Massachusetts lawmakers are poised to consider a significant climate resilience bill, but the measure does not include a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags, a key provision supported by environmental advocates. On Tuesday, the House Committee on Ways and Means released its version of the legislation, known as the Mass Ready Act, which authorizes $3.1 billion in borrowing to address climate change impacts across the state. However, the bill omits several elements passed by the Senate, including the bag ban.

The House proposal also removes provisions establishing a state drought management task force and eliminates a $15 million fund allocated for removing lead and other contaminants from drinking water in public schools. Additionally, it reduces municipal climate resilience grants to $315 million, down from $500 million in the Senate's version. These omissions have sparked concern among environmental groups.

“It's hard to call a bill ‘Mass Ready’ when it strips out these measures,” said Dave McGlinchey, executive director of the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance, referencing the absence of the drought task force, lead removal fund, and reduced grant funding. Advocates aim to reinstate such provisions through amendments, with some expecting the total authorized borrowing to rise before the bill’s final passage.

David Melly, senior policy director for the Environmental League of Massachusetts, noted uncertainty about the final scope of the bill, saying, “The jury is still out on that.” The House is scheduled to vote on the legislation on Wednesday. If approved, it will proceed to a conference committee, where differences between the House and Senate versions will be reconciled.

House Speaker Ron Mariano and Representative Aaron Michlewitz, the chamber’s budget chief, issued a joint statement framing the bill as a positive development for the state’s climate and environmental priorities. “This legislation is the latest example of Massachusetts’ ironclad commitment to protecting our environment and to leading the fight against climate change,” they said. Michlewitz did not respond to requests for further comment.

Senator Becca Rausch, chair of the Senate Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, commended the House for advancing the bill, emphasizing points of agreement between the two chambers. “Each chamber’s contributions add to the strength of the climate action and environmental protection policies and funding so critical to our communities and our commonwealth,” she said.

Senator Jamie Eldridge, who sponsored drought management legislation included in the Senate bill, expressed optimism about the legislative process, highlighting the overlap between the chambers. He pledged to continue advocating for policies that would empower the state to impose outdoor watering restrictions during drought emergencies, describing it as a “common sense change.”

The absence of the single-use plastic bag ban in the House bill has disappointed environmental advocates, who have closely monitored the proposal. The Senate’s provision, approved in April, would prohibit retailers from distributing single-use plastic bags, encourage the use of reusable bags at no charge, and require a minimum 10-cent fee on recycled paper bags. It would also restrict distribution of plastic straws and utensils to request-only.

Similar bans have been enacted in about a dozen states, including most of New England, and over 160 Massachusetts municipalities already regulate single-use bags. Despite consistent Senate support, the ban has repeatedly failed to gain approval in the House, facing opposition from the plastic bag industry and some retailers.

Janet Domenitz, executive director of the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, expressed frustration with the legislative setback, likening the situation to “dropping the ball.” Nancy Downes, field campaigns manager for Oceana in Massachusetts, which is part of a coalition advocating plastic reduction, noted that polling indicates strong public backing for such policies.

“The Massachusetts legislature has an opportunity to tackle the plastic pollution crisis in the commonwealth, and voters are ready for this,” Downes said.

As the House prepares to vote, the bill’s fate—and the inclusion of key environmental measures—remains uncertain. The legislative process will continue with efforts to reconcile variant provisions before the Mass Ready Act is potentially sent to Governor Maura Healey for approval.