Massachusetts legislation · 194th General Court
Massachusetts H3568: An Act relative to prohibiting public utility and ratepayer funding of clearcutting forests and woodlands
Status: Failed, April 6, 2026
What the bill says
From the introduced text, February 27, 2025:
SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the department of energy resources and department of public utilities shall amend any rules, regulations, and tariffs pursuant to section 11 of chapter 75 of the acts of 2016 or successor statute to prohibit from qualification any solar facility, including any solar energy generating source, that (1) has not received a statement of qualification, or similar official notice of approval, from the department prior to January 1, 2025 and (2) is greater than or equal to nameplate capacity of 500kW if such facility meets any of the following criteria: (i) is located within a parcel that includes priority habitat as delineated by the division of fisheries and wildlife under chapter 131A (ii) is located within an area of critical environmental concern as designated by the secretary of energy and environmental affairs (iii) is located within forest land as defined in section 2 of chapter 61 of the general laws SECTION 2. A prohibition established in Section 1 shall not apply to facilities located within a brownfield or within eligible landfills as determined by the commissioner of the department of energy resources; nor shall such prohibition apply to building mounted facilities or facilities sited upon previously developed land.
Sponsors
- Aaron Saunders (D) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : Accompanied a study order, see H5323
- : Reporting date extended to Wednesday, March 18, 2026
- : Reporting date extended to Wednesday, December 3, 2025
- : Hearing scheduled for 06/04/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2
- : Senate concurred
- : Referred to the committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy
Common questions
- What is H3568?
- H3568 is a bill in the Massachusetts Legislature (194th General Court): An Act relative to prohibiting public utility and ratepayer funding of clearcutting forests and woodlands.
- What is the status of H3568?
- Failed as of April 6, 2026. Latest action: Accompanied a study order, see H5323 (April 6, 2026).
- Who sponsored H3568?
- Aaron Saunders (D).
- Where is the official record for H3568?
- On the Massachusetts Legislature website: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H3568
Source: official Massachusetts record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.