly-accessible recreational or civic spaces; provided further,
128 that financial assistance offered pursuant to this line item may be administered by the executive
129 office through a contract with the Massachusetts Development Finance Agency established by
130 section 2 of chapter 23G; provided further, that the executive office or the Massachusetts
131 Development Finance Agency may establish additional program requirements through
132 regulations or policy guidelines; provided further, that funding shall be awarded on a competitive
133 basis in accordance with such program requirements; provided further, that financial assistance
134 offered pursuant to this item shall be awarded, to the extent feasible, in a manner that reflects
135 geographic and demographic diversity and social, racial, and economic equity within the
136 commonwealth; and provided further, that program funds may be used for the reasonable costs
137 of administering the program not to exceed 5 per cent of the total assistance made during the
138 fiscal year………………………………...…………………………….…................$90,000,000
139 7002-8066 For a capital grant program to be administered by the executive office of
140 economic development, in consultation with the executive office of administration and finance,
141 to provide grants to support large, transformational projects to drive economic growth; provided
142 further, that such program may be known as Mass Impact…....……....…................$250,000,000
7 of 150
143 7002-8068 For the rural development program established in section 66A of chapter
144 23A of the General Laws....…………………………………………….…................$100,000,000
145 7002-8069 For a capital grant program to be administered by the executive office of
146 economic development to provide grants or other financial assistance to private businesses that
147 are constructing or expanding commercial, industrial or manufacturing facilities in the
148 commonwealth which could include, but are not limited to: (i) the construction or expansion of
149 facilities in a manner that eliminates or minimizes the use of fossil-fuel heating and cooling
150 equipment or incorporates other decarbonization measures that would not otherwise be
151 incorporated into the facility design; (ii) the integration of design features that make a facility
152 more resilient to the impacts of climate change, where such design features would not otherwise
153 be economically feasible; or (iii) capital investments that support the creation of a significant
154 number of new jobs in the commonwealth; and provided further, that the secretary of economic
155 development shall promulgate program guidelines around the administration of the program
156 which may include administering the program through a contract with the Massachusetts
157 Development Finance Authority, or other appropriate quasi-governmental
158 agency…………………………………………………….…………………............$25,000,000
159 7002-8070 For a capital grant program to be administered by the Massachusetts
160 Technology Park Corporation established by chapter 40J of the General Laws, to support the
161 adoption and application of artificial intelligence capabilities to public policy problems and to
162 leverage emerging artificial intelligence technologies to advance the commonwealth’s lead in
163 technology sectors including, but not limited to, life sciences, healthcare and hospitals, financial
164 services, advanced manufacturing, robotics and education; provided, that grants shall support
165 capital expenses related to activities that leverage emerging artificial intelligence technologies to
8 of 150
166 advance the commonwealth’s lead in such technology sectors;; provided further, that grants shall
167 be awarded and administered consistent with the strategic goals and priorities of the AI Strategic
168 Task Force established by Executive Order No. 628; and provided further, that funds shall be
169 used to support the incubation of artificial intelligence firms, advance the adoption of artificial
170 intelligence technologies and support artificial intelligence software and hardware technology
171 development and commercialization activities..…………………….….…................$100,000,000
172 7002-8072 For a competitive program of grants or other financial assistance, to be
173 administered by the Massachusetts Technology Park Corporation established by chapter 40J of
174 the General Laws, to provide infrastructure support