Relates to certain reimbursement rates

Summary — S.61 (Senate No. 61): "An Act relative to urban farmland" (Vacant Lots to Urban Agriculture Fund)

Status: Introduced January 9, 2025. Referred to committee(s); hearing scheduled 09/16/2025. (Senate Docket No. 1093.)

Purpose

Establish a dedicated state fund to support conversion of vacant, abandoned, foreclosed, or underutilized urban lots into farms, community gardens, and other agricultural enterprises in environmental justice (EJ) populations in Massachusetts cities. Goals include increasing local food security, economic development, climate and heat resilience, agricultural education, and job training.

Key provisions

• Adds Section 2EEEEEE to Chapter 29 of the General Laws establishing the "Vacant Lots to Urban Agriculture Fund" administered by the Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR).
• Defines “vacant lot” as property not actively used or occupied within the preceding one year (excluding properties under active renovation/repair due to casualty); includes abandoned, empty, foreclosed, and underutilized spaces.
• Fund revenue sources: legislative appropriations, interest, and public/private gifts, grants, donations. Money credited to the fund is not to revert to the General Fund at fiscal year end and “shall not be subject to further appropriation”; donor-restricted contributions may not be used for other purposes.
• Grant purposes / eligible awards (illustrative categories):
  1. Grants to municipalities to collaboratively develop urban farming/gardening plans with residents, local food businesses, organizations, and regional planners.
  2. Pilot programs in EJ communities to transition vacant lots to agricultural uses.
  3. Converting city-held tax lien land foreclosed prior to 2021 to agricultural use.
  4. Assistance to municipalities or urban agriculture organizations/businesses to purchase priority private parcels.
  5. Grants to municipalities and urban farming businesses/nonprofits to purchase/lease land, renovate, build infrastructure, and cover startup costs.
  6. Funding to protect parcels with conservation easements.
• Priorities: projects providing agricultural education, job training, donating food to food-insecure residents, and public engagement.
• DAR commissioner must adopt rules to implement the program.

Reporting and oversight

DAR commissioner must file an annual report to the House and Senate Committees on Ways and Means, the Joint Committee on Agriculture, and legislative clerks listing: grant applicants and recipients (with municipality), amounts requested and awarded, and the number of EJ block groups served.

Who is affected

• Cities and their residents—particularly environmental justice populations—in Massachusetts.
• Municipal governments (landholders, planning entities).
• Urban agriculture organizations, nonprofits, businesses, and potential farmers/gardeners.
• Communities facing food insecurity and heat/climate vulnerability.

Legislative timeline & related information

• Introduced Jan 9, 2025; referred to committees (Judiciary; Agriculture; other references in record).
• Hearing scheduled Sept 16, 2025.
• Sponsors and related bills are listed in the legislative record provided (see docket for full list of sponsors and companion/related bills).

Potential impacts / considerations

• Could increase urban food production, job training, and reuse of vacant properties in EJ neighborhoods.
• Requires ongoing funding/appropriations and administrative capacity at DAR.
• Legal/transactional issues may arise when converting foreclosed or privately held parcels; program includes purchase and easement options to address this.
• The provision that fund balances not revert to the General Fund could allow multi-year project financing but may raise appropriation/accounting questions during implementation.

For the full statutory language and current status, consult the Senate docket (No. 1093) and the Massachusetts General Court website.