In a Snapshot:
H.738 and S.1488 are the House and Senate versions of The Nuclear Weapons and Climate Commission Bill. H.738 got voted favorably out of its committee on March 15th, 2024 and now has until July 31st to pass a vote on the floor. S.1488 is still with committee and has a deadline of May 8th.
S.1487 is the Back from the Brink Resolution which also calls for the abolition of all nuclear weapons. It is in the same committee as S.1488, with the same deadline so we are including it in our ask in the letters to the Co-Chairs.
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.
Put the Pressure on!
The senate bills are in the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, Chaired by Senator Walter F. Timilty (email: [email protected], phone: (617) 722-1643) and Representative Carlos Gonzalez (email: [email protected], phone: (617) 722-2230). They have a new deadline of May 8th.
Click the envelope, add your name, and press send!
Subject: Please Vote Nuclear Bills S.1488 and S.1487 favorably out of committee.
Dear Sen. Timilty and Rep. Gonzalez,
There are two nuclear weapons related bills presented by Senator Comerford sitting in the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, which you co-chair. They are S.1488 for the creation of a Nuclear Weapons and Climate Citizens Commission, and S.1487 a resolution to move us Back from the Brink of nuclear war.
I want to thank you for ensuring that the Commission bill was voted favorably out of your committee last session (when it was H.3239/S.2157) and for the continued support you have expressed for both bills this year. As I’m sure you know, the House version of the current Commission bill, H.738, has already been voted favorably out of the Joint Committee on Emergency Preparedness and Management. I hope you will now do the same again for S.1488 and S.1487.
These bills are incredibly important to me and to many of my friends, family and colleagues! We view these bills as no-brainers and the absolute minimum the State House should be doing to ensure the continued safety and wellbeing of the people of Massachusetts. I am eager to see them come to fruition.
I know you have a lot of other bills on your plate in the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security. Thank you for extending the deadline to May 8th to give these bills more consideration.
Since we have heard from both you and your fellow co-Chair that you are in agreement on the need to pass S.1488 and S.1487, please do not let other bills get in the way of passing these two! I urge you to pass them both favorably out of your committee as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
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, reporting deadline 5/8/2024
- The same committee voted favorably on the Commission bill in the previous session, and are expected to do so again.
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, deadline 5/8/2024
There is no house version of the Back from the Brink Resolution