An Act promoting resilience against the heat-related impacts of climate change

This bill creates a new low-income cooling assistance program to help vulnerable Massachusetts residents cope with rising temperatures. It targets households earning less than 60% of the state median income that include elderly individuals, young children, or people with specific health conditions, provided they do not already own a working air conditioner or fan. The program offers financial aid to purchase ENERGY STAR-certified air-conditioning units or box fans, with maximum benefits of $500 and $75 respectively, while also coordinating with existing energy efficiency programs for additional rebates. Funding for this initiative will come from a mandatory 5% allocation of the state's Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program budget each fiscal year.