In a Snapshot:
H.738 and S.1488 are the House and Senate versions of The Nuclear Weapons and Climate Commission Bill. Both H.738 and S.1488 have been voted favorably out of committee and now have until July 31st to pass a vote on the floor. This is the MA Warheads to Windmills Coalition’s priority legislation.
S.1487 is the Back from the Brink Resolution which calls to embrace the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. We work closely with other organizations on joint lobbying and letter writing efforts for both bills.
There are also several pieces of legislation that would work to divest from, phase out, and abolish fossil fuels. The coalition also supports these bills as they align with our goals.
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Resolve providing for an investigation and study by a special commission relative to the existential threats posed by nuclear weapons and climate change to the commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The Citizen’s Commission would be comprised of 11 Massachusetts citizens, selected from a pool of applicants by various leaders of the MA legislature. This would include 6 applicants appointed by the Governor from nominations by the Warheads to Windmills Coalition. The commission would come at no cost to the state, taking advantage of existing expertise and passion on this matter.
The commission would investigate Massachusetts’ involvement in the Nuclear Weapons Industry, research what the transition to a green economy in MA would take, and advise the legislature on what essential steps to take. To this effect the commission would add capacity to the legislature, streamlining their process and helping them work for the Commonwealth.
The commission would also hold several public hearings around the state to inform the citizens of the commonwealth on what the state is doing on these issues, creating a crucial opportunity for public engagement with the legislature and to raise awareness on the danger of Nuclear Weapons and the necessity of a transition to a green economy.
House Version- H.738
- Introduced by Representative Lindsay Sabadosa accompanied by S.1488 by Senator Jo Comerford
- Referred to Joint Committee on Emergency Preparedness and Management, reported favorably out 3/15/2024
- Then referred to the committee on House Ways and Means.
- Deadline for a vote on the House Floor is July 31st, 2024
Senate Version – S.1488
- Introduced by Senator Jo Comerford accompanied by H.738 by Representative Lindsay Sabadosa
- Referred to the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, reported favorably out on 5/8/2024
A previous version of the commission bill was passed favorably out of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security in previous session, but has never been brought to vote on the floor.
Resolutions to embrace the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and move the US back from the brink of nuclear war
The Back from the Brink Resolution calls upon the United States government to enter into negotiations with the other nuclear-armed states for a verifiable, enforceable agreement to eliminate their nuclear arsenals. It also urges our government to implement safeguards to reduce the danger of nuclear war while these negotiations take place. These include:
- Taking U.S. nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert;
- Ending the President’s sole, unchecked authority to launch nuclear weapons;
- Renouncing the option of using nuclear weapons first;
- Canceling plans to replace the entire U.S. nuclear arsenal with enhanced weapons.
S.1487
- Introduced by Senator Jo Comerford
- Referred to the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, reported favorably out 5/8/2024
There is no house version of the Back from the Brink Resolution